Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 28

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Even if you do not find anyone in them, do not enter therein until permission is given to you. And if it is said to you, ‘Go back’, just go back; it is more decent for you. Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If you find no one at home, do not enter it until you have been given permission. And if you are asked to leave, then leave. That is purer for you. And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of what you do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If you do not find anyone therein, do not enter it until you have been given permission. If you are told to go back, then go back; that is more proper for you. And Allah is All-Knowing of what you do.

A. J. Arberry

And if you find not anyone therein, enter it not until leave is given to you. And if you are told, 'Return,' return; that is purer for you; and God knows the things you do.

Abdul Haleem

If you find no one in, do not enter unless you have been given permission to do so. If you are told, ‘Go away’, then do so- that is more proper for you. God knows well what you do.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then if ye find no one therein, enter not until leave hath been given you. And if it iaid unto you go back, then go back. It is Cleaner for you, and Allah is of that which ye work knower.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If ye find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you; if ye are asked to go back, go back; that makes for greater purity for yourselves; and Allah knows well all that ye do.

Abul Ala Maududi

Then, if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter until you have been given permission, and if you are told to go back, you should go back. This is a purer way for you; and Allah has full knowledge of what you do.

Ahmed Ali

If you find that no one is in, then do not enter unless you have received permission. If you are asked to go away, turn back. That is proper for you. God is aware of what you do.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And if you do not find anyone in them, even then do not enter without the permission of their owners; and if it is said to you, “Go away” then go away – this is much purer for you; and Allah knows your deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

But if you do not find anyone in them, do not enter them until you are given permission. And if you are told: ‘Turn back,’ then do turn back. That is more decent for you. Allah knows best what you do.

Ali Ünal

Then if you find no one in them, do not enter them until you have permission to enter. If you are asked to go back, then go back (without feeling offended). It is a purer way for you. God has full knowledge of all that you do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

But if you find nobody in them do not enter therein, unless you have got (from the owners or the rightful care-taker previous) permission. And go back if you are told to go back, that would be pure and best for you. Indeed, Allâh is Well-Aware of all that you do.

English Literal

So if you did not find in it anyone, so do not enter it until (it) be permitted/allowed for you, and if (it) was said to you: "Return." So return, it is more pure/correct for you, and God (is) with what you make/do knowledgeable.

Faridul Haque

And if you do not find anyone in them, even then do not enter without the permission of their owners; and if it is said to you, "Go away" then go away – this is much purer for you; and Allah knows your deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! Enter not into houses which are not your own, until you have asked permission (announced your presence) and saluted (invoked peace on) the people thereof. That is better for you; per chance (or possibly) you may be mindful.

Hilali & Khan

And if you find no one therein, still, enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you, and Allah is All-Knower of what you do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O you who believe, enter not houses other than your own houses, until you have asked permission and saluted their inmates. This is better for you that you may be mindful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But if you do not find any one therein, then do not enter them until permission is given to you; and if it is said to you: Go back, then go back; this is purer for you; and Allah is Cognizant of what you do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And if ye find no-one therein, still enter not until permission hath been given. And if it be said unto you: Go away again, then go away, for it is purer for you. Allah knoweth what ye do.

Muhammad Sarwar

If you do not find anyone therein, do not enter until you are given permission. If you are told to go away, do so; this is more decent of you. God knows all that you do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And if you do not find anyone there, do not enter it until permission is given to you. And if you are told 'Return', so return, that is purer for you; and Allah knows the things you do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if you find no one therein, still enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.

Wahiduddin Khan

If you find no one at home, do not go in until permission has been granted you. If you are told to go away, then go away. That is more proper for you. God knows well what you do.

Talal Itani

And if you find no one in them, do not enter them until you are given permission. And if it is said to you, “Turn back,” then turn back. That is more proper for you. God is aware of what you do.

Tafsir jalalayn

And if you do not find anyone in them, to give you permission, [still] do not enter them until permission has been given to you. And if it is said to you, when you are seeking permission, `Go away,' then go away, for this, going away, is purer, that is, better, for you, than sitting [and waiting] at the doorstep. And God knows what you do, whether you enter with permission or without it, and He will requite you for it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَإِن لَّمْ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا أَحَدًا فَلَإ تَدْخُلُوهَا حَتَّى يُوْذَنَ لَكُمْ

And if you find no one therein, still enter not until permission has been given.

This has to do with the way in which one deals with other people's property without their permission. If he wants to, he can give permission, and if he wants to he can refrain from giving permission.

وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا هُوَ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ

And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you.

means, if you are turned away at the door, before or after permission has been given,

فَارْجِعُوا هُوَ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ
(go back, for it is purer for you),

means, going back is purer and better for you.

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ



And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.

Qatadah said that one of the emigrants said;

"All my life I tried to follow this Ayah, but if I asked for permission to enter upon one of my brothers and he asked me to go back, I could not do so happily, although Allah says,

وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا هُوَ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ


And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do."

وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا
(And if you are asked to go back, go back....), Sa`id bin Jubayr said,

"This means, do not stand at people's doors.