Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 30

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Tell the believing men that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts; it is more decent for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹O Prophet!˺ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Tell the believing men to lower their gazes and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

A. J. Arberry

Say to the believers, that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. God is aware of the things they work.

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], tell believing men to lower their glances and guard their private parts: that is purer for them. God is well aware of everything they do.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou unto the believers that they shall lower their sights and guard their private parts, that is cleaner for them; verlly Allah is Aware of that which they perform.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

Abul Ala Maududi

And O Prophet, enjoin the Believing men to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts. This is a more righteous way for them: Allah has knowledge of what they do.

Ahmed Ali

Tell the believing men to lower their eyes and guard their private parts. There is for them goodness in this. God is aware of what they do.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Command the Muslim men to keep their gaze low and to protect their private organs; that is much purer for them; indeed Allah is Aware of their deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

Tell the faithful men to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts. That is more decent for them. Allah is indeed well aware of what they do.

Ali Ünal

Tell the believing men that they should restrain their gaze (from looking at the women whom it is lawful for them to marry, and from others’ private parts), and guard their private parts and chastity. This is what is purer for them. God is fully aware of all that they do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Tell the believers to restrain their looks (in the presence of women not closely related to them and so lawful for marriage) and guard their chastity. That is purer and best for them. Surely, Allâh is Well-Aware of what they do.

English Literal

Say to the believers (to) lower/humble from their eye sights , and they protect/safe keep from their genital parts between their legs, that is more pure/correct for them, that God (is) expert/experienced with what they make/do .

Faridul Haque

Command the Muslim men to keep their gaze low and to protect their private organs; that is much purer for them; indeed Allah is Aware of their deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

It is no crime against you that you enter uninhabited houses, wherein is comfort for you; but Allah knows what you proclaim and what you hide.

Hilali & Khan

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

It is no sin for you to enter uninhabited houses wherein you have your necessaries. And Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), tell the believing men to cast down their eyes and guard their carnal desires; this will make them more pure. God is certainly aware of what they do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say to the believers they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts that is purer for them. Allah is Aware of the things they do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Tell believing men to lower their gaze and remain chaste. That is purer for them. God is aware of what they do.

Talal Itani

Tell the believing men to restrain their looks, and to guard their privates. That is purer for them. God is cognizant of what they do.

Tafsir jalalayn

Tell believing men to lower their gaze, from what is unlawful for them to look at (min [of min absrihim, `their gaze'] is extra) and to guard their private parts, from doing with them what is unlawful [for them to do]. That is purer, in other words, better, for them. Truly God is Aware of what they do, with their gazes and private parts, and He will requite them for it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Command to lower the Gaze

This is a command from Allah to His believing servants, to lower their gaze from looking at things that have been prohibited for them. They should look only at what is permissible for them to look at, and lower their gaze from forbidden things. If it so happens that a person's gaze unintentionally falls upon something forbidden, he should quickly look away.

Muslim recorded in his Sahih that Jarir bin Abdullah Al-Bajali, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"I asked the Prophet about the sudden glance, and he commanded me to turn my gaze away.

In the Sahih it is narrated that Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah said;

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْجُلُوسَ عَلَى الطُّرُقَاتِ

Beware of sitting in the streets.

They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have no alternative but to sit in the streets to converse with one another."

The Messenger of Allah said;

إِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ فَأَعْطُوا الطَّرِيقَ حَقَّهُ

If you insist, then give the street its rights.

They asked, "What are the rights of the street, O Messenger of Allah!"

He said,

غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ وَكَفُّ الاَْذَى وَرَدُّ السَّلَمِ وَالاَْمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ

Lower your gaze,

return the greeting of Salam,

enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.

Abu Al-Qasim Al-Baghawi recorded that Abu Umamah said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say;

اكْفُلُوا لِي سِتًّا أَكْفُلْ لَكُمْ بِالْجَنَّةِ

إِذَا حَدَّث أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَ يَكْذِبْ

وَإِذَا ايْتُمِنَ فَلَإ يَخُنْ

وَإِذَا وَعَدَ فَلَإ يُخْلِفْ

وَغُضُّوا أَبْصَارَكُمْ

وَكُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ

وَاحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَكُمْ

Guarantee me six things and I will guarantee you Paradise;

when any one of you speaks, he should not lie;

if he is entrusted with something, he should not betray that trust;

if he makes a promise, he should not break it;

lower your gaze;

restrain your hands; and

protect your private parts.

Since looking provokes the heart to evil, Allah commanded (the believers) to protect their private parts just as he commanded them to protect their gaze which can lead to that.

So He said;

قُل لِّلْمُوْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts.

Sometimes protecting the private parts may involve keeping them from committing Zina, as Allah says;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـفِظُونَ

And those who guard their chastity. (23;5)

Sometimes it may involve not looking at certain things, as in the Hadith in Musnad Ahmad and the Sunan;

احْفَظْ عَوْرَتَكَ إِلاَّ مِنْ زَوْجَتِكَ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ

Guard your private parts except from your wife and those whom your right hands possess.

ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ

That is purer for them.

means, it is purer for their hearts and better for their commitment to religion, as it was said;

Whoever protects his gaze, Allah will illuminate his understanding, or his heart.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ



Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.

This is like the Ayah ;

يَعْلَمُ خَأيِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ

Allah knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal. (40;19)

In the Sahih it is recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said;

كُتِبَ عَلَى ابْنِ ادَمَ حَظُّهُ مِنَ الزِّنَا أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَزِنَا الْعَيْنَيْنِ النَّظَرُ وَزِنَا اللِّسَانِ النُّطْقُ وَزِنَا الاُْذُنَيْنِ الاْسْتِمَاعُ وَزِنَا الْيَدَيْنِ الْبَطْشُ وَزِنَا الرِّجْلَيْنِ الْخُطَى وَالنَّفْسُ تَمَنَّى وَتَشْتَهِي وَالْفَرْجُ يُصَدِّقُ ذَلِكَ أَوْ يُكَذِّبُهُ

The son of Adam has his share of Zina decreed for him, and he will commit that which has been decreed.

The Zina of the eyes is looking;

the Zina of the tongue is speaking;

the Zina of the ears is listening;

the Zina of the hands is striking; and

the Zina of the feet is walking.

The soul wishes and desires, and the private parts confirm or deny that.

It was recorded by Al-Bukhari without a complete chain.

Muslim recorded a similar report with a different chain of narration.

Many of the Salaf said,

"They used to forbid men from staring at beardless handsome boys.