Introduction
I begin with the praise of Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and from the evils of our deeds.
As for what follows, we will discuss what is the meaning of اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا or “except such as cannot be helped (and is apparent)” an excerpt from the verse of Surah Nur 24:31.
The companions have differed in their explanation of this phrase. In sha Allah we will discuss below what is authentically narrated from the companions and the tabaeen regarding this ayah.
The view of the Sahaba:
The view of Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه :
حدثنا شبابة بن سوار قال نا هشام بن الغاز قال نا نافع قال ابن عمر: الزينة الظاهرة: الوجه والكفان
Shababah bin Siwar(Trust) heard from Hisham bin Al-Ghaz (Trust): he head from Nafi’ (Trust) from Ibn Umar:
“The visible adornment is the face, and the palms.”
Grade: Sahih Sanad
Included by ibn Abi Shaybah 17011
Note: All the narrators are trusted and included by Imam Bukhari in his Sahih.
The view of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه :
حدثنا زياد بن الربيع، عن صالح الدهان، عن جابر بن زيد، عن ابن عباس: {ولا يبدين زينتهن} [النور: 31] قال: الكف ورقعة الوجه
Ziyad bin Al-Rabe’a (trust) narrated from Saleh Al-Dhaan (ibn Dirham: Trust) from Jaber bin Zaid (Well known Imam) from Ibn Abbas:] : {They do not display their adornment} [An-Nur: 31] He said: “the palm and the patch of the face.”
Grade: Sahih Sanad (al-Albani)
Note: All the narrators in this hadith are trusted by Imam Bukhari.
Included by ibn Abi Shaybah 12882
الشيخ الألباني: وهذا إسناد صحيح، لا يضعفه إلا جاهل أو مُغرض
Sheikh Al-Albani said: This chain is authentic and is only weakened by an ignoranant or on purpose. – Rad al-mufhim 133
The view of Āʾishah (رضي الله عنها) the Mother of the Believers:
حدثنا وكيع، عن حماد بن سلمة، عن أم شبيب، عن عائشة، قالت: القلب والفتخة. إسناده صحيح
Wakee told us, on the authority of Hammad bin Salama, on the authority of Umm Shabeeb, on the authority of Aisha, who said: “The bracelet (القلب) and the ring (الفتخة)”[1].
Grade: Sahih Sanad
Note: All the narrators are the men of Sahih Bukhari.
Included by ibn Abi Shaybah 12887
Ibn Abi Hatim said : The fattah or fatkh is a silver ring worn on the toes of the feet.
قال جرير بن حازم: «القلب: السوار. والفقخة: الخاتم – التمهيد 6|(368)
[1] Jarir bin Hazim : القلب is the bracelet and الفتخة is the ring ( al-Tamheed of ibn abdul barr vol 6 pg 386)
It was a pre-islamic era decoration used by women in Arabia. It is still used by women in India.
The view of Ibn Masoud (رضي الله عنه ) :
حَدَّثَنَا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، قَالَ : ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ، قَالَ : ثنا شُعْبَةُ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : ” وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا سورة النور آية 31 . قَالَ : الثِّيَابُ ” ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، قَالَ : ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ ، قَالَ : ثنا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، مِثْلَهُ . قَالَ : ثنا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، مِثْلَهُ –Included by Tafsir at Tabari 23738
حدثنا وكيع عن سفيان عن أبي إسحاق عن أبي الأحوص عن عبد الله: * (ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا ما ظهر منها) * قال: الثياب.
أرنا أرنا مَعْمَرٌ , عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ , عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ ، أَنَّ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ , قَالَ : إِلا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا سورة النور آية 31 ” الثِّيَابُ ” , ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ : أَلا تَرَى ، أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ : خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ سورة الأعراف آية 31 .
Wakee told us, on the authority of Sufyan ath Thawri, on the authority of Abu Ishaq al-Sabay’ai’, from Abul Ahwas from Ibn Masoud: {and They do not display their adornment except for what appears from it} He said: ” The clothes” [An-Nur: 31]
Grade: Sahih Sanad
Note: All the narrators are the men of Sahih Bukhari.
Included by Ibn Abi shaybah 12883
The View of Tabaeen:
The view of Ubaidah -al – Salmani (Taba’i) – Companion of Ali and Ibn Masoud
حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ ، عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ ، وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا سورة النور آية 31 ، قَالَ : ” الثِّيَابُ ”
On the authority of Isa bin Yunus (Truthful) , on the authority of Hisham bin Hassan (Trust), on the authority of Ibn Sirin(Trust), on the authority of Ubaidah al-Salmani, {and They do not display their adornment except for what appears from it} Surah Nur verse 31 He said : “The clothes”
Grade: Sahih Sanad
Included in The hadith of Yahya bin Ma’in narrated by Abu Bakr al-Marwazi under the chapter {And they do not display their adornment except what appears from it in Surat Al-Nur, those who said, “The clothes.”} No. 92
The view of Al-Hasan Al-Basri (Taba’i)
حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلٌ ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ ، عَنْ يُونُسَ ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ ، قَالَ : مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا : الْوَجْهُ وَالثِّيَابُ
Ibn abi Dunya (Trust) narrated on the authority of Fudail bin Abdul Wahab (Trust) from Khalid bin Abdullah (Trust) from Yunus bin Obaid bin Dinar (Trust) from Al Hasan al Basri. He said: {except for what appears from it}: “The face and the clothes.”
Grade: Sahih Sanad
Ibn Abi Dunya in The Book of Alimony in The chapter of women staying in their homes and the forbiddance of women showing her adornment to to her than her husband. Volume 2 page 586 Note: All the narrators are the men of Sahih Bukhari except Ibn Abi Dunya and he is his student.