Transliteration:( Alaa innahum yasnoona sudoorahum liyastakhfoo minh; alaa heena yastaghshoona siyaabahum ya'lamu maa yusirroona wa maa yu'linoon; innahoo 'aleemun bizaatis sudoor (End Juz 11) )
11. Reason for its revelation:
This verse was revealed regarding those Muslims who would become shy to expose themselves at the time of cleansing themselves and during sexual intercourse. Or it was revealed regarding those hypocrites who would conceal their faces when in the presence of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلمSo that they should not be seen. Since this verse is Makkan and there were no hypocrites there, the first interpretaion is more appropriate.
12. Therefore do not conceal your SATR (parts to be concealed) to hide from Allah Almighty but veil these parts as a matter of modesty and bashfulness.Â
Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) says that when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and Hazrat Abu Siddique (May Allah be pleased with him) were buried in my closet I would enter it without any veil because the one was my husband and the other was my father, but after Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him). was buried in it, I never entered it without a veil. She did so on account of her shyness of Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him). Thus to be shy is one thing, to wear a veil is another matter.Â
From this hadith one learns that the buried persons see, recognize and know those who visit them and as such we have to maintain modesty and respect for them.
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5. No doubt! They did fold up their breasts, that they may hide from Him. Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Verily, He is the All-Knower of the (innermost secrets) of the breasts.
Ibn `Abbas said, “They used to dislike facing the sky with their private parts, particularly during sexual relations. Therefore, Allah revealed this verse.” Al-Bukhari recorded by way of Ibn Jurayj, who reported from Muhammad bin `Abbad bin Ja`far who said, “Ibn `Abbas recited, (أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ تَثْنَونِي صُدُورُهُمْ) “Behold their breasts did fold up.” So I said: `O Abu Al-`Abbas! What does -their breasts did fold up- mean’ He said, `The man used to have sex with his woman, but he would be shy, or he used to have answering the call of nature (in an open space) but, he would be shy. Therefore, this verse,
(No doubt! They did fold up their breasts,) was revealed.”’ In another wording of this narration, Ibn `Abbas said, “There were people who used to be shy to remove their clothes while answering the call of nature in an open space and thus be naked exposed to the sky. They were also ashamed of having sexual relations with their women due to fear of being exposed towards the sky. Thus, this was revealed concerning them.” Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that
(they cover themselves) means that they cover their heads.
(11:5) Lo! They fold up their breasts that they may conceal themselves from Him.[5] Surely when they cover themselves up with their garments Allah knows well what they cover and what they reveal. Indeed He even knows the secrets hidden in the breasts.
5. They were those people of Makkah, who though not very active in their antagonism against the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him), nevertheless were very averse to it. Therefore they did not like to hear it nor come face to face with him, and did their very best to avoid him. If, by chance, they found him sitting somewhere and talking to the people, they would at once turn back on their heels. Or if they saw him coming towards them, they would slink away or hide their faces with cloth for fear that he might address them and convey his message to them. As they did not have the courage to face the truth, they would bury their heads ostrich-like and make believe that the reality from which they were hiding had disappeared, whereas it was all along there and watching their ridiculous attempts to hide from it.
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