Surah 2

Surah 2:189

"They ask you about the new moons. Say: ‘They are appointed times for the people, and for the pilgrimage.’ It is not piety to come to (your) houses from their backs, but (true) piety (belongs to) the one who guards (himself). Come to (your) houses by their doors, and guard (yourselves) against God, so that you may prosper."
The Crescent Moons Verses 2:189
Show Full Scripture Context (2:189) — 1 Verse
Verse 189

۞يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖ قُلۡ هِيَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّۗ وَلَيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرُّ بِأَن تَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰۗ وَأۡتُواْ ٱلۡبُيُوتَ مِنۡ أَبۡوَٰبِهَاۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

They ask you about the new moons. Say: ‘They are appointed times for the people, and for the pilgrimage.’ It is not piety to come to (your) houses from their backs, but (true) piety (belongs to) the one who guards (himself). Come to (your) houses by their doors, and guard (yourselves) against God, so that you may prosper.

Al-'Awfi related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The people asked Allah's Messenger about the crescent moons. Thereafter, this Ayah was revealed:

Quoted Scripture
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the crescents. Say, "These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind..."

so that they mark their acts of worship, the 'Iddah (the period of time a divorced woman or a widow is required to wait before remarrying) of their women and the time of their Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)." 'Abdur-Razzaq reported that Ibn 'Umar narrated that Allah's Messenger said:

«Allah has made the crescents signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind. Hence, fast on seeing it (the crescent for Ramadan) and break the fast on seeing it (the crescent for Shawwal). If it (the crescent) was obscure to you then count thirty days (mark that month as thirty days).»

This Hadith was also collected by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "The chain is Sahih, and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not recorded it."

Righteousness comes from Taqwa

Allah said:

Quoted Scripture
"It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back, but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So enter houses through their proper doors."

Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said, "During the time of Jahiliyyah, they used to enter the house from the back upon assuming the Ihram. Thereafter, Allah revealed (the following Ayah):

{It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So enter houses through their proper doors.}"

Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded the same Hadith from Al-Bara' but with the wording; "The Ansar used to enter their houses from the back when returning from a journey. Thereafter, this Ayah (2:189 above) was revealed..."

Al-Hasan said, "When some people during the time of Jahiliyyah would leave home to travel, and then decide not to travel, they would not enter the house from its door. Rather, they would climb over the back wall. Allah the Exalted said:

{It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness) that you enter the houses from the back,}."

Allah's statement:

Quoted Scripture
"...and have Taqwa of Allah that you may be successful."

Have Taqwa of Allah, means to do what He has commanded you and refrain from what He has forbidden for you,

Quoted Scripture
"that you may be successful"

tomorrow when you stand before Him and He thus rewards you perfectly.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.