Tafsir of verse 43
Al-Mukhtasar
O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, do not pray when you are drunk, until you recover from your drunkenness, and can tell what you are saying. (This ruling was before alcohol was completely forbidden.) Do not pray when you are in a state of major ritual impurity, and do not enter the mosques when you are in that state, except in passing, until you have washed your body. If you have an illness and cannot use water because of it, or if you are travelling, or have answered the call of nature, or have had sexual relations with women, and you cannot find water, then find clean earth, and wipe your faces and hands with it. Allah pardons your shortcomings and is Forgiving to you.
Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nisa
Other translations of verse 43
O you who believe, do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated31 until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of major impurity – except while passing through [a mosque] – until you take a bath. If you are ill, or on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or had intercourse with [your] women and find no water, then purify yourselves with clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with it. For Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.
Notes
[31] The use of intoxicants was later prohibited completely. See 5:90-91.
O you who believe! Approach not As-Salât (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state of Janâba ,(i.e. in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or just passing through a mosque), till you wash your whole body. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum)14. Truly, Allâh is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Notes
[14] (V.4:43) Strike your hands on the earth and then pass the palm of each on the back of the other and then blow off the dust from them and then pass (rub) them on your face, this is called Tayammum
O ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when ye are polluted, save when journeying upon the road, till yehave bathed. And if ye be ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Lo! Allah is Benign, Forgiving.
O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For Allah doth blot out sins and forgive again and again.
O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are Intoxicated until you know (well) what you say, nor when you are under an obligation to perform a bath-- unless (you are) travelling on the road-- until you have washed yourselves; and if you are sick, or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your hands; surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.
O you who have believed, do not draw near to prayer (when) you are drunken until you know what you are saying, nor (when) you are ritually unclean, (i.e. unclean through the emission of semen, or sexual discharge "in woman") except when you are traversing a way, until you have washed yourselves. And in case you are sick, or on a journey, or (in case) any of you comes from the privy, or you have had contact with women, yet you have not found water, so have recourse to good soil, (i.e. a high dry place, a mounting place) then wipe (most of) your faces and hands. Surely Allah has been Ever-Clement, Ever-Forgiving.