Tafsir of verse 61
Al-Mukhtasar
There is no sin upon the blind who has lost his eyesight, nor upon the lame nor the sick if they leave those responsibilities they can no longer fulfil, i.e. jihad in the way of Allah. O believers! There is no sin upon you in eating from your own homes or the homes of sons, nor in eating from the homes of your fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, paternal uncles and aunts nor maternal uncles and aunts, nor those houses which you have been entrusted with safeguarding, i.e. garden-keeper. There is also no sin in eating at the house of your friend as is customary to please him. It is not a problem whether you eat alone or together in groups. So when you do enter any houses like the ones mentioned above or any others, greet those within them with peace by saying: “Peace be upon you”, and if there is no one inside them, then greet yourselves by saying: “Peace be upon us and the pious servants of Allah”. This is a blessed greeting from Allah; He has legislated it for you because of the love and affection it spreads among you. It is also a pleasant greeting in that it pleases the soul of the one who hears is Just like the aforementioned clarity in this Sūrah, Allah clearly explains His verses in the hope that you will implement whatever they contain.
Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nur
Other translations of verse 61
There is no blame on a blind person, nor on the lame, nor on the sick35, nor on yourselves36 if you eat from your houses or from your fathers’ houses or your mothers’ houses or your brothers’ houses or your sisters’ houses or your paternal uncles’ houses, or your paternal aunts’ houses or your maternal uncles’ houses or your maternal aunts’ houses or from the houses the keys of which are in your possession, or your friends’ houses. There is no blame on you if you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, greet one another with greetings of peace from Allah, which is blessed and delightful. This is how Allah makes the verses clear to you, so that you may understand.
Notes
[35] These three people are excused for not participating in Jihad.
[36] O believers.
There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your father’s brothers, or the houses of your father’s sisters, or the houses of your mother’s brothers, or the houses of your mother’s sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin on you whether you eat together or apart. But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allâh (i.e. say: السلام عليكم) As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum - peace be on you) blessed and good. Thus Allâh makes clear the Ayât (these Verses or your religious symbols and signs) to you that you may understand.
No blame is there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the sick nor on yourselves if ye eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your fathers' brothers, or the houses of your fathers' sisters, or the houses of your mothers' brothers, or the houses of your mothers' sisters, or (from that) whereof ye hold the keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin shall it be for you whether ye eat together or apart. But when ye enter houses, salute one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and sweet. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you, that haply ye may understand.
It is no fault in the blind nor in one born lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, nor in yourselves, that ye should eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers, or your brothers, or your sisters, or your father's brothers or your father's sisters, or your mohter's brothers, or your mother's sisters, or in houses of which the keys are in your possession, or in the house of a sincere friend of yours: there is no blame on you, whether ye eat in company or separately. But if ye enter houses, salute each other - a greeting of blessing and purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah make clear the signs to you: that ye may understand.
There is no blame on the blind man, nor is there blame on the lame, nor is there blame on the sick, nor on yourselves that you eat from your houses, or your fathers' houses or your mothers' houses, or your brothers' houses, or your sisters' houses, or your paternal uncles' houses, or your paternal aunts' houses, or your maternal uncles' houses, or your maternal aunts' houses, or what you possess the keys of, or your friends' (houses). It is no sin in you that you eat together or separately. So when you enter houses, greet your people with a salutation from Allah, blessed (and) goodly; thus does Allah make clear to you the communications that you may understand.
It is no restriction upon the blind, and it is no restriction upon the lame, and it is no restriction upon the sick, nor upon yourselves, that you eat from your houses, or from your fathers' houses, or your mothers' houses, or your brother's houses, or your sisters' houses, or the houses of your paternal uncles, or the houses of your paternal aunts, or the houses of your maternal uncles, or the houses of your maternal aunts, or that of which you possess the keys, or of your friend. It is no fault in you that you eat all together or in diverse groups. So when you enter houses, salute one another (Literally: salute yourselves) with a greeting from the Providence of Allah, blessed and good. Thus Allah makes evident to you the signs that possibly you would consider.
