Tafseer of The Light · An-Noor · 24:62
The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and, when they are [meeting] with him for a matter of common interest, do not depart until they have asked his permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission, [O Muhammad] - those are the ones who believe in Allah and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission for something of their affairs, then give permission to whom you will among them and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah the Exalted says: the believers who fully possess faith (al-īmān) are only those who sincerely affirm Allah and His Messenger — وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ ("and when they are with him"): that is, when they are with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ ("upon a matter that brings them all together"): that is, upon a matter that gathers them all, whether it be a war that has broken out, or a prayer for which they have assembled, or a consultation about a matter that has arisen — لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا ("they do not go away"): that is, they do not leave that which has brought them together until they have asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission.
What we have said about this is also the view of the exegetes.
We mention here those who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — concerning the saying إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا حَتَّى يَسْتَأْذِنُوهُ : he said: "when it concerns a matter of obedience to Allah."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning the saying وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ : "a general matter of obedience to Allah."
Muḥammad ibn Bashār related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Bakr related to us, saying: Ibn Jurayj informed us — he said: someone asked Makhūl al-Shāmī while I was listening, and Makhūl was sitting beside ʿAṭāʾ, about the saying of Allah in this verse وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا حَتَّى يَسْتَأْذِنُوهُ . Makhūl answered: "On Friday and on the battlefield, and at every gathering matter. One is commanded not to leave on any Friday until one has asked the imam for permission; the same applies at every gathering. Do you not see that it says: وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ ?"
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to me, saying: Hishām ibn Ḥassān informed us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: "A man had a need while the imam was delivering the sermon. So he would stand up and hold his nose. The imam would then indicate to him that he might leave." He said: "A man wished to return to his family. He stood up before Harm ibn Ḥayyān while he was preaching and held his nose. Harm waved him to go. He departed to his family and stayed with them; then he returned. Harm asked him: 'Where were you?' He answered: 'With my family.' [Harm] asked: 'Did you go with permission?' He answered: 'Yes — I stood up before you while you were preaching and held my nose; you waved me away, and I went.' Harm said: 'Did you use this as a trick?' — or something similar — 'O Allah, make evil men wait for evil times.'"
Al-Ḥasan related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of al-Zuhrī — concerning وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ : he said: "it is Friday — when they are with him, they may not leave until they have asked him for permission."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا حَتَّى يَسْتَأْذِنُوهُ : he said: "the gathering matter is when they are with him in a joint war or a Friday prayer. And Friday belongs to the gathering matter: it is not permissible for anyone to leave once the imam has ascended the pulpit on Friday, except with the permission of the authority — if he is within his field of vision or he can reach him. But if he is not within his field of vision and he cannot reach him, then Allah is most worthy to accept the excuse."
His saying إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَأْذِنُونَكَ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ("those who ask you for permission, they are the ones who believe in Allah and His Messenger"): Allah the Exalted says: those who — O Muḥammad — at a gathering matter do not go away from you without your permission, out of obedience to Allah and to you, and in confirmation of what you have brought them from Me — they are the ones who truly affirm Allah and His Messenger; not those who transgress the command of Allah and the command of His Messenger and go away from you without your permission, after you have forbidden them to go away from you without your permission.
His saying فَإِذَا اسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَنْ لِمَنْ شِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ ("when they ask you for permission for some matter of theirs, then give permission to whom you will of them"): Allah the Exalted says: when those who ask you for permission — O Muḥammad — in these situations ask for permission for some matter — that is, for some need that befalls them — then give permission to whom you will of them to depart and fulfill their need — وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ ("and ask forgiveness for them"): that is, implore Allah to have mercy on them and to forgive them what is between them and Him — إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ ("Allah is Forgiving") toward the sins of His repentant servants — رَحِيمٌ ("Merciful") toward them, by not punishing them after their repentance.