Quran Universe
2:189

۞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

Yasaloonaka AAani alahillati qul hiya mawaqeetu lilnnasi waalhajji walaysa albirru bian tatoo albuyoota min thuhooriha walakinna albirra mani ittaqa watoo albuyoota min abwabiha waittaqoo Allaha laAAallakum tuflihoona

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj." And it is not righteousness to enter houses from the back, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah. And enter houses from their doors. And fear Allah that you may succeed.

Word by word
  1. ۞يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَThey ask you
  2. عَنِabout
  3. ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖthe new moons
  4. قُلۡSay
  5. هِيَThey
  6. مَوَٰقِيتُ(are) indicators of periods
  7. لِلنَّاسِfor the people
  8. وَٱلۡحَجِّۗand (for) the Hajj
  9. وَلَيۡسَAnd it is not
  10. ٱلۡبِرُّ[the] righteousness
  11. بِأَنthat
  12. تَأۡتُواْyou come
  13. ٱلۡبُيُوتَ(to) the houses
  14. مِنfrom
  15. ظُهُورِهَاtheir backs
  16. وَلَٰكِنَّ[and] but
  17. ٱلۡبِرَّ[the] righteous
  18. مَنِ(is one) who
  19. ٱتَّقَىٰۗfears (Allah)
  20. وَأۡتُواْAnd come
  21. ٱلۡبُيُوتَ(to) the houses
  22. مِنۡfrom
  23. أَبۡوَٰبِهَاۚtheir doors
  24. وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fear
  25. ٱللَّهَAllah
  26. لَعَلَّكُمۡso that you may
  27. تُفۡلِحُونَ(be) successful
Al-Baqarah · 2:189Madinah

Righteousness is not the back door. It is taqwa.

New moons, old customs, and the real thing

Two answers in one
they askabout the new moons
answer
markers of timefor people and Hajj
the back-door customseen as piety
Where piety lies
strange outward ritualsclimbing over walls
taqwaenter by the door

People asked the Prophet ﷺ about the crescent moons, and the answer was practical: they mark time for people, for worship and for Hajj. Al-Bara' said that before Islam people entered houses from the back after assuming ihram, thinking it was piety. The verse says righteousness is taqwa.

A cousin swears you must do a special ritual nobody can trace. A post says one odd habit guarantees blessing. It looks devout. The verse asks a simpler question: are you mindful of Allah? Then use the front door.

The harder or stranger a practice looks, the more pious it is.

Real righteousness is taqwa, not invented outward rituals.

Try this

Look at the next new moon and use it to plan one act of worship for the month.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They ask you (O Muhammad) about the crescents. Say: "These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage." 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, and have Taqwa of Allah that you may be successful (189)

The Crescent Moons

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

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ

(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 ﷺ said:

جَعَلَ اللهُ الْأَهِلَّةَ مَوَاقِيتَ لِلنَّاسِ، فَصُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعُدُّوا ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا

(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:

 وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا

(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):

 وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا

(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:

 وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا

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

Allah's statement:

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(...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,

لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(that you may be successful.) tomorrow when you stand before Him and He thus rewards you perfectly.