from the people of the plain and hired himself out to him. He served him and made something like the instrument with which shepherds play; he produced a sound the people had never heard the like of. Word of this reached those around them, and they began coming to listen to it. They established an annual festival at which they would gather. The women would adorn and display themselves for the men, and the men would beautify themselves for the women. A man from the mountain people came upon them during that festival, saw the women and their beauty, then returned to his companions and told them about it. [So they moved over to them] (1) and settled among them, whereupon indecency became widespread among them. (2) This is what Allah Most High means by His words: “Do not display yourselves as women did in the former age of ignorance.”

Qatadah said: It was the time before Islam. (3)

It was also said: The former age of ignorance is what we have mentioned, while the latter age of ignorance will be a people who, at the end of time, do the same as they did.

It was also said: The term “former” may be used even where there is no “latter,” as in His words, Most High: “And that He destroyed the former ‘Ad” (al-Najm 53:50), though there was no latter ‘Ad.

His words, exalted is He: “Establish prayer, give zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you all impurity, O People of the Household”: By impurity He means the sin from which Allah prohibited the women, as Muqatil said. Ibn Abbas said: It means the work of Satan and that with which Allah is not pleased. Qatadah said: It means evil. Mujahid said: Impurity means doubt.

By the People of the Household, He meant the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, because they were in his household. This is the narration of Sa‘id ibn Jubayr from Ibn Abbas, who recited His words: “And remember what is recited in your homes of Allah’s verses.” This was also the view of Ikrimah and Muqatil.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and a group of the Successors—including Mujahid, Qatadah, and others—held that they were Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn. (4)

Abu al-Fadl Ziyad ibn Muhammad al-Hanafi narrated to us; Abu Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Ansari informed us; Abu Muhammad Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘idi informed us; Abu Hammam al-Walid ibn Shuja‘ informed us; Yahya ibn Zakariyya ibn Za’idah informed us; my father informed me, from Mus‘ab ibn Shaybah, from Safiyyah bint Shaybah al-Hajibiyyah, from Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, who said: One morning, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out wearing a patterned cloak of black hair. He sat down, and Fatimah came, so he brought her beneath it. [Then Ali came, and he brought him beneath it] (5). Then Hasan came, and he brought him beneath it; then Husayn came, and he brought him beneath it. He then said: “Allah intends only to remove from you all impurity, O People of the Household, and to purify you completely.” (6)