وَٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْمَعْمُورِ 4
Translations
And [by] the frequented House
Transliteration
Wal-bayti al-ma'mur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the 'Frequented House' (Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur), the celestial prototype of the Kaaba located in the seventh heaven, which is visited and circumambulated by seventy thousand angels each day. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah swears by this divine house as evidence of His majesty and the reality of the Hereafter, emphasizing the spiritual connection between the earthly sanctuary (the Kaaba) and the heavenly one. This mention underscores the sacred nature of worship and the continuity of divine guidance throughout creation.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tur is a Meccan chapter revealed during the early Islamic period and begins with a series of oaths (52:1-4) - by the Mount, the written record, and the frequented house - all serving to emphasize the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the reality of resurrection that follows. The oaths establish the credibility and magnitude of the message about the afterlife that the surah goes on to describe.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported in Sahih Bukhari to have described the Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur as a house in the seventh heaven that corresponds to the Kaaba, where seventy thousand angels perform Tawaf (circumambulation) daily. Additionally, in Sunan Ibn Majah, there is mention of the Prophet's night journey (Isra) and his ascension (Mi'raj), during which he would have witnessed this celestial house.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that worship and devotion have cosmic significance—our earthly acts of devotion mirror and connect with the heavenly realm where angels continuously glorify Allah. It encourages the faithful to recognize the profound spiritual reality beyond the material world and to approach sacred practices with awareness of their transcendent importance.