One of the wisdoms of Allah, The Almighty is that He didn’t reveal The Noble Qur’aan all at once. Rather, He sent it down gradually, according to the progression in what Allah intended of it in building up and educating the Muslim community. He, The Most Exalted, revealed it as a treatment for sinful habits, and a resolution for problems that have occurred, and events which may come about in the future. In this hadith, al-Baraa‘ ibn ‘Aazib (ra) relates that when the Ansaar, before Islam, had returned from performing the Hajj or ‘Umrah, they wouldn’t enter their homes through their front doors. But rather, they would enter them from the backs of their homes - as this was what many Arabs used to do. So, they would scale the walls of their homes from behind, or create an opening along the wall and enter it that way. They used to view that violating or omitting this practice as a major disgrace, and saw their own action as one of righteousness and piety. So, when Islam came to their (i.e. The Ansaar’s) lands, a man from amongst them entered through the front door of his house instead; for which the Ansaar censured him for that. Then, Allah The Almighty, revealed through His Words the following ayah: “Enter your preferred English translation for Q2:189 here.” Thus, Allah, The Almighty, had informed them that this act which they believed to be pious, was in actuality void of any good. Rather, actual piety is when the servant is fully aware of His Mighty and Majestic Lord; by complying with His commands, abstaining from what He has prohibited, and not devoting themself to anything which Allah, The Most High, did not legislate. Therefore, He ordered for them to arrive and enter their houses through the main doors, just as what is the norm today, and which would eventually become customary for them, as there is no evidence prohibiting that during the time when one is in a state of sanctity for Hajj or ‘Umrah. So, the people abandoned this practice, and began to enter their homes through their doors instead. This hadeeth highlights that the customs of people do not make what is unlawful permissible. And that when Allah, The Almighty, prohibits anything, He opens for His servants something which is permissible to take its place; for when He disallowed them from coming to their homes and entering them from behind, He made it abundantly clear as to what action should take its place.