Al-Hujuraat

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ 1

{ يأيها الذين ءامنوا لا تقدموا } من قدم بمعنى تقدم أي لا تتقدموا بقول ولا فعل { بين يدى الله ورسوله } المبلغ عنه، أي بغير إذنهما { واتقوا الله إن الله سميع } لقولكم { عليم } بفعلكم نزلت في مجادلة أبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في تأمير الأقرع بن حابس أو القعقاع بنمعبد.

O you who believe, do not venture ahead of (tuqaddimū, [derives] from qaddama, with the sense of [the 5th form] taqaddama), that is to say, do not come forward with any [unwarranted] saying or deed [ahead of], God and His Messenger, the one communicating [the Message] from Him, that is to say, without their permission, and fear God. Surely God is Hearer, of your sayings, Knower, of your deeds: this was revealed regarding the dispute between Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, may God be pleased with them both, in the presence of the Prophet (s), over the appointment of al-Aqra‘ b. Hābis or al-Qa‘qā‘ b. Ma‘bad as commander [of his tribe].

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَرْفَعُوٓا۟ أَصْوَٰتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا۟ لَهُۥ بِٱلْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـٰلُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ 2

ونزل فيمن رفع صوته عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم { يأيها الذين ءامنوا لا ترفعوا أصوتكم } إذا نطقتم { فوق صوت النبى } إذا نطق { ولا تجهروا له بالقول } إذا ناجيتموه { كجهر بعضكم لبعض } بل دون ذلك إجلالا له { أن تحبط أعملكم وأنتم لا تشعرون } أي خشية ذلك بالرفع والجهر المذكورين.

The following was revealed regarding those who raised their voices in the presence of the Prophet (s): O you who believe, do not raise your voices — when you [want to] speak — above the voice of the Prophet, when he is speaking, and do not shout words at him, when you [wish to] confide in him, as you shout to one another, but [speak] lower than that, out of reverence for him, lest your works should be invalidated without your being aware, that is to say, for fear of this [happening] as a result of the raising of voices and the shouting mentioned.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَٰتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱمْتَحَنَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ 3

ونزل فيمن كان يخفض صوته عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كأبي بكر وعمر وغيرهما رضي الله عنهم. { إن الذين يغضون أصوتهم عند رسول الله أولئك الذين امتحن } اختبر { الله قلوبهم للتقوى } أي لتظهر منهم { لهم مغفرة وأجر عظيم } الجنة.

The following was revealed regarding those who used to lower their voices in the presence of the Prophet (s), such as Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and others, may God be pleased with [all of] them: Truly those who lower their voices in the presence of God’s Messenger — they are the ones whose hearts God has tested for God-fearing, that is to say, [He has tested them] so that this [fear of God] may manifest itself in them. For them will be forgiveness and a great reward: Paradise.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِن وَرَآءِ ٱلْحُجُرَٰتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ 4

ونزل في قوم جاؤوا وقت الظهيرة والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في منزله فنادوه { إن الذين ينادونك من ورآء الحجرت } حجرات نسائه صلى الله عليه وسلم جمع حجرة وهي ما يحجر عليه من الأرض بحائط ونحوه وكان كل واحد منهم نادى خلف حجرة لأنهم لم يعلموه في أي حجرة، مناداة الأعراب بغلظة وجفاء { أكثرهم لا يعقلون } فيما فعلوه محلك الرفيع وما يناسبه من التعظيم.

The following was revealed regarding a group of people who came to see the Prophet (s) during the midday [resting] period while he was in his house, and called out to him: Truly those who call you from behind the apartments, the [private] chambers of his womenfolk (hujurāt is the plural of hujra, which is an area of ground on which stones are laid [yuhjaru ‘alayhi] to form a wall or the like), and it happened that each one of them called out, in that rough and crude Bedouin manner, from behind one of the apartments, as they did not know in which apartment he was, most of them do not understand, given the way in which they acted, your exalted status and the reverence that befits it.

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ صَبَرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 5

{ ولو أنهم صبروا } أنهم في محل رفع بالابتداء، وقيل فاعل لفعل مقدر، أي ثبت { حتى تخرج إليهم لكان خيرا لهم والله غفور رحيم } لمن تاب منهم.

And had they been patient (annahum, ‘they’, has independent status, on account of inceptiveness; alternatively, it is said to govern an implied verb such as thabata, ‘had [their patience] been maintained’) until you came out to them, it would have been better for them; and God is Forgiving, Merciful, to those of them who repent.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن جَآءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ أَن تُصِيبُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَـٰدِمِينَ 6

ونزل في الوليد بن عقبة وقد بعثه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى بني المصطلق مصدقا فخافهم لترة كانت بينه وبينهم في الجاهلية فرجع وقال إنهم منعوا الصدقة وهموا بقتله فهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بغزوهم فجاؤوا منكرين ما قاله عنهم. { يأيها الذين ءامنوا إن جآءكم فاسق بنبإ } خبر { فتبينوا } صدقه من كذبه، وفي قراءة «فتثبتوا» من الثبات { أن تصيبوا قوما } مفعول له أي خشية ذلك { بجهالة } حال من الفاعل أي جاهلين { فتصبحوا } تصيروا { على ما فعلتم } من الخطأ بالقوم { ندمين } وأرسل صلى الله عليه وسلم إليهم بعد عودهم إلى بلادهم خالدا فلم ير فيهم إلا الطاعة والخير فأخبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بذلك.

The following was revealed regarding al-Walīd b. ‘Uqba whom the Prophet had sent to the Banū al-Mustaliq in order to ascertain [their loyalty to Islam]. He already feared them on account of an old feud between him and them from the time of pagandom [before Islam], and so [upon seeing them come out to him] he returned and claimed that they had refused to give the voluntary alms and intended to kill him. And just as the Prophet (s) was making plans to raid them, they came to him to disavow what he [al-Walīd] had said about them: O you who believe, if a reprobate should come to you with some tiding, some piece of information, verify [it], [ascertain] his truthfulness from his mendacity (fa-tabayyanū: a variant reading has fa-tathabbatū, from al-thabāt, ‘to ascertain’), lest you injure a folk (an tusībū qawman, an object denoting reason), that is to say, for fear of this [happening], out of ignorance (bi-jahālatin is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject [of the verb]), that is to say while you are ignorant; and then become remorseful of what you have perpetrated, erroneously against that folk. After they had returned to their homelands, the Prophet (s) sent Khālid [b. al-Walīd] to them, who observed only obedience and goodness in them and [later] informed the Prophet of this.

وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِى كَثِيرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ وَٱلْفُسُوقَ وَٱلْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٰشِدُونَ 7

{ واعلموا أن فيكم رسول الله } فلا تقولوا الباطل فإن الله يخبره بالحال { لو يطيعكم فى كثير من الأمر } الذي تخبرون به على خلاف الواقع فيرتب على ذلك مقتضاه { لعنتم } لأثمتم دونه إثم التسبب إلى المرتب { ولكن الله حبب إليكم الإيمن وزينه } حسنه { فى قلوبكم وكره إليكم الكفر والفسوق والعصيان } استدراك من حيث المعنى دون اللفظ لأن من حبب إليه الإيمان الخ غايرت صفته صفة من تقدم ذكره { أولئك هم } فيه التفات عن الخطاب { الراشدون } الثابتون على دينهم.

And know that the Messenger of God is among you, so do not speak falsehood, for God will inform him of the [real] state of affairs. If he were to obey you in many matters, which you communicate contrary to reality, so that the necessary [evil] consequences ensue, you would surely be in trouble, you would earn in addition to that sin, the sin for the consequences that ensue [from your error]. But God has endeared faith to you, adorning your hearts with it, and He has made odious to you disbelief and immorality and disobedience ([an instance of] suppletion with respect to import, as opposed to [lexical] form; for the one to whom ‘faith has been endeared …’ and so forth, will naturally be dissimilar in character to the mentioned [reprobate]). Those (there is here a shift from the second [to the third] person address) — they are the right-minded, the ones firmly established upon [the way of] their religion;

فَضْلًا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ 8

{ فضلا من الله } مصدر منصوب بفعله المقدر، أي أفضل { ونعمة } منه { والله عليم } بهم { حكيم } في إنعامه عليهم.

[that is] a favour from God (fadlan is a verbal noun, in the accusative because of the implied verbal action, that is, afdala, ‘He gives a favour’) and a grace, from Him, and God is Knower, of them, Wise, in His bestowal of graces on them.

وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ 9

{ وإن طآئفتان من المؤمنين } الآية، نزلت في قضية هي أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ركب حمارا ومر على ابن أبي فبال الحمار فسد ابن أبي أنفه فقال ابن رواحة: والله لبول حماره أطيب ريحا من مسكك، فكان بين قوميهما ضرب بالأيدي والنعال والسعف { اقتتلوا } جمع نظرا إلى المعنى لأن كل طائفة جماعة. وقرىء «اقتتلتا» { فأصلحوا بينهما } ثني نظرا إلى اللفظ { فإن بغت } تعدت { إحداهما على الأخرى فقتلوا التى تبغى حتى تفىء } ترجع { إلى أمر الله } الحق { فإن فآءت فأصلحوا بينهما بالعدل } بالإنصاف { وأقسطوا } أعدلوا { إن الله يحب المقسطين }.

And if two parties of believers (in tā’ifatāni mina’l-mu’minīna ... [to the end of] the verse, was revealed regarding a particular incident where the Prophet (s) was riding a donkey and happened to pass by Ibn Ubayy; the donkey urinated and so Ibn Ubayy held his nose, whereupon [‘Abd Allāh] Ibn Rawāhā said, ‘By God, the smell of the donkey’s urine is sweeter-smelling than your musk. Fighting then ensued between the two clans with fists, sandals and palm branches [being thrown about]) fall to fighting (iqtatalū: the plural is used on account of the [plural] import, for each party is made up of several individuals; a variant reading has [the dual form] iqtatalatā), make peace between them (baynahumā: the dual here takes into account the actual [dual] form [of tā’ifatān, ‘two parties’]). And if one of them aggresses against the other, fight the one which aggresses until it returns to God’s ordinance, [to] the truth. Then, if it returns, reconcile them, fairly, and act justly. Surely God loves the just.

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ 10

{ إنما المؤمنون إخوة } في الدين { فأصلحوا بين أخويكم } إذا تنازعا، وقرىء «إخوتكم» بالفوقانية { واتقوا الله لعلكم ترحمون }.

The believers are indeed brothers, in religion. Therefore [always] make peace between your brethren, when they fall into dispute with one another (a variant reading [for the dual form akhawaykum, ‘your two brethren’] has ikhwatakum, ‘your brothers’) and fear God, so that perhaps you might receive mercy.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا۟ بِٱلْأَلْقَـٰبِ ۖ بِئْسَ ٱلِٱسْمُ ٱلْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ 11

{ يأيها الذين ءامنوا لا يسخر } الآية نزلت في وفد تميم حين سخروا من فقراء المسلمين كعمار وصهيب، والسخرية: الازدراء والاحتقار { قوم } أي رجال منكم { من قوم عسى أن يكونوا خيرا منهم } عند الله { ولا نسآء } منكم { من نسآء عسى أن يكن خيرا منهن ولا تلمزوا أنفسكم } لا تعيبوا فتعابوا، أي لا يعب بعضكم بعضا { ولا تنابزوا بالالقب } لا يدعو بعضكم بعضا بلقب يكرهه، ومنه يا فاسق يا كافر { بئس الاسم } أي المذكور من السخرية واللمز والتنابز { الفسوق بعد الإيمان } بدل من الاسم لإفادة أنه فسق لتكرره عادة { ومن لم يتب } من ذلك { فأولئك هم الظلمون }.

O you who believe, do not let any people, that is, any men among you, deride (yā ayyuhā’lladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar … [to the end of] the verse, was revealed regarding the [Banū] Tamīm delegation when they derided the poor among the Muslims, like ‘Ammār [b. Yāsir] and Suhayb [al-Rūmī]; al-sukhriya means ‘scorn’ and ‘disdain’) another people: who may be better than they are, in God’s sight; nor let any women, from among you, deride [other] women who may be better than they are. And do not defame one another, do not cast aspersions [on others] and hence have aspersions cast on you, that is, let none among you denigrate another; nor insult one another by nicknames, do not call another by a nickname which he detests, such as ‘O degenerate one!’ or ‘O disbeliever!’. Evil is the name, mentioned out of mockery, derision and mutual reviling, of immorality after faith! (al-fusūqu ba‘da’l-īmāni substitutes for al-ismu, ‘the name’, to indicate that it [such naming of others] is ‘immorality’ as it is [an action which is] usually repeated). And whoever does not repent, of such [immorality], those — they are the evildoers.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ 12

{ يأيها الذين ءامنوا اجتنبوا كثيرا من الظن إن بعض الظن إثم } أي مأثم وهو كثير كظن السوء بأهل الخير من المؤمنين وهم كثير بخلافه بالفساق منهم فلا إثم فيه في نحو ما يظهر منهم { ولا تجسسوا } حذف منه إحدى التاءين: لا تتبعوا عورات المسلمين ومعايبهم بالبحث عنها { ولا يغتب بعضكم بعضا } لا يذكره بشيء يكرهه وإن كان فيه { أيحب أحدكم أن يأكل لحم أخيه ميتا } بالتخفيف والتشديد أي لا يحسن به { فكرهتموه } أي فاغتيابه في حياته كأكل لحمه بعد مماته وقد عرض عليكم الثاني فكرهتموه فاكرهوا الأول { واتقوا الله } أي عقابه في الاغتياب بأن تتوبوا منه { إن الله تواب } قابل توبة التائبين { رحيم } بهم.

O you who believe, shun much suspicion. Indeed some suspicions are sins, that is to say, it causes one to fall into sin. This [suspicion] may have many forms, such as thinking ill of the good folk from among the believers — and such [good folk] are many — in contrast to the immoral individuals among them in whose case there is no sin, so long as it [the suspicion] is in accordance with their outward behaviour. And do not spy (tajassasū: one of the two tā’ letters [of tatajassasū] has been omitted): do not pursue the imperfections and faults of Muslims by searching them out; nor backbite one another, do not speak of him by [mentioning] something which he is averse to [having mentioned of himself], even if it be true. Would any of you love to eat the flesh of his brother dead? (read maytan or mayyitan). That is to say, it would not be right for him [to do so]. You would abhor it. Thus to backbite him in life would be like eating his flesh when he is dead. This latter [form of behaviour] has been suggested to you and you were averse to it, so be averse to the former too. And fear God, that is, His punishment for backbiting, by repenting of it; assuredly God is Relenting, accepting of the penitence of those who repent, Merciful, to them.