49
The Private Apartments
al-Ḥujurāt
Al-Ḥujurāt is from the late Madinan period, although a minority maintain that v. 13 is from the Makkan period (Āl). It derives its name from the reference to the private apartments of the Prophet’s wives in v. 4. The sūrah was most likely revealed in the year 9/630 after the Muslims had captured Makkah and most of Arabia had come under the Prophet’s rule. As such, it addresses the complexities of ruling over this larger and more diverse community and instructs more recent members in proper conduct toward the Prophet. This is most evident in the first part of the sūrah (vv. 1–5), which instructs the Muslim community in the proper etiquette for their encounters with the Prophet.
The second section (vv. 6–12) focuses upon the ties of brotherhood within the Muslim community and the forms of behavior that should be avoided in order to facilitate it. This unifying theme can be seen as following directly upon the description of those who are with the Prophet at the end of the previous sūrah (see 48:29). As Ibn ʿAjībah states, “After giving them the good news of forgiveness [in 48:29], God instructed the companions in proper conduct (adab) because it is among the greatest means for obtaining forgiveness and proximity [to God].” The last part of this sūrah (vv. 13–18) clarifies the true nature of faith and belief, providing one of the most famous lines of the Quran: Surely the most noble of you before God are the most reverent of you (v. 13).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ O you who believe! Advance not before God and His Messenger, and reverence God. Truly God is Hearing, Knowing. * O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor address him in the manner that you address one another, lest your deeds come to naught, while you are unaware. + Truly those who lower their voices before the Messenger of God, they are the ones whose hearts God has tested for reverence. Theirs shall be forgiveness and a great reward. J Truly those who call thee from behind the apartments, most of them understand not. Z Had they been patient until thou camest out unto them, it would have been better for them. And God is Forgiving, Merciful. j O you who believe! If an iniquitous person comes to you with tidings, then be discerning, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become remorseful over that which you have done. z And know that the Messenger of God is among you. Were he to obey you in many matters, you would suffer. But God has caused you to love faith and has made it seem fair in your hearts, and He has caused you to despise disbelief, iniquity, and disobedience—such are the rightly guided— { as a bounty from God and a blessing; and God is Knowing, Wise. | If two parties among the believers fall to fighting, make peace between them. If one of them aggresses against the other, fight those who aggress until they return to God’s Command. And if they return, make peace between them with justice and act equitably. Truly God loves the just. Ċ The believers are but brothers; so make peace between your brethren, and reverence God, that haply you may receive mercy. Ě O you who believe! Let not one people deride another; it may be that they are better than them. Nor let women deride other women; it may be that they are better than them. And do not defame yourselves or insult one another with nicknames; how evil is the iniquitous name after having believed! And whosoever does not repent, they are the wrongdoers. Ī O you who believe! Shun much conjecture. Indeed, some conjecture is a sin. And do not spy upon one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you desire to eat the dead flesh of his brother? You would abhor it. And reverence God. Truly God is Relenting, Merciful. ĺ O mankind! Truly We created you from a male and a female, and We made you peoples and tribes that you may come to know one another. Surely the most noble of you before God are the most reverent of you. Truly God is Knowing, Aware. Ŋ The Bedouin say, “We believe.” Say, “You believe not. Rather, say, ‘We have submitted,’ for belief has not yet entered your hearts. Yet if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish for you aught of your deeds. Truly God is Forgiving, Merciful.” Ś Only they are believers who believe in God and His Messenger, then do not doubt, and who strive with their wealth and theirselves in the way of God; it is they who are the truthful. Ū Say, “Would you teach God about your religion, when God knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth?” And God is Knower of all things. ź They count it as a favor to thee that they have submitted. Say, “Do not count your submission as a favor to me. Nay, rather God confers a favor upon you, in that He has guided you to belief, if you are truthful. Ɗ Truly God knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and God sees whatsoever you do.”
Commentary
¡ O you who believe! Advance not before God and His Messenger, and reverence God. Truly God is Hearing, Knowing.
1 Advance not before God and His Messenger sets the tone for this sūrah. In the immediate context, it enjoins Muslims to avoid coarse manners in the presence of the Prophet, reminding many of those who had recently joined the Muslim polity that he was more than a tribal leader. Some also interpret it to mean that one should not contradict the Quran or the Sunnah of the Prophet (IK). More broadly, it indicates that people should not follow their own opinions rather than the teachings of the Prophet (Q) or allow personal desires to take precedence over the commands of God and the Prophet, as in a famous ḥadīth of the Prophet, “None of you truly believes until he loves me more than his father, his children, and mankind all together.”
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* O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor address him in the manner that you address one another, lest your deeds come to naught, while you are unaware.
2 This verse was reportedly revealed in response to an argument between Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Each favored a different individual for the honor of receiving a delegation from an outlying tribe. Their quarreling in the presence of the Prophet was so loud that his voice was drowned out, at which God revealed this verse (IK, Q). Nor address him in the manner that you address one another speaks primarily to new members of the Muslim polity who had taken an attitude of excessive familiarity with the Prophet; they should not call him by name, “Muhammad,” but by his title, “Messenger of God” or “Prophet of God” (Q). See also 24:63: Do not deem the Messenger’s calling among you to be like your calling to one another. That deeds may come to naught if one raises one’s voice above that of the Prophet or fails to respect his position indicates the gravity of these offenses. Elsewhere the Quran maintains that in the absence of proper belief, good deeds come to naught or provide no reward in the next life (see 2:217; 3:21–22; 5:5; 6:88; 7:147; 9:17; 11:16; 18:105; 33:19; 39:65; 47:9, 28, 32; 5:53c).
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+ Truly those who lower their voices before the Messenger of God, they are the ones whose hearts God has tested for reverence. Theirs shall be forgiveness and a great reward.
3 Tested translates imtaḥana, which indicates testing something for purity (Aj, R). That God has tested their hearts for reverence thus indicates that God has tested the purity of their hearts, expanded their hearts for reverence (Aj), and purified their intentions (ST). The trials that believers confront in this life are thus considered an important part of their inner purification. This is perhaps most evident in 3:154, which says of the losses the Muslims suffered in their defeat at the Battle of Uḥud: And [this is] so that God may test what is in your breasts and so that He may assay what is in your hearts. Regarding the role of trials and tribulations in the spiritual life, see commentary on 29:2–3.
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J Truly those who call thee from behind the apartments, most of them understand not.
4 A group of Bedouin reportedly came to the Prophet while he was sleeping and shouted for him to come out from his apartment. They did not know in which of his wives’ apartments he was sleeping; so they went behind each apartment and called to the Prophet in a crude manner. One Aqraʿ ibn Ḥābis reported that he had called out, “O Muhammad, verily my praise is sweet and my curse is bitter!” To which the Prophet responded, “Only God is like that.” Then this verse was revealed (IK, Q, Ṭ).
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Z Had they been patient until thou camest out unto them, it would have been better for them. And God is Forgiving, Merciful.
5 This verse reprimands the Bedouin for their behavior; it and the following verses indicate the proper protocol to be used with the Prophet and by extension with other Muslims, as in a ḥadīth, “If any one of you seeks permission [to enter a house] and no permission is given, he should go away.” In this instance the group of Bedouin had reportedly called upon the Prophet to request that he intercede on behalf of some prisoners who had been taken in the recent wars that they had lost to the Muslims. The Prophet agreed to free half of them and allow the rest to be ransomed. According to some, had they been patient, the Prophet would have freed them all (Q, Sh).
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j O you who believe! If an iniquitous person comes to you with tidings, then be discerning, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become remorseful over that which you have done.
z And know that the Messenger of God is among you. Were he to obey you in many matters, you would suffer. But God has caused you to love faith and has made it seem fair in your hearts, and He has caused you to despise disbelief, iniquity, and disobedience—such are the rightly guided—
{ as a bounty from God and a blessing; and God is Knowing, Wise.
6–8 Although these verses convey principles that should be followed in any Muslim polity, they were reportedly revealed regarding a false accusation that could have led to internecine fighting between the Muslims of Madinah and the tribe of the Banū Muṣṭaliq, whom the Muslims had defeated in 5/627 and who had accepted Islam and agreed to pay the alms (zakāh). The Prophet sent Walīd ibn ʿUqbah to collect it. There had, however, been enmity between him and the Banū Muṣṭaliq in the pre-Islamic period. When the people heard of his coming, they came out to receive him out of reverence for God and the Prophet. But Walīd was scared of them and took it into his mind that they wanted to kill him. He returned and went to the Prophet saying, “The Banū Muṣṭaliq have refused to pay the alms and wanted to kill me.” The Prophet became angry and began arranging for an armed delegation. Meanwhile, when the Banū Muṣṭaliq realized that the emissary had gone back, they went to the Prophet and said, “We heard of your emissary, and we went out to receive him, honor him, and give him the right of God that was due upon us. But your emissary went back, and we feared that what sent him back might be a message he received from you because you are angry with us. We seek refuge in God from His Wrath and from the wrath of His Messenger.” Then these verses were revealed clearing the Banū Muṣṭaliq (Q, Ṭ, W). On the basis of v. 6, many Muslim scholars reject the testimony in legal matters of anyone known to be iniquitous (fāsiq) unless a corroborating witness or corroborating evidence can be found. There is some debate as to whether the testimony of the iniquitous can be accepted for other matters, such as marriage, and whether an iniquitous believer can be allowed to lead the prayer (Q). Regarding the penalties for false accusation, see 24:4c.
The Messenger of God is among you (v. 7) means that he was among the Muslims at the time of the revelation and that he continues to be with Muslims, for the Prophet is closer to the believers than are they to themselves (33:6). As the Prophet does not speak out of caprice (53:3), his determination in all religious and legal matters is understood to be guided by God. Therefore, he is to be obeyed; if he were to obey others, it would be an inversion of the proper order and thus lead to adversity. The believers are thus counseled to follow his rulings, as in 59:7: Whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids to you, forgo. The Prophet is also warned, Were the truth to follow their caprices, the heavens and the earth and those therein would have been corrupted (23:71). The presence of the Prophet is also understood to remain with the community after his death. In this vein, the Prophet is reported to have said, “My life is a great good for you; you will relate accounts from me, and accounts will be related from you. And my death is a great good for you; your deeds will be presented to me, and if I see goodness I will praise God, and if I see evil I will ask forgiveness from Him for you.” Additionally the presence of the Prophet continues in the Hereafter, as in 9:94: God and His Messenger will see your deeds.
God has caused you to love faith and disposed your hearts to it means that faith and guidance are a bounty from God and thus points to the humility that must always accompany faith for it to be sincere, lest one attribute what comes from God to oneself. Made it seem fair in your hearts means both that God makes the believers incline to faith and that God beautifies them with their faith.
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| If two parties among the believers fall to fighting, make peace between them. If one of them aggresses against the other, fight those who aggress until they return to God’s Command. And if they return, make peace between them with justice and act equitably. Truly God loves the just.
9 Here the basic principles for dealing with disputes between Muslims are explained. The Prophet enjoined his followers, “Help your brother whether he oppresses or is oppressed.” When asked what it means to help the oppressor, he replied, “You help him by preventing him from oppressing” (IK, Q). This verse was reportedly revealed regarding an incident in which the Prophet went to call upon ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites in Madinah. When the Prophet reached him, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy said, “Keep away from me. The stench of your donkey is offending me.” A man from the Helpers said to him, “By God, the donkey of the Messenger of God smells better than you.” One of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy’s tribesmen became angry. The parties exchanged blows; then this verse was revealed (W). Regarding antagonisms between Muslims, a ḥadīth states, “Cursing a Muslim is a sin, and fighting him is disbelief.” That God loves the just (cf. 5:42; 60:8) reinforces the general principle stated in 4:135 that, in order to maintain justice, Muslims must be impartial, swayed by neither self-interest nor ties of kinship. Although Sufis affirm the literal understanding of the present verse, they also see it as an allusion to the process of inner purification. As al-Tustarī writes, “If nature, caprice, and lust tyrannize the heart, intellect, and spirit, the servant must fight them with the swords of vigilance, the arrows of self inspection, and the lights of conformity [to the truth], such that the spirit and the intellect prevail, and desire and lust are vanquished” (ST).
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Ċ The believers are but brothers; so make peace between your brethren, and reverence God, that haply you may receive mercy.
10 This is among the most important verses in the Quran for understanding the structure of the Muslim community (ummah), regarding the unity of which the Prophet said, “The believers are like a single structure, each part supporting the other.” The centrality of brotherly love in Islam may be best expressed in this famous ḥadīth: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” This ḥadīth goes to the heart of this sūrah, which emphasizes a bond of faith that transcends those of kinship and suggests that one should no longer make alliances based merely upon tribal bonds (see 9:23; 58:22). As another ḥadīth states, “God helps His servant as long as the servant helps his brother.” Bonds of faith are esteemed so highly in Islam that among the seven types of people whom the Prophet said will be granted Paradise, he lists “two men who love each other for the sake of God, meeting for that reason, and parting with this love.” In another ḥadīth, the love of another for God’s sake is combined with the love of the Prophet and the fear of disbelief to make up the three qualities needed for entrance into Paradise: “Whosoever possesses these three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: the one to whom God and His Messenger become dearer than anything else; one who loves a person and loves him only for God’s sake; and one who hates to revert to disbelief as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire.” And a famous ḥadīth qudsī states, “God will ask on the Day of Judgment, ‘Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My Glory? Today, on a day wherein there is no shade but Mine, I shall shade them with My shade.’”
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Ě O you who believe! Let not one people deride another; it may be that they are better than them. Nor let women deride other women; it may be that they are better than them. And do not defame yourselves or insult one another with nicknames; how evil is the iniquitous name after having believed! And whosoever does not repent, they are the wrongdoers.
11 In the context of this sūrah, which emphasizes the transition from tribal bonds to those of faith, this verse indicates that boasting on the basis of tribal lineage should cease, as explained in a ḥadīth, “Unless people cease boasting about their dead ancestors, who are merely coals for the fire, they will be more despicable to God than the beetle that rolls dung with its nose. God has removed from you the pride of the Age of Ignorance [see 3:154; 5:50; 33:33c; 48:28] and boasting about ancestors. One is either a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are descendants of Adam, and Adam came from dust.” Do not defame yourselves or insult one another with nicknames is said to have been revealed in order to abolish the pre-Islamic practice of calling people by derogatory nicknames (IK). How evil is the iniquitous name after having believed warns those who have become believers not to call other believers by derogatory names; or it points to the manner in which abusing others in word and deed can undo the benefits of good deeds. On occasion the Prophet would even change names whose meanings might be negative, as when a man named Ḥazn, or “rough,” was renamed Sahl, meaning “soft” or “easy.”
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Ī O you who believe! Shun much conjecture. Indeed, some conjecture is a sin. And do not spy upon one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you desire to eat the dead flesh of his brother? You would abhor it. And reverence God. Truly God is Relenting, Merciful.
12 This verse continues to address the manner in which community ties can be undone by bad blood. Regarding conjecture, a ḥadīth warns, “Beware of conjecture, for it is indeed the most misleading form of speech.” On another occasion the Prophet warned, “A leader will corrupt his people if he pursues conjecture regarding them.”
Spying (tajassus) is considered a sin, as it usually indicates suspicion of another’s sin and thinking ill of another; inquiring (taḥassus), on the other hand, is done for the benefit of the one being inquired about (IK). In this regard, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is reported to have said, “Do not be quick to expose another’s sin, for he may be forgiven for it, and do not feel yourself safe even from a small sin, since you may be punished for it. Every one of you who comes to know the faults of others should not expose them in view of what he knows about his own faults, and should remain busy in gratitude that he has been saved from that in which others have been indulging” (Naḥj al-balāghah, Sermon 139). A ḥadīth states that those who eavesdrop “will have molten copper poured in their ears on the Day of Judgment.” As spying usually implies seeking faults, it is closely tied to backbiting, which is understood to mean saying anything about another that he or she would not like to have said (IK). In this regard, the Prophet is reported to have said, “O gathering of those who submit with their tongues, but in whose hearts faith has not yet taken hold! Do not harm Muslims, do not shame them, and do not pursue their faults. For whosoever pursues the faults of his Muslim brother, God will pursue his faults. And he whose faults are pursued by God, God disgraces him, even in his own home.” In contrast, another ḥadīth states, “Whosoever covers [the faults] of a Muslim in this world, God will cover [his faults] in this world and the next. Truly God continues to help the servant, so long as the servant continues to help his brother.”
God’s “relenting” correlates with human beings’ repenting, as both translate the same verb, tāb/yatūb. The majority of scholars have stated that repentance for backbiting entails refraining from backbiting and intending not to repeat it. There is a difference of opinion as to whether one must apologize to the harmed party. Some maintain that it is not necessary to ask forgiveness from the victim, because if the person knew what was said, it would cause more hurt than not being told about it. It is better to praise the wronged person among those who had previously heard the negative comments. It is also better to defend the injured party against any further backbiting as recompense for the previous ill-advised words (IK). When backbiting becomes open and extends to slander and false accusations, the punishment can be severe, as in 24:4: And as for those who accuse chaste women, but then do not bring four witnesses, flog them eighty lashes, and never accept any testimony from them.
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ĺ O mankind! Truly We created you from a male and a female, and We made you peoples and tribes that you may come to know one another. Surely the most noble of you before God are the most reverent of you. Truly God is Knowing, Aware.
13 This is among the most famous verses of the Quran. From a male and a female can be understood as a reference to Adam and Eve (Q), but also to the creation of each human being from the fluid of a man and a woman (Ṭ). That people have been divided into diverse peoples and tribes that they may come to know one another indicates the manner in which differences in tribe, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, and religion can be sources through which human beings gain a deeper appreciation for the reality of the human condition. In this regard, the Prophet has said, “God does not look at your bodies, nor at your forms. He looks at your hearts.” In another ḥadīth, the heart is presented as the reality that determines all other dimensions of one’s being: “There is in man a clump of flesh. If it is pure, the whole body is pure. If it is polluted, the whole body is polluted. It is the heart.” The outward diversity that divides human beings is thus one of the greatest tests that human beings confront in the life of this world, as in 5:48: And had God willed, He would have made you one community, but [He willed otherwise], that He might try you in that which He has given you. So vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your return all together, and He will inform you of that wherein you differ.
The combination of nobility and reverence marks a remarkable transition from the attitudes of pre-Islamic Arabia, in which reverence (taqwā, which also has the sense of “God-fearing,” or just “fearing” in pre-Islamic Arabia) and nobility were considered polar opposites. This late Madinan verse thus signals a revamping of the moral order of Arabia to one in which true worth is no longer determined by lineage and grandiose displays of valor and generosity, but by the depth of faith and piety. In this vein, the Prophet is reported to have said, “Truly God has ennobled those who were lowly during the Age of Ignorance. Through Islam, God removed the zealotry of the Age of Ignorance and its custom of vainglorious boasting regarding kinsfolk and noble descent. Today, all the people, be they white, black, Qurayshī, Arab or non-Arab, are seen to be descendants of Adam. And, assuredly, God created Adam from clay, and the people most beloved by God on the Day of Resurrection will be the most obedient and the most reverent among them.”
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Ŋ The Bedouin say, “We believe.” Say, “You believe not. Rather, say, ‘We have submitted,’ for belief has not yet entered your hearts. Yet if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish for you aught of your deeds. Truly God is Forgiving, Merciful.”
14 This verse indicates that belief is of a higher rank than submission (IK), that faith has degrees, and that tribal affiliations are superseded by those of faith. It was reportedly revealed with regard to members of the tribe of Banū Asad who had moved to Madinah after a drought and sought charity, claiming that they were true believers and had a right to the same considerations as those who had followed the Prophet for many years. Some say that they were hypocrites (W), while others say they simply had not yet attained faith (IK), though they had made a formal submission. In this sense, this verse admonishes all forms of religious pretension, as in 53:32: Do not deem yourselves purified. He knows best the reverent. Modesty and humility are thus exalted as among the highest of virtues, as in a ḥadīth, “Modesty produces naught but good.” The injunction to obey God and His Messenger (e.g., 3:32, 132; 4:59; 5:92; 8:1, 20, 46; see 3:32c; 4:59c) here indicates that, as long as Muslims remain obedient, they will be rewarded for the best of their deeds. It also implies that their bad deeds may be forgiven, as stated in a ḥadīth, “If a servant submits and perfects his submission (islām), God will record for him every good deed that he performed before [submitting], and every evil deed that he performed before [submitting] will be erased. After that the requiting for the good deed will be tenfold up to seven hundred fold, and for the evil deed one like it, unless God absolves him of it.”
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Ś Only they are believers who believe in God and His Messenger, then do not doubt, and who strive with their wealth and theirselves in the way of God; it is they who are the truthful.
15 After v. 14 rebuked those who claim belief without attaining it, this verse emphasizes the steadfast nature of true faith and the depth of commitment it entails. While the previous verse emphasizes obedience, this verse emphasizes belief. Those who strive with their wealth and theirselves in the way of God (cf. 8:72; 9:20, 44, 81; see also 2:218; 4:95; 5:35, 54; 8:74; 9:41) are those who are willing to give everything for the sake of seeking God’s good pleasure (IK); see 4:95c; 8:72c. They are truthful in their claim to believe, unlike the members of the Banū Asad, who claim belief only outwardly (IK).
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Ū Say, “Would you teach God about your religion, when God knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth?” And God is Knower of all things.
16 This verse asks, “Would you propose to tell God what lies within you, when nothing is hidden from Him?” (IK, Ṭ); or more specifically, “Are you going to declare that you have faith when God knows that you do not know?” (Ṭ). More generally, this verse can be understood to mean that one should maintain a sense of humility when speaking of religious matters.
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ź They count it as a favor to thee that they have submitted. Say, “Do not count your submission as a favor to me. Nay, rather God confers a favor upon you, in that He has guided you to belief, if you are truthful.
17 The Banū Asad (see 49:14c) count their submission as a favor, because, unlike other tribes, they submitted without fighting (JJ), or because, when they entered Islam, they came with goods and families (Q). That they would think this way demonstrates that they had still not grasped the principles of belief and continued to think of their pledge to the Prophet as if it were another tribal allegiance. They should not count their submission as a favor on a practical level, because they came to Madinah with needs resulting from the drought. They should also not do so from a religious perspective, because God and the Prophet have no need of them; rather, it is they who are in need of God and the guidance He provides through His Prophet. More generally, this verse can be understood as a continuation of the discussion in vv. 7–8 and thus as a reminder that all belief and all guidance is a favor from God.
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Ɗ Truly God knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and God sees whatsoever you do.”
18 Elsewhere God is said to be Knower of the Unseen and the seen (6:73; 9:94, 105; 13:9; 23:92; 32:6; 39:46; 62:8; 64:18), but this is one of only two verses to assert that God knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth (cf. 35:38). In the context of this sūrah, it also indicates that God knows the true depths of one’s faith.