26. In the following few verses directions are being given over the kind of interpersonal and social relationship that should be generated. Ibn Kathir has the following from Ibn Majah, though he places it elsewhere in the Surah:

`Abdullah ibn `Umar reports: “I saw the Prophet (saws) going round the Ka`bah and saying, ‘How good you and your smell! How great you and greatness of your sacredness! But, by Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s life, surely the sacredness of a believer is greater with Allah than your sacredness, his property and his life; and that we are not to think of him but in good terms.”

Bus iri has said that the chain of narration has been questioned. One of the narrators was distrusted by one, although trusted by another Hadith Doctor (Sami).

27. It seems there were several incidents that provoked the revelation of this verse. One was that of Th abit b. Qays who had some hearing problem so that when he came he would try and sit close to the Prophet (saws) to be able to hear him. Once he came late, but saying, “Open up, open up,” moved forward until someone refused to move saying, “You have found a place to sit, so why don’t you take your position there?” Thabit felt irritated and asked him who he was. The man identified himself saying that he was so and so, naming his father. Thabit said, “But you are the son of so and so,” naming his mother. The man felt embarrassed and this verse was revealed. (Thabit said, “Hereafter I shall never pride on ancestry: Alusi). Dahh ak said it came down when the Banu Tamim delegate made fun of some of the poor Companions. Some say it was revealed when some people referred to `Ikrimah b. Abu Jahl as “the son of the Pharaoh of this Ummah.” Other reasons have also been put forward (Qurtubi).

Mawdudi elucidates: “Mocking does not only imply mocking with the tongue but such things are also includes as mimicking someone, making pointed references to him, laughing out at his words, or his works, or his appearance, or his dress, or calling the people’s attention to a defect in him so that others may also laugh at him. All these forms of behavior are forbidden.”

28. It is said that the verse was revealed because two of the Prophet’s wives made fun of Umm Salamah. On another occasion some other wives made fun of her height. Yet others say that the context of revelation is `A’isha pointing to Safiyyah’s short height. Some others referred to her as the daughter of a Jew which brought down this verse (Qurtubi).

29. Dahhak said that the Banu Salamah complained to the Prophet (saws) saying, “Messenger of Allah. You arrived in a situation when there was none among us but was given two or three nicknames. Now, when one of them was referred by a certain nickname, he felt insulted.” So Allah revealed this verse. Other reports suggest that this was a common practice among the pre-Islamic Arabs. Nevertheless, the allusion here is not merely to nicknames. `Ikrimah, Mujahid and others have said that using such appellations as, “O Fasiq,” or, “O hypocrite,” or addressing a former Jew or Christian as “O Jew,” or “O Christian,” or referring to someone’s past after his repentance, etc., is also included (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi). The report is in Ahmed, Abu Da’ud and Tirmidhi who termed it Hasan Sahih.

30. (A Muslim needs to be constantly on the guard lest he should fall into suspecting those who do not deserve to be suspected: Au.). `Umar is reported to have said, “Do not fall into suspicion on the basis of a word that comes out of a man’s mouth (errantly) except for giving him the benefit of doubt. You will discover that the uttered word is possible of a good interpretation.” However, when all evidences are there, wisdom requires that they be taken at face value as it happened during the governorship of Walid b. `Uqbah, when `Uthman (ra) was the Caliph. At that time of the incident, Ibn Mas`ud was the Exchequer under Walid b. `Uqbah himself. He (Walid) was brought to Ibn Mas`ud with his beard dripping wine. Ibn Mas`ud remarked, “We have been forbidden to spy. But if something appears right before us, then we go by it.” (Walid was called back to Madinah and given lashes on the order of `Uthman. Subsequently, after `Uthman’s death, Waleed retreated to Al-Jazirah [Iraq], refusing to take part in the political struggle that ensued: Au.) – Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Alusi.

There are, of course, several ahadith about entertaining good opinion of one another. One is from Bukhari (which Ibn Kathir quotes partially but we do it in full: Au.). It says,

Abu Hurayrah reports the Prophet (saws) as having said, “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. Do not spy, do not be inquisitive, do not carry mutual hatred, but rather, be brothers and let not a man propose after the proposal of a brother until he either marries or gives up” (Ibn Kathir).

Another version includes a few other things as in Muslim and Tirmidhi,

“Do not boycott each other, do not shun each other, do not bear hatred for each other, do not envy each other, but rather be slaves of Allah, brothers (unto each other); and, it is not lawful for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three days” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

31. To be sure, annuls of history record that once when `Umar and `Abd al-Rahman b. `Awf were patrolling the town, they passed by a house with lights on and emitting noises. `Umar suspected that they were drinking wine and asked ibn `Awf what should be their course of action. Ibn `Awf said they had good reason for punitive action. `Umar said, “But Allah has said, ‘Do not spy,’” and moved on (Ibn Kathir, Alusi).

(The following tradition recorded by Ahmed, Abu D a’ud and Nas a’i throws light on the topic of spying: Au.):

Dukhayn told `Uqbah b. ` Amir, “We have neighbors who drink wine. I intend to call the police to arrest them.” He replied, “Do not do it. But, at best, admonish them and threaten them.” Dukhayn did it to no avail. So he went to `Uqbah to say, “I tried to prevent them, but no use. So, I think I’ll call the police now.” `Uqbah said, “Woe unto you man, don’t do it. I have heard the Prophet (saws) say, ‘He who concealed a believer’s hidden weakness, is like he who gave new life to an infant buried alive in her grave.’” (Ibn Kathir).

Another report, preserved by Abu Da’ud has Mu` awiyyah saying,

I heard the Prophet (saws) say, “If you pursued the people’s hidden affairs you will corrupt them, or, almost so.” Finally, Abu Umamah has a very pertinent report, also preserved by Abu D a’ud. It says,

“If a ruler pursues doubtful affairs of the people, he will corrupt them” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

32. Ibn Jarir presents a hadith in this context in words slightly different from what they are in Tirmidhi from which we reproduce here,

The Prophet (saws) was asked, “What is backbiting?” He answered, “That you should say something about your brother what he dislikes (to hear).” He asked, “What about when what I say is there in him?” He answered, “If what you say is there in him then you have done backbiting. But if it is not in him then you have slandered him.”

It is also reported that a woman entered upon ` A’isha. When she rose up to go, she signaled with her hand to indicate how short she was. The Prophet (saws) told her, “You committed backbiting against her.” (Ibn Jarir, Kashsh af, Ibn Kathir, Alusi). On another occasion when a man got up from the Prophet’s company, he evinced weakness. They said (after he was gone), “Messenger of Allah, how weak he is.” He replied, “You ate your brother’s flesh and have done him backbiting” (Ibn Jarir).

Another report has ‘ A’isha reporting about herself in a hadith Sahih documented by Tirmidhi:

“I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, Safiyyah is a woman .. (pointing with her hand that she was so short).’ He answered, ‘You have adulterated (your talk) with a word (of such class) that had you adulterated it with sea water, it would have adulterated it.’”

However, there are situations in which making an unsalutary remark about a person is not counted as “ghibah” (backbiting). We have the example of the Prophet (saws) speaking of Mu`awiyyah as poor, or Abu Jahm as violent, before Fatimah bint Qays when she consulted him after the two had proposed to her (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). Hasan (al-Busri) said that to mention someone given to innovations (bid`ah) unapprovingly, is not backbiting (That is, mentioning his bid`ah: Alusi). Hasan also said that of three there is no backbiting: He who is given to following his base desires, he who commits major sins openly, and a tyrant ruler (Qurtubi).

Otherwise, the sanctity of a Muslim remains as said the Prophet (saws) in a hadith of Muslim:

“Your lives, your wealth, your honor are all as sacred between yourselves, as this day of yours is (9th of Dhu al-Hijjah) in this month of yours (Dhu al-Hijjah) in this land of yours (Makkah)” – Ibn Kathir.

33. (Herewith a few ahadith on the ill effects of backbiting. One is in Ahmed. `Ubayd, the freed-slave of the Prophet (saws) reported that,

Two women fasted. A man came to the Prophet (saws) and said that there were two women who were fasting and that they were about to die from thirst. The Prophet (saws) ignored him, or perhaps remained silent. But he repeated, and I think said somewhat loudly, “Messenger of Allah, the two are dead or very near to dying.” He asked them to be brought. They came, and he asked for a goblet – or maybe a vessel. Then he said to one of them, “Vomit.” She vomited blood, puss, flesh until she had filled half the goblet. Then he asked the other to vomit and she vomited, blood, puss and blood-like flesh until she filled the goblet. Then he said, “These two abstained against what Allah has otherwise made lawful but fed themselves on what Allah has made unlawful to them. One of them sat down with the other and the two began to eat people’s flesh.”

Albani declared the above report weak (Au.).

(A report informs us that there were physical effects of sins that the Prophet (saws) and his men were able to sense: Au.). It is in Ahmed:

Jabir b. `Abdullah said, “Once we were with the Prophet (saws) when a stinking smell arose. The Prophet (saws) asked, ‘Do you know what smell is this? It is the smell of those who backbite the Muslims.’”

(Indeed, it is clear that no one’s, and not the slightest of backbiting is acceptable in Islam, including any slip of the tongue: Au.). An incident recorded by Hafiz Diy auddin al-Maqdisi in his “Al-Mukhtarah” runs as follows:

On the authority of Anas b. Malik: The Arabs were used to serving each other during journeys. (According to another report: on hire). Abu Bakr and `Umar had a man to serve them. The two slept. When they woke up they found that he had not prepared any food for them. They said, “This is a sleeper,” and woke him up. They told him to go to the Prophet (saws), say salam, and tell him that the two seek some dish (to eat bread with). He answered, “They have already had the dish.” So the two went up to him and asked what dish was it that they had. He answered, “The flesh of your brother’s flesh. By Him in whose hand is my life, I can see his flesh between your teeth.” They said, “Seek forgiveness for us Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Ask him to seek forgiveness for you” (Ibn Kathir, Alusi).

(How serious this moral failure is can be judged from the unusually harsh words that the Prophet (saws) employed while warning of the consequences of backbiting: Au.). Abu Barzah al-Aslami reports as documented by Abu D a’ud,

He said, “O those who have believed with the tongue but in whose heart faith did not enter, do not backbite the Muslims, nor try to discover their hidden weaknesses, for whoever tried to discover their hidden weaknesses, will have Allah uncover his hidden weaknesses. And, whosoever Allah began to uncover his hidden weaknesses, will disgrace him in his own house” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

(Another report evinces the Prophet’s impatience: Au.). It says, (as in a trusted report of Hafiz Abu Ya`l a):

Bara’ b. ` Azib said, “The Prophet (saws) addressed us in (such a loud voice as to make) hear the virgins in their homes – or maybe he said, (from behind) their curtains – saying, ‘O those whose tongue has believed, do not backbite the Muslims nor try to discover their hidden weaknesses, for whoever tried to discover their hidden weaknesses, will have Allah uncover his hidden weaknesses. And, whosoever Allah began to uncover his hidden weaknesses, will be disgraced in the depth of his home’” (Kashshaf, Ibn Kathir, Alusi).

(No wonder then that the punishment should be severe: Au.). The Prophet (saws) said as in a report of Ahmed, Abu D a’ud and others,

On the authority of Anas b. Malik, the Prophet (saws) said, “When I was taken up (during the Night Ascent), I passed by a people who had nails of copper. They were deep-scratching their faces and breasts. I asked,‘Who are these people, O Jibra’il?’ He answered, ‘These are a people who eat other people’s flesh and indulge in their honor’” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

Another incident brings out the heinousness of backbiting more tellingly. It says,

Ma`iz went up to the Prophet (saws) and said, “Messenger of Allah! I have committed fornication.” He ignored him until he repeated four times. When it was the fifth time he asked, “Did you fornicate?” He said, “Yes.” He asked, “Do you know what fornication is?” He answered, “Yes. I went into her unlawfully the way a man goes into his wife lawfully.” He asked, “What exactly do you mean by saying this?” He answered, “I want you to cleanse me.” The Prophet (saws) asked him, “Did you insert your that into hers it until it disappeared like a needle in a Kohl bottle?” He answered, “Yes.” So the Prophet ordered him stoned to death. Then the Prophet heard one of his Companions saying to another, “Look at this man. Allah covered him but he would not spare himself until he had to be stoned to death like a dog.” The Prophet (saws) stayed quiet. Then he walked by until he came across the carcass of a donkey with its legs up. He inquired, “Where is so and so?” The two said, “Here we are O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Get down and feast upon this donkey.” They said, “Messenger of Allah! May Allah forgive you, who will eat from this?” He said, “What you indulged in of your brother’s honor just now was worse than eating from a carcass. And, by Him in whose hands is my life, just now he is taking a dip in the springs of Paradise” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

(That the Prophet was terribly upset with the two is apparent. But how hurt the two felt may be gathered from their words to him, “May Allah forgive you!” To this writer there is not a second occasion when somebody told the Prophet (saws), “May Allah forgive you.” Nonetheless, Islam remained and the relationship of love and trust between the Prophet and his Companions remained: despite things coming to such a pass, despite the Prophet’s application of the strictest standards of morality, and despite such harsh treatment he meted out to his Companions, who had the option of splitting away from him, to give us some idea of the true nature of this religion and the absolute sincerity of relationship between him and his followers, who, thus trained, then proceeded to establish the Kingdom of God never established before or after: Au.).

34. Ibn Kathir writes: The question is, what should one do who did some backbiting? Should he seek the victim’s forgiveness? The answer is, no. Perhaps telling him will cause him pain. But instead, it is advisable to speak well of the victim in the same assemblies where he spoke against him, to nullify the backbiting to the extent possible. Imam Ahmed has a hadith (both promising, as well as threatening, although the topic is not exactly the same: Au.),

The Prophet (saws) said, “Whoever defended a believer from a hypocrite, will have (Allah) raising an angel to protect his flesh on the Day of Standing in Hellfire. On the other hand, whoever slandered a Muslim wishing him ill, will be held on the Bridge on Hell until he reproduces what he said.”

The authenticity of this report could not be traced (Au.).

Alusi adds that according to a hadith in Sahih of Ibn Hibban, it is not allowed to backbite an unbeliever. It runs as follows:

“Whoever made a Jew or a Christian hear (what he does not like) will be in the Fire.”

It appears that the above hadith is speaking of Dhimmis. Nonetheless, it does not apply to an unbeliever at war with Muslims. Imam Ghazali also wrote that it is not right to speak ill of an unbeliever in his absence.

Another report, that of Abu D a’ud is on the authority of J abir b. `Abdullah and Abu Talha Ansari.

The Prophet (saws) said, “No Muslim will insult a Muslim, in a situation where he is being insulted and his honor is being attacked, but Allah will humiliate him in a situation where he would love to receive His help. And no Muslim will help another Muslim, in a situation where his honor is being attacked and he is being insulted, but Allah will help him in a situation where he would love to receive His help” (Ibn Kathir).

The Muslims of the past were quite careful about falling into this heinous sin. I (Qurtubi) heard Abu al-` Asim say, “I never did any backbiting since the time I came to know its seriousness.” Maym un b. Siy ah would not listen to anyone backbiting before him. He would forbid it or leave the place. `Umar is reported to have said, “Beware that you mention the people (in your assemblies), for it is a sickness. But make it a practice to mention Allah, for it is a cure.” Sufyan Thawri has said that the least of backbiting is to use words of double meaning. `Amr b. `Ubayd was told by some people, “So and so did your backbiting to the extent that we began to feel sorry for you.” He answered, “Let you feel sorry for him instead.” Someone told Hasan, “I hear that you have done my backbiting.” He answered, “You are not important enough for me to allow your person destroy my good deeds” (Qurtubi).

35. Thus, men and women are treated equal. Majid quotes a Western Christian woman writer: “Muhammad is supposed to have inspired her docile acquiesce to faith to have denied her self-expression in competition with men, and to have closed for her all doors which made spiritual and mental development possible. But this idea is contrary to fact … On the advent of Mohammad the position of woman was not enviable. He found her to be little more than a chattel – a condition which was due in large part to the teaching of the Hebrew rabbis. The Hebrew religion, which was practiced throughout the area into which Mohammad carried his teaching, had placed a decided stamp of inferiority upon her. She was inherited like any piece of furniture, and the heir could do with her as he pleased. She had no protection, no recourse to law, no right of inheritance. That to the Prophet (saws) was a state of affairs no longer to be tolerated. He believed woman was to be the ‘equal sister of man,’ and determined to strengthen the Moslem state by forcing a recognition of her equality … He limited polygamy and abolished infanticide. He instituted the marriage contract, inheritance right, and the privilege of divorce for women, while he discouraged divorce as the behest of one or the other where difference could reasonably be dissolved. He established the principles of dowry and provided for the inviolable maintenance of part of it for the woman’s protection. He safeguarded her further by decreeing religious favor to those who would assist in the support of widows and orphans. He recognized woman’s earlier as well as contemporary contribution to civilization, and urged her highest development spiritually and morally as an asset to the State. This was indeed a single advance in the thinking of that period, and a transformation in social custom which would be remarkable in any age.” (Miss Flory. The Muslim World, New York, January 1940, pp. 16-17).

36. Qurtubi writes: “Sha`b” (pl. shu`ub) is the great mass of people of an area who trace their origin to a single man. Within it there can be several tribes. The structure is something like this, with some differences over the arrangement, ‘ashirah being the lowest and smallest denomination:

Thus, writes Alusi, Khuzaymah were sha`b, Kinanah were qabilah, Quraysh were ‘imarah, Qusayy were batn, Hashim were fakhidh, and `Abbas was fasilah.

Alusi does not mention `ashirah, as the word suggests, is perhaps for a family of around ten twenty people.

Today, sha`b is used in the sense of nation, e.g., sha`b masri, meaning, the Egyptian people, but this was not the original meaning. Originally it belonged to an organized system as against today’s disorganized and chaotic societies organized on the basis of wealth, race, language, color and region. Naturally, it remains incoherent so that an individual cannot bank upon anyone but himself. Modern nationalistic societal organizations are disintegrative systems (Au.).

37. That is, know each other as to who belongs to whom and how they are related to each other.

38. Majid quotes a Western scholar: “No consideration of birth, or race, or color, or money, have prevented a man from rising to the post for which it had been recognized that he was fit. Zaid, the Prophet’s freedman, led his armies in war … A dynasty of Circassian slaves ruled Egypt for a century before its conquest by the Ottoman Turks, and it is said that Christians from the Caucasus were glad to be carried off as slaves to Egypt because each one felt that he might rise to be sultan.” (Bosworth Smith, p. 250).

Bukhari preserved a hadith in this context. It is on the authority of Abu Hurayrah,

The Prophet (saws) was asked, “Who is the most honorable among the people?” He answered, “The most pious of them is the most honorable of them.” They said, “O Prophet, we are not asking about such a man.” He said, “Then the most honorable of the people was Yusuf, a Prophet of Allah, son of a Prophet, son of a Prophet, son of Allah’s Friend (Ibrahim).” They said, “It is not about him that we ask.” He said, “Then perhaps it is about the Arab roots that you are asking.” They said, “Yes.” He answered, “Those of you who were good in the pre-Islamic times are good in Islam, if they acquire understanding” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Alusi).

(A man’s worth is not by any physical property, but by the moral and spiritual condition: Au.). Says a hadith in Muslim,

The Prophet (saws) said, “Verily, Allah does not look at your faces, nor at your wealth but looks at your hearts and deeds.” He advised Abu Dharr in words,

“Beware. You are no better than a white or a black man unless you are better than him in godliness” (Qurtubi).

Another report is from Bazzar:

The Prophet (saws) said, “All of you are from Adam and Adam was created out of dust. People should desist from priding by their forefathers or they will be more dishonorable in the sight of Allah than dung beetles” (Ibn Kathir, Alusi).

The above report has been thought weak, but a longer report in Abu Da’ud has been treated as trustworthy (Au.).

Another report comes to us from no less than Abu Lahab’s daughter Durrah. It says, as in Ahmed with a good chain of transmission,

A man got up and asked the Prophet (saws), “Who is the best of the people?” He answered, “The best of the people is the most learned, the most godfearing, the most to be enjoining virtue, the most to be prohibiting vice and the most to be joining the kin.”

Finally, we have the Prophet’s own preference. `A’isha reports,

“Nothing ever of this world pleased the Prophet (saws), nor did anyone please him ever, except a man of piety” (Ibn Kathir).

Haythami remarked about the above report that except for Ibn Lehi`yah, (whom some thought as weak) the rest of the chain is of trustworthy narrators (Au.).

Hence we find, continues Ibn Kathir, that when `Abdul Rahman heard one of the Banu Hashim say, “I am closer to the Prophet (saws),” he remarked, “You might be closer to him by blood ties, but there are others who are closer than you.”

Yet another narrative from Abu D a’ud is brought to us by Abu Hurayrah:

The Prophet (saws) said, “Surely Allah has removed from you the divisions of the times of Ignorance, and priding over the origins. (Now it is either) a believing pious man, or a corrupt wretched person. You are from Adam and Adam was from dust. Men should give up priding by people of the past - who are indeed coals upon coals in Jahannum – or they will be more odious in the sight of Allah than a dung-beetle that pushes the stinky-filth with its nose” (Au.).

The above statement also speaks of the Prophet’s keen observational habit. It is not a common sight in the field to spot a tiny beetle pushing a ball of dung (Au.).

39. Qatadah explained that the reference is not to the Bedouins in general, but to a few tribes in particular. Indeed, Allah Himself said about some of the Bedouins (9: 99),

i.e., “And of the Bedouins are some who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and treats what he spends as a means of nearness to Allah” (Ibn Jarir).

40. In this context we have a report (in Bukhari: Ibn Kathir) which recorded Sa`d as saying,

“The Prophet (saws) gave to a few people [while Sa`d was sitting by] but not to a particular man whom I thought was better than the rest. I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I think he is a believer (mu’min).’ He answered, ‘Or perhaps a Muslim.’ So I stayed quiet for a while but what I knew about him got the better of me. So I repeated, ‘Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I think he is a believer.’ He answered, ‘Or perhaps a Muslim.’ So I stayed quiet for a while but what I knew about him got the better of me. So I repeated, ‘Messenger of Allah, what about so and so? By Allah, I think he is a believer.’ The Prophet (saws) repeated his reply. Then he added, ‘Sa`d. I give to a man despite another being dearer to me in fear that Allah will thrust him into the Fire.’” (That is, if not given, he might fall into kufr: Au.).

The above report is in the Sahihayn (Ibn Kathir).

41. That is, you have sought to save your skins and your properties by declaring Islam, although faith did not enter your hearts. This is because nothing less than Islam was acceptable of the Arabs of the Peninsula. Says a report,

“I have been ordered to fight the people until they say, ‘There is no deity save Allah.’ Once they have said, ‘There is no deity save Allah, they will save their lives and their properties from me, except for their rights, while their reckoning is with Allah (Ibn Jarir). The report is in Bukhari (Au.).