Verse:11 Commentary (). It means that calling others with bad nicknames is a sinful act, and the real bad name for a person after embracing Faith is that he is known among people for sinful acts. Therefore, if a Muslim commits the sin of calling others with bad nicknames, and it is known among people, then the real bad name is earned by himself, and not by the person whom he has abused with that nickname. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

Prohibition of Ridiculing One Another

The beginning part of this chapter laid down the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم rights and the etiquettes to be observed when dealing with him. Then the Holy Qur'an has started mentioning the mutual rights and good manners for the general body of Muslims to be observed among themselves. The injunctions laid down in the preceding two verses related to the collective reformation of the society. Now the current verse mentions the rights and etiquettes to be observed between individuals. Thus the verse prohibits three social evils: [ 1] ridiculing one another; [ 2] finding fault with one another; and [ 3] reviling one another with nicknames.

According to Qurtubi, mocking or scoffing does not only connote mocking with the tongue, but it also implies mimicking someone, making pointed references to him, laughing at his words, his works, his appearance, his dress or calling people's attention to some of his defects, so that they may laugh at him. Mocking includes all of this. By the clear text of the Qur'an, poking fun at someone or ridiculing him is absolutely forbidden.

Stylistically, the Qur'an has, on this occasion, addressed men and women separately. Men are referred to as qawm, a word that is specifically reserved for male members of the human society, though by extension the word most often includes the female members of the human society as well. The Qur'an, however, generally employs the word qawm for both men and women, but here it is specifically used for men in contradistinction to the word nisa' which specifically refers to women. Here both men and women are reminded that mocking one another is a disdainful and evil act. They must refrain from it, because it is very likely that the man who is mocked at may be better than the mocking person and the woman who is mocked at may be better than the mocker. Here the Qur'an prohibits men from mocking other men, and women from mocking other women. This, however, does not mean that it is permitted for men to mock at women or for women to mock at men. The actual reason for making separate mention of the two sexes is that Islam does not allow free intermingling of the two sexes. Ridiculing each other generally occurs where there is such an intermingling. Therefore, in a Muslim society it is inconceivable that men would mock a woman or women would mock a man in an intermingling situation.

In short: no one dare make mockery of a person whose body, face, shape and stature are defective, imperfect, impaired or deformed, because he does not know that the other person, in the sight of Allah, might be better than him on account of his sincerity and purity of heart. When the righteous predecessors heard this verse, they adopted a conducive attitude: For example, Sayyidna ` Amr Ibn Shurahbil ؓ said that he would not laugh at a person when he sees him drink milk direct from the udders of a goat, lest he should become one like him. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ said: "I would not like to scoff at a dog, lest I be Metamorphosed into a dog (Qurtubi)."

It is recorded in Sahib of Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Abu 'Hurairah ؓ that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Allah does not look at your Faces and your wealth; He looks at your hearts and your works." Qurtubi derives a legal maxim from this tradition of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that in any matter it is not proper to pass a categorical judgment on the basis of overt evidence or circumstances, because it is possible that a person's overt actions might seem to be good but in the sight of Allah, on account of the insincerity and impurity of his heart, they could be bad, as He is fully aware of the inner state of people's hearts. On the contrary, a person's overt actions might seem to us bad, but in the sight of Allah, on account of the sincerity and purity of his heart, they could serve as an expiation of the bad actions, as He is fully aware of the inner state of people's heart.

The next thing that is prohibited in the verse is lamz which connotes to find fault with someone or to upbraid him. The verse says, وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ literally it means, "Do not find fault with your selves." But the intention is: "Do not find fault with one another-" [ 49:11] as is seen in the translation above. This expression is similar to the expression وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ '...And do not kill yourselves - [ 4:29] '. Although the verse commands "do not kill yourselves", it purports to say "do not kill one another". This expression indicates that, from one point of view, killing another person amounts to killing oneself. Often it happens that if one person kills another person, the victim's supporters kill the murderer. Even if this does not happen, a Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. Killing one's brother is like killing oneself and rendering oneself crippled, helpless and powerless. Similarly, the expression لَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ 'and not find fault with yourselves' means when you find fault with others and upbraid them, others will find fault with you and upbraid you, because no man is normally free from any fault. Scholars have formulated the maxim: وفیک عیوب و للنّاس اعین "You have faults and people have eyes" with which they see them. Thus if someone seeks out the imperfections of some other person and broadcasts them, the latter will do the same in return. If, however, he exercises patience and evades retaliation to his verbal attacks, it comes down to the same thing: If one considers carefully, he will find that defaming and despising one's Muslim brother is actually casting aspersions on oneself.

Scholars have suggested that the satisfaction, well-being and happiness of man lies in examining his own faults and finding ways of mending them. This approach to life will give him no time to find fault with others and broadcast it. How well the last king of India Bahadur Shah Zafar has versified it!

نہ تھی حال کی جب ہمیں اپنی خبر رہے دیکھتے لوگوں کے عیب و ہنر

پڑی اپنی برایٌوں پر جو نظر تو جہان میں کویٔی بُرا نہ رہا

As long as we were unaware of our own faults, we looked into the faults and failings of others;

But when we looked at our own faults there remained no one faulty in the world.

The third thing that is prohibited in the verse is reviling one another with nicknames which are offensive to them, e.g. calling a person lame, hands cropped, blind or one-eyed; or referring to him by other offensive nicknames. Sayyidna Abu Jabirah Ansari ؓ says, "This verse was revealed in connection with us. When we migrated to Madinah, most of us had two or three names. Some of them were popularised in order to denigrate, defame or belittle the bearer of the name. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was not aware of this situation; as a result he sometimes called them by one of these offensive names unwittingly. The noble Companions ؓ informed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that the name offends the bearer of that name. This verse was revealed on that occasion." Sayyidna Ibn-Abbas ؓ says that prohibition of tanabuz bil-alqab means that if a person committed a sin or performed an evil deed from which he repented and mended his ways, it is unlawful for anyone to call him by denigrating names, such as thief, an adulterer, a drunkard or any such name. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said: "Anyone who denigrates a Muslim who has committed a sin of which he has repented, Allah takes it upon Himself that He will get the person to commit the very same sin and expose him to embarrassment and humiliation in this world and in the Hereafter [ Qurtubi ].

Exception to the Rule

There are some nicknames, which though apparently offensive, are not intended to defame or insult the bearer of that name, but they rather serve as a symbol of identification. That is why scholars have permitted to attach titles to the names of the traditionalists - like A'raj [ lame, cripple ] or ahdab [ humpbacked, hunchbacked ] provided they are not intended to insult or defame. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself named a Companion dhul-yadain because his hands were relatively long. ` Abdullah Ibn Mubarak was posed the question: "In the asanid [ chains of authorities on which a tradition is based ] we come across names to which are attached titles like Hamid At-Tawil [ Hamid, the Tall ], Sulaiman al-A'mash [ Sulaiman the weak-eyed ] and Marwan al-Asfar [ Marwan, the Yellow ]: are these titles allowed?" He replied: " If your intention is not to insult or defame, but rather to complete identification, it is permitted." [ Qurtubi ]

It is Sunnah to call people by Good Titles

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said that it is the right of a believer to call his fellow-believers by good names and titles which they like the best. Therefore the use of kunniyyah [ agnomen/cognomen ] had become commonplace in Arabia. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also favoured this, and consequently he himself bestowed appropriate titles on some of the individual Companions, e.g. Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ received the title of ` Atiq [ the noble ], Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ ، the title of Faruq [ he who distinguishes truth from falsehood ], Sayyidna Hamzah ؓ the title of Asadullah [ the lion of Allah ] and Khalid Ibn Walid, the title of Saifullah [ the sword of Allah ]. Verse:12 Commentary Analysis of the Verse

This verse too comprises injunctions relating to mutual rights and manners to be observed in social life. It prohibits three things: [ 1] ظن zann [ unfounded suspicion ], the details to follow: [ 2] تَجَسُّس tajassus [ spying, looking secretly into the faults of others ]; and [ 3] غِیبَہ ghibah [ backbiting, speaking in of a person behind his back which if he heard would hurt or injure his feelings ].

[ 1] Prohibition of Unfounded Suspicion

Zann primarily denotes assumption on probable evidence. In the first instance, the Qur'an sets down "Abstain from many of the suspicions." and gives reason for that: "some suspicion are sins". This shows that not all types of suspicion are a sin. Thus it is incumbent on the readers to investigate which type is a sin, so that they may avoid it. If the uneasy feeling and the conviction that something is wrong, someone is guilty, or some danger is afoot is based on partial evidence, and not confirmed by out-and-out evidence, it is not permitted to act on it. Scholars and jurists have given a detailed account of it. Qurtubi says that in this context Zann connotes "accusation", that is, a charge of wrongdoing, as with guilt, crime, offense or blame without any strong evidence. Imam Abu Bakr Jassas (رح) in Ahkam-ul-Qur'an gives the following details. Zann is divisible into four categories. [ 1] prohibited; [ 2] imperative; [ 3] recommended, desirable; and [ 4] permissible. Distrust of Allah or suspecting His trust is prohibited. For instance, it is not permitted to think ill of Allah in that He will punish him or keep him in calamity all the time without forgiving him or showing mercy to him, thus despairing of His grace. Sayyidna Jabir ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم " said:

لا یموتنّ احدکم اِلَّا وھو یحسن الظنّ باللہ

"None of you should die without having favourable thoughts about Allah."

According to another hadtth, Allah Ta` ala says:

اَنَا عند ظنّ عبدی بی

"I treat my servants the way they think about me."

This shows that holding favourable thoughts about Allah is compulsory and thinking ill of Him is prohibited. Likewise it is prohibited to entertain suspicion, without rational grounds, about Muslims whose outer conditions show that they are good and noble.

Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

ایّاکم و الظّنّ فانّ الظّنّ الکذب الحدیث

"Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false talks...".

In this context, Zann by common consent of scholars stands for thinking ill of a Muslim without any concrete proof. However, if there is a matter in which it is necessary to take a decision in either way, and there is no absolute and clear-cut proof based on the Qur'an and Sunnah for that particular situation, it is imperative to act on the strength of the best possible assessment, termed in Islamic jurisprudence as ''A -zann-ul-ghalib' This is the approved practice in cases that come to the law-courts for settlement. In a court of law, a judge has to deliver his decision on the basis of the principle of "the best possible assessment" relying on the testimony of people worthy of confidence, even though there is the possibility that one of the witnesses at that particular moment might have lied. The testimony of the witness is based on "best assessment" and not on "absolute certainty". The judge does not have direct knowledge of the facts of the matter, nor is there a transparent text of the Qur'an and Sunnah. In cases like these where one or the other decision has to be taken, and the absolute knowledge of the reality cannot possibly be attained, there is no way out but to formulate a judgment on the basis of best possible assessment.'

Likewise when the direction of qiblah is not known, nor is there a person that can show one the direction of qiblah, it is compulsory for him to determine it on the basis of "best possible assessment". If a person has destroyed a valuable thing of someone, and a compensation has been imposed on him, he is liable to pay the value of it on the basis of 'best possible assessment'.

The example of permissible Zann is like that of a person performing prayers and in the course of it suspects whether he has performed three rak'at or four, he is permitted to apply the 'best possible assessment' and complete the prayers accordingly. If, however, he does not wish to apply this principle, but wishes to act on the principle of 'certainty', thinking that he has certainly performed three rak'at, and thus completes the fourth one, that too is possible.

And desirable Zann refers to having favourable thoughts about every Muslim. That is rewardable [ condensed from Jassas ].

Qurtubi quotes the Qur' anic verse

لَّوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ

'...why, when you (0 believers,) heard of it, did the believing men and women not think well on their own selves - [ 24:12] '.

This verse emphasizes to have good thoughts about the believers. The following aphorism apparently seems contrary to this rule:

انّ من الحزم سوء الظّنّ

"It is prudence to have ill thoughts about every person."

But this means to be as precautious when dealing with others as one would deal in suspicious cases: e.g. one should not hand over one's thing to anyone without strong reliance. It does not mean that he should regard anyone as a thief or run him down. In brief, one should take precautionary measures in the predicament one is placed in without labeling people as thieves or perfidious.

[ 2] Prohibition of Spying

The second social evil that is prohibited in the verse is tajassus, spying or prying secretly into the faults of others. An alternative reading of تَجَسُّس tajassus [ with "J"] is tahassus [ with "H"]. In a hadith recorded in Sahihain on the authority of Abu Hurairah ؓ the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لا تَجَسَّسُوا ولَا تَحَسَّسُوا

"...do not spy on one another; do not look for other's faults...".

The two words in Arabic are near-synonyms. Akhfash draws attention to the nuances or subtle differences in their meaning: tajassus connotes looking into the affairs of people which they have kept hidden, whilst tahassus connotes searching in general as in the following verse of the Holy Qur'an.

تَحَسَّسُوا مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ

'...search for Yusuf and his brother' - [ 12:87]

However, the term tahassus [ searching ], like tajassus [ spying ], could have an evil connotation in which case the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has prohibited it. The verse signifies that one may take into account what is presented in evidence, but it is not permitted to search for faults that are not overt. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says:

لا تغتابوا المسلمین ولا تتّبعوا عوراتھم فان من اتبّع عوراتھم یتبع اللہ عورتۃ و من یتّبع اللہ عورتۃ یفضحہ فی بیتہ (قرطبی)

"Do not speak ill of Muslims behind their backs, and do not search out their faults, for he who searches out their faults will have his faults searched out by Allah, and he whose faults are searched out by Allah will be exposed by Him, even though he should be in the interior of his house" [ Qurtubi ].

Bayan-ul-Qur'an interprets that tajassus [ spying ] and tahassus [ searching ] include the sense of listening to people without their permission when they are talking, or eavesdropping at their doors. However, if there is an apprehension that some member of the Muslim community may be harmed by some mischief-makers, it is permitted for others to spy to protect the innocent and peaceful people, and search furtively for the intentions and conspiracies of such people who are a danger to the society.

[ 3] Prohibition of Backbiting

The third social evil this verse prohibits is ghibah [ backbiting ]. This connotes speaking ill of a person behind his back which if he heard would hurt or injure his feelings, even if what was said about him was the truth; if what was said about him was untruth, it is slander or false accusation. The prohibition of slander is prohibited elsewhere in the Qur'an. In the definition of backbiting the phrase "behind his back / in his absence" appears. This does not mean that it is permissible to say hurtful things in the presence of somebody. This may not be backbiting, but it certainly falls under lamz which is prohibited in the preceding verse.

أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا

(Does one of you like that he eats the flesh of his dead brother? - 49:12)

This verse sternly warns against disgracing a Muslim and compares it to eating the flesh of a human being. If the victim of disgrace is present before the offender, it is like eating the flesh of a living person, and the Holy Qur'an has termed it as 'lamz' which is prohibited in verse 11, as well as in another Surah by saying,

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ

'Woe to every backbiter, derider [ 104:1] '

And if the victim is not present, and someone speaks ill of him in a way that he is insulted, then it is like eating the flesh of a dead human being. Just as it does not cause any physical torture to a dead body, backbiting does not hurt the victim when he is not aware of it, but just as eating the flesh of a dead body is an extremely inhuman act, so is the backbiting. Both are prohibited. Otherwise also, speaking ill of someone in his absence is an unkind, mean and malicious act; it is not an act of valour and bravery.

This verse prohibits three social evils: unfounded suspicion, unjustifiable search for faults and backbiting. However, backbiting is most severely and harshly condemned. It is compared to eating the flesh of a dead Muslim, thus bringing out the gravity of its prohibition, unkindness and meanness. The wisdom of it lies in the fact that saying hurtful things to the face of someone is prohibited, but the man, being present, will be able to defend himself. Further, for fear of defense not everybody will have the courage to utter hurtful things to the face of someone, and usually it does not last long. It is unlike backbiting where there is no one to defend it, and thus the most mean person would pluck the courage to backbite the greatest of men. Because it is not defended, generally the ball keeps rolling, and more and more people get involved. Therefore, backbiting is prohibited most severely and harshly. It is necessary for the general body of Muslims to defend their brother, if possible, when people speak ill of him in his absence. If that is not possible, they should at least abstain from listening to it, because listening to it willfully and intentionally is like backbiting itself.

Some Issues Related to Backbiting

Sayyidna Maimun ؓ says that once he saw in a dream that there is a dead body of a Negro. A caller addressed him and said: "Eat this." Sayyidna Maimun ؓ says: "I said: '0 servant of God! Why should I eat this?" The caller replied: "Because you have been backbiting a certain person's Negro slave." Sayyidna Maimun ؓ said: "By God, I did not do that." The caller replied: "Yes, you did: you listened to people backbiting him and remained silent as if you were in agreement with them." After this dream, Sayyidna Maimun ؓ composed himself and he himself stopped backbiting and he did not allow anyone else in his presence to backbite.

In a narration of Sayyidna Anas Ibn Malik ؓ relating to Holy Prophet' s صلى الله عليه وسلم experience of Mi` raj, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "When I was taken up to the heaven, I passed by people who had fingernails of copper and were scratching their faces and breasts violently. I asked Jibra'il: 'Who are these people?' He replied: 'They are those people who were given to backbiting their brothers and who aspersed their honour.' [ transmitted by al-Baghawi as cited in Mazhari ]. Sayyidna Abu Said and Jabir ؓ report that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:

"Backbiting is worse than adultery. The noble Companions ؓ inquired: 'How so, Messenger of Allah?' He replied: 'A person may commit fornication, repent of it and his sin is forgiven. But the sin of backbiting is not forgiven unless the injured party forgives." [ Transmitted by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, as cited in Mazhari ].

This hadith indicates that backbiting is not only a violation of the Divine right, but also a violation of human right. Therefore, it is necessary to seek the forgiveness of the injured party. Some of the scholars express the view that backbiting does not become a human right unless the injured party comes to know about it. Therefore, seeking his pardon is not necessary [ Quoted in Ruh-ul-Ma' ani from Hasan, Al-Khayyati, Ibn-us-sabbagh, An-Nawawi, Ibn-us-Salah, Az-Zarakshi, Ibn ` Abd-ul-Barr from Ibn-ul-Mubarak ]. This is quoted in Bayan-ul-Qur'an and explained as follows: If the victim of backbiting is not aware that someone has spoken ill of him, it might not be necessary for the backbiter to beg pardon of the victim, but it is necessary that he falsifies himself before the person whom he addressed when backbiting, or at least confesses his guilt before him. If the victim is dead or has disappeared, the atonement is recorded in a narration of Sayyidna Anas ؓ where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:

ان من کفَّارۃ الغیبۃ ان یستغفر لمن اغتابہ تقول اللَّھمّ اغفرلنا ولہ

"The atonement of backbiting is to invoke forgiveness of Allah for the victim in the following words: 0 Allah, forgive our sins and his sins". [ Transmitted by Baihaqi and cited in Mazhari ].

Ruling [ 1]

It is prohibited to backbite children, insane and non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state, because hurting them is prohibited. Hurting harbi infidels who are the inhabitants of Dar-ul-Harb [ hostile country ] is not prohibited. However, backbiting them, on account of wastage of time, is makruh, and reprehensible.

Ruling [ 2]

Backbiting does not only connote speaking ill of a person behind his back, but it also connotes an action or pointed reference to him, as for instance if someone imitates the limp or uneven walking of a lame person to make fun of him, it is not permitted.

Ruling [ 3]

Some narrations show that the general prohibition of backbiting in the verse is subject to exceptions in special cases and specific circumstances. It is permitted if the need for backbiting is real and genuine from the Shari` ah point of view. Examples are as follows:

[ a ] Complaining against a tyrant before a person who can relieve him from the tyranny and injustice.

[ b ] Complaining about the wife and children to the father and husband who can put them right.

[ c ] Giving a full account of the case in order to obtain a fatwa (ruling of Shari' ah)

[ d ] Warning the Muslims of the mischief of a mischief-monger so that they may ward off the evil.

[ e ] When someone consults another person in any matter, it is obligatory for him to apprise him of all aspects, including weaknesses, so that he is not deceived because of ignorance.

[ f ] If a person commits sins openly and publishes his ungodly behaviour himself, it is not prohibited to make mention of his bad deeds. However, it is abominable and reprehensible to indulge in it on account of wastage of time [ Bayan-ul-Qur'an with reference to Ruh-ul-Ma' ani ].

But the necessary condition for invoking these exceptions is that speaking ill of someone is not with the intention of insulting or disgracing him, but only to fulfill a genuine need. Verse:13 Commentary All of Mankind are the Children of 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام)

In the preceding verses, six social evils in connection with human and Islamic rights were prohibited, and principles of good manners were laid down to be observed in social life. The current verse proceeds to set down the basis of an all-comprehensive and all-pervading principle of human equality. It has firmly laid the axe at the false and foolish notions of superiority, born of racial arrogance or national conceit. All men have been created from a single male ['Adam (علیہ السلام) ] and a single female [ Hawwa' (علیہا السلام) ] as human beings. Therefore, all people are the descendants of 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) and have been declared equal in the sight of Allah. No one is allowed to take pride nor to degrade others on the basis of pigment of his skin, the amount of wealth he possesses or by his rank or by his social status, descent or pedigree, but by his moral uprightness and the way he discharges his obligations to Allah and man. The entire human race is but one family. Division into nations, tribes and sub-tribes of all sizes, and races is meant only to give a better identification of one another.

Circumstances of Revelation

This verse was revealed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah. When it was time for prayer, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked Sayyidna Bilal ؓ to call the adhan. One of the pagan Quraish cynically remarked:

Thank God that my father died before this happened, and he did not have to see this bad day. Harith Ibn Hisham remarked: Could Muhammad not find anyone better than this black crow to sound the adhan in the Sacred Mosque! Abu Sufyan said: I do not wish to utter anything for fear that the master of the heavens will inform him. Thus Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) came down and informed the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about this conversation. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called them and asked them about it. They admitted. At this, the current verse was revealed.

Taqwa of Allah is the basis of Honour

This verse made it plain that human beings can earn honour on account of their faith and righteousness. The immediate application of the verse was to Sayyidna Bilal ؓ ، and therefore the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to those people: You are empty (i.e. you have no moral leg to stand on.) Sayyidna Bilal ؓ ، on the other hand, is equipped (with high moral qualities); and he is better and more honourable than any of you." [ Baghawi, as cited in Mazhari ]. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ reports that on the day when Makkah was conquered, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم performed tawaf (circumambulation of Ka'bah) in the state of riding on his she-camel, [ so that all the people could see him ]. Then having completed his tawaf, he delivered a sermon in which he said:

الحمد للہ اذھب عنکم عبّیۃ الجاھلیۃ تکتبّرھا۔ الناس رجلان برّ تقّی کریم علی اللہ وفاجر شقی ھین علی اللہ ثمّ تلا : یٰٓایُّھَا النَّاس اِنّا خلَقنٰکُم (ترمذی و بغوی)

"0 people! Allah has removed from you the pride of Jahiliyyah and its arrogance. People are of two types: a man who is righteous, fearful of Allah and he is honourable to Allah; or a man who is sinful, wretched, and he is disgraced and little to Allah [ Tirmidhi and Baghawi ]."

Then he recited the current verse.

Sayyidna Ibn-` Abbas ؓ says: For people "honour" lies in wealth, whilst in the sight of Allah it lies in righteousness.

Analysis of Important Words in the Verse

The word Shu` ub is the plural of Sha'b which refers to a large group of persons of the same origin, (like a nation). Then it consists of clans and tribes. The largest group in this arrangement is called sa'b, and the smallest is called ` ashirah. Abu Ruwaq says that the words Shu` ub and Sha'b refer to non-Arab nations whose lineage is not preserved, whilst qabail refers to Arabs whose lineage is well-preserved. The word asbat is used to refer to the children of Israel.

Lineal, National and Linguistic Division of Mankind:

The Underlying Divine Wisdom is identification

The Qur'an in this verse has made it clear that Allah has created all mankind from a single mother and a single father, and made them into a single brotherhood. But he has divided them into different tribes, nations, races, lineage and language-speakers/linguistic groups. The underlying Divine wisdom in such a division is mutual identification. For example, if there are two persons bearing the same name, they could be differentiated by family name. It can also show the near and remote relations. Their Shari rights can be fulfilled on the basis of near and distant lineage. It is incumbent to determine the near and remote agnate heirs when applying the law of succession or dividing the estate of a deceased. In short, reference to one's lineage for the purpose of identification is not deemed to be pride and conceit. Verse:14 Commentary Sequence of Verses in the Surah

In the preceding verses of the Surah it was stated that the basis of honour in the sight of Allah is righteousness which is an inner quality, and Allah alone knows it. It is improper for any man to claim self-sanctification. In the current set of verses, it is stated, on account of a particular incident, that the real basis of faith is the inner acceptance of the heart. Mere lip-service to faith does not count the person as a faithful believer. In the entire Surah, first the rights of the Prophet were set out and then the rules of how to respect and honour him. Next the individual and collective rights and rules of mannerism were set down to be applied in social life. Now at the conclusion of the Surah it is reiterated that in the Hereafter good deeds will be accepted and rewarded on the basis of faith, sincere belief of the heart and obedience to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم .

Circumstances of Revelation

According to Imam Baghawi, this verse was revealed in connection with the tribe of Banu Asad. A few members of that tribe came up to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Madinah during a severe drought. These people were not sincere believers. They had expressed their Islam merely to demand financial help from the Muslim Sadaqat funds. As they were not believers in the real sense of the word, they were unaware of Islamic injunctions and manners. They spread filth and excrement on the streets of Madinah. In the marketplaces they increased the prices of necessary items. First they made a false claim of faith in the presence of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، second they wanted to deceive him; and third they regarded their Islam as a favour to him. They said: "We embraced Islam without any conflict: we did not fight against you as did other tribes for a length of time and then they became Muslims; therefore you should value us." This was a sort of disrespect to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم ، because they considered their Islam as a favour to him. Their sole purpose was to derive financial aid from the Muslim Sadaqat funds, enrich themselves and eradicate their poverty. True and sincere faith is the most precious possession of a Muslim. By accepting Islam, he does no show a favour to anybody; on the contrary, it is a favour of Allah that he is guided to the Truth. On this occasion, the current set of verses was revealed in which their false claim is refuted and they have been taken to task for boasting of their so-called kindness and favour conferred upon the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .

وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا ('...Say, 'We have surrendered'- 49:14). They had not achieved the reality of faith. Thus they were claiming falsely to be Muslims on the basis of their outward actions. The Qur'an first negates their false claim of faith: You cannot claim "amanna" ['We have come to believe']; the most you can say is "aslamna" ['We have surrendered'], because the literal meaning of Islam is to recite the kalimah of Islam, enter the fold of the religion and surrender. Obviously, being devoid of the true spirit, this kind of Islam is mere superficial, not real and total. As far as faith is concerned, it is related to the real belief by heart. Therefore, mere verbal claim or lip-profession is meaningless, if it is not supported by the heart.

Lexical and Technical Analysis of the Concepts "Islam" and "' Iman"

The foregoing discussion clarifies that the term "Islam" in this verse bears the literal meaning of outward submission and not the technical sense. Therefore, the verse does not show the technical difference between the terms "Islam" and "' Iman". The two terms, technically, connote different senses. "' Iman", in the technical sense of Shari' ah, refers to the belief by heart and thus connotes a firm and unshakable belief in the Oneness of Allah and in His صلى الله عليه وسلم . "Islam", on the other hand, stands for complete surrender and obedience to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم . However, "Islam" and "Iman" of a person need to complement each other. In Shari' ah, the belief of the heart must manifest itself by performing deeds outwardly, the least degree of which is to proclaim the kalimah of Islam verbally. But the outward performance of deeds is not recognised by Shari' ah unless the faith goes deep down into his heart. Otherwise it would be hypocrisy. Thus in the original and final analysis "Islam" and "'Iman" are different concepts. "Iman" is the inner quality of the heart and manifests outwardly whilst "Islam" starts out in outward actions and culminates in the inner sincere affirmation of the heart. But in terms of their goal, they are mutually necessary and complementary in that "Iman" without "Islam" is not possible, nor is "Islam" possible without "man". Hence, it is not true to say that "Muslim" and "Mu'min" are antonyms and mutually contradictory concepts. In Shari` ah, it is not possible for a person to be a "Muslim" but not a "Mu'min" or be a "Mu'min" but not a "Muslim". However, this is possible only lexically, as is the case of all hypocrites who used to be treated like Muslims, because of their outward obedience of Islamic injunctions, but their hearts were devoid of sincere faith, belief and affirmation. They were not believers. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best.

Alhamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Al-Hujurat

Ends here Verse:15 Commentary - - - Verse:16 Commentary - - - Verse:17 Commentary - - - Verse:18 Commentary - - -