Surah 49. Al-Hujurat

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-18 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-18یٰۤاَیُّهَاO you who believeالَّذِیْنَO you who believeاٰمَنُوْاO you who believeلَا(Let) notیَسْخَرْridiculeقَوْمٌa peopleمِّنْ[of]قَوْمٍ(another) peopleعَسٰۤیperhapsاَنْthatیَّكُوْنُوْاthey may beخَیْرًاbetterمِّنْهُمْthan themوَ لَاand (let) notنِسَآءٌwomenمِّنْ[of]نِّسَآءٍ(other) womenعَسٰۤیperhapsاَنْthatیَّكُنَّthey may beخَیْرًاbetterمِّنْهُنَّ ۚthan themوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَلْمِزُوْۤاinsultاَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesوَ لَاand (do) notتَنَابَزُوْاcall each otherبِالْاَلْقَابِ ؕby nicknamesبِئْسَWretched isالِاسْمُthe nameالْفُسُوْقُ(of) disobedienceبَعْدَafterالْاِیْمَانِ ۚthe faithوَ مَنْAnd whoeverلَّمْ(does) notیَتُبْrepentفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُtheyالظّٰلِمُوْنَ (are) the wrongdoers 49. Al-Hujurat Page 517یٰۤاَیُّهَاO you who believeالَّذِیْنَO you who believeاٰمَنُواO you who believeاجْتَنِبُوْاAvoidكَثِیْرًاmuchمِّنَofالظَّنِّ ؗthe assumptionاِنَّIndeedبَعْضَsomeالظَّنِّassumptionاِثْمٌ(is) sinوَّ لَاAnd (do) notتَجَسَّسُوْاspyوَ لَاand (do) notیَغْتَبْbackbiteبَّعْضُكُمْsome of youبَعْضًا ؕ(to) othersاَیُحِبُّWould likeاَحَدُكُمْone of youاَنْtoیَّاْكُلَeatلَحْمَ(the) fleshاَخِیْهِ(of) his brotherمَیْتًاdeadفَكَرِهْتُمُوْهُ ؕNay, you would hate itوَ اتَّقُواAnd fear Allahاللّٰهَ ؕAnd fear AllahاِنَّindeedاللّٰهَAllahتَوَّابٌ(is) Oft-Returningرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful یٰۤاَیُّهَاO mankindالنَّاسُO mankindاِنَّاIndeed, Weخَلَقْنٰكُمْcreated youمِّنْfromذَكَرٍa maleوَّ اُنْثٰیand a femaleوَ جَعَلْنٰكُمْand We made youشُعُوْبًاnationsوَّ قَبَآىِٕلَand tribesلِتَعَارَفُوْا ؕthat you may know one anotherاِنَّIndeedاَكْرَمَكُمْ(the) most noble of youعِنْدَnearاللّٰهِAllahاَتْقٰىكُمْ ؕ(is the) most righteous of youاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌ(is) All-Knowerخَبِیْرٌ All-Aware قَالَتِSayالْاَعْرَابُthe Bedouinsاٰمَنَّا ؕWe believeقُلْSayلَّمْNotتُؤْمِنُوْاyou believeوَ لٰكِنْbutقُوْلُوْۤاsayاَسْلَمْنَاWe have submittedوَ لَمَّاand has not yetیَدْخُلِenteredالْاِیْمَانُthe faithفِیْinقُلُوْبِكُمْ ؕyour heartsوَ اِنْBut ifتُطِیْعُواyou obeyاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗand His MessengerلَاnotیَلِتْكُمْHe will deprive youمِّنْofاَعْمَالِكُمْyour deedsشَیْـًٔا ؕanythingاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful اِنَّمَاOnlyالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَthe believersالَّذِیْنَ(are) those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖand His Messengerثُمَّthenلَمْ(do) notیَرْتَابُوْاdoubtوَ جٰهَدُوْاbut striveبِاَمْوَالِهِمْwith their wealthوَ اَنْفُسِهِمْand their livesفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) AllahاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseهُمُ[they]الصّٰدِقُوْنَ (are) the truthful قُلْSayاَتُعَلِّمُوْنَWill you acquaintاللّٰهَAllahبِدِیْنِكُمْ ؕwith your religionوَ اللّٰهُwhile Allahیَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ مَاand whatفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِ ؕthe earthوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمٌ (is) All-Knower یَمُنُّوْنَThey consider (it) a favorعَلَیْكَto youاَنْthatاَسْلَمُوْا ؕthey have accepted IslamقُلْSayلَّا(Do) notتَمُنُّوْاconsider a favorعَلَیَّto meاِسْلَامَكُمْ ۚyour IslamبَلِNayاللّٰهُAllahیَمُنُّhas conferred a favorعَلَیْكُمْupon youاَنْthatهَدٰىكُمْHe has guided youلِلْاِیْمَانِto the faithاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیَعْلَمُknowsغَیْبَ(the) unseenالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبَصِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Seerبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ۠you do

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Translation of Verse 11-18

11. O believers! Do not let some ˹men˺ ridicule others, they may be better than them, nor let ˹some˺ women ridicule other women, they may be better than them. Do not defame one another, nor call each other by offensive nicknames. How evil it is to act rebelliously after having faith! And whoever does not repent, it is they who are the ˹true˺ wrongdoers.

12. O believers! Avoid many suspicions, ˹for˺ indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that! ¹⁰⁷³ And fear Allah. Surely Allah is ˹the˺ Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.

13. O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware. ¹⁰⁷⁴

14. ˹Some of˺ the nomadic Arabs say, "We believe." Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "You have not believed. But say, 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. ¹⁰⁷⁵ But if you obey Allah and His Messenger ˹wholeheartedly˺, He will not discount anything from ˹the reward of˺ your deeds. Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

15. The ˹true˺ believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger-never doubting-and strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. They are the ones true in faith.

16. Say, "Do you inform Allah of your faith, when Allah ˹already˺ knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth? And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things."

17. They regard their acceptance of Islam as a favour to you. Tell ˹them, O Prophet˺, "Do not regard your Islam as a favour to me. Rather, it is Allah Who has done you a favour by guiding you to the faith, if ˹indeed˺ you are faithful.

18. Surely Allah knows the unseen of the heavens and earth. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do."

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Commentary

1073. Backbiting people is likened to eating their dead bodies. So if eating someone's flesh is detestable, then backbiting them is no different.

1074. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) is reported in a ḥadîth collected by Imâm Aḥmed to have said, "O humanity! Your Lord is one, and your ancestry is one. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, nor is any non- Arab superior to any Arab. No white is superior to any black, nor is any black superior to any white except on account of their righteousness."

1075. The verse makes a distinction between Islam (the declaration of accepting the faith, then performing Islamic duties such as prayers and fasting) and Îmân (a higher state of Islam, which means to embrace the faith wholeheartedly). This distinction is very clear in a famous narration from the Prophet ( ﷺ ) , commonly known as the Ḥadîth of Gabriel.