An overview of the surah with an enlightening commentary by renowned scholar Nouman Ali Khan has already been published.
It may be added here that this surah is the third of the group of three Madinah Sürahs, which began with Surah Muhammad (Chapter 47) and Surah Al Fath (Chapter 48). Its subject-matter is the manners to be observed by the members of the rapidly-growing Muslim community, among themselves and towards its Leader, the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him). The key-word "Hujurät" (Private chambers) occurs in verse 4. Its date is referred to the Year of Deputations, А.Н. 9, when a large number of deputations of all kinds visited Madinah to offer their allegiance to Islam.
As described in the overview, the surah specifically centers on the community of Muslims to show its respect to its Leader, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in all forms of behaviour; quarrels are unseemly and should be composed; manners spring from morals; and mutual respect and confidence are a duty and a privilege in Islam.
Let us now read the translation and exegesis, verse by verse, in English of the Surah (For Arabic Text, please refer to the references given below):
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
Verses 1-10 are about Allah's commandment with regard to lowering of one's voice in the presence of Holy Prophet have been given and to make peace between the believers if they fall into fighting among themselves:
1. O you who believe! Do not place your opinions above that of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. For Allah is Hearing and Knowing.The first verse is of immense importance for the believers. In fact it forms the very basis of our faith. If a Muslim who regards Allah as his Lord and accepts Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as his guide and leader, is true in his belief, he can never have the attitude that he should give his own opinion and view precedence over the decision of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), or should adopt an independent opinion in the matters, and pass his own judgments without caring to find out whether Allah and His Messenger have given any guidance in those matters or not, and if they have given it, what it is. That is why it has been said: O you who believe, do not put (yourselves) before Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). That is, do not go ahead of them, but follow behind. Do not precede them, but be subordinate to them.
The second part of the verse is a caution, that is, if ever you adopted an attitude of independence as against Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), or gave priority to your own opinion and view over their command, you should know that you have to deal with that God Who is hearing whatever you utter and is even aware of your secret intentions.
A similar commandment has been given for the guidance of the believers in Surah Al-Ahzab (verse 33:36): "It does not behove a believer, male or female, that when Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair they should exercise their choice. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has strayed to manifest error."
2. O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, and do not speak loudly to him, as you speak loudly to one another, lest your works be in vain without you realizing.The Arab Bedouin were generally very rough people and had a coarse way of speaking and generally disregarded the etiquettes of sitting in a company of noble and elevated elders. And would invariably speak in a loud coarse language when in the company of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or even start talking loudly with each other while the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) was telling them something about the revelation he had received or clarifying someone's questions. Thus this verse was revealed to teach proper etiquettes to the common Muslims as to how they should the revered Messenger of Allah. This is the etiquette that was taught to the people who sat among the audience of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or came to visit him. Its intention was that the believers should treat the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the highest respect and reverence when visiting him and talking to him. Nobody should raise his voice louder than his. The people should not be unmindful of the fact that they are addressing the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah, and not a common man, or a person of equal rank. Therefore, there should be a marked difference between one’s tone of conversation with the common people and one’s tone of conversation with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and no one should talk to him in a voice louder than his.
3. Those who lower their voices before Allah’s Messenger—those are they whose hearts Allah has tested for piety. They will have forgiveness and a great reward.That is, only those people give due reverence to the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah, who have passed successfully through the tests and trials set by Allah and proved by their steadfastness that their hearts indeed possess taqwa (piety). From this, it follows automatically that the heart which is devoid of reverence for the Prophet (peace be upon him) is, in fact, devoid of taqwa, and a person’s raising his voice louder than the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) is not only an uncivilized act outwardly but also a sign of the absence of taqwa in his heart.
The surah takes its name from the mention of الۡحُجُرٰتِ (private chambers) as mentioned in the fourth verse:
اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يُنَادُوۡنَكَ مِنۡ وَّرَآءِ الۡحُجُرٰتِ اَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ
4. Those who call you from behind the chambers, most of them do not understand.To shout aloud to your leader, that is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), from outside his chambers shows disrespect both for his person, his time,and his engagements. Only ignorant would be guilty of such unseemly behaviour. It is more seemly for them to wait and bide their time until he is free to come out and attend to them. But,with the Messenger of Allah, much is forgiven that is due to lack of knowledge and understanding. In an earthly court, ignorance of the law excuseth no man. If a man behaved in that way to the general of an army or the governor of a province,not to speak of an earthly king, he would be laid hands on by the guard, and could never gain the access he desires.
5. Had they remained patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. But Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.The people who in the blessed time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) had overtime realized how busy the Prophet of Allah was in performing the mission entrusted to him by Allah. They also understood well that during those tiresome activities he must necessarily have some time for rest and also have time for attending to his domestic affairs. Therefore, they would come to visit him only when he was available outside his house, and if ever they did not find him outside his living quarters, they would await his emergence. But people from far flung areas, who had had no opportunity to receive training in good manners, would come to visit the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the idea that the one who invited others to Allah and was working for the reformation of the people had no right to have rest at any time, and they had the right to visit and see him any time they pleased in the day or night and it was his duty that whenever they happened to arrive, he should be ready to receive them. Some of these people who came to see the Prophet (peace be upon him) from different parts of Arabia were so uncouth and impolite that they would not take the trouble to inform him of their arrival through some attendant, but would start shouting from outside the apartments of his wives to call him out. Several such incidents have been reported by the companions in the Hadith. This sort of behavior troubled him much, but he was tolerant on account of his natural clemency. At last, Allah had to intervene, Who reproved the people for their uncivilized behavior and gave this instruction: Whenever they came to see the Prophet (peace be upon him) and did not find him, they should wait for him patiently until he came out to them himself, instead of shouting to call him out, from the house.
The second part of the verse explains that whatever had happened until then will be overlooked and forgiven by Allah and He will not hold those people accountable for the trouble they had been causing to His Messenger (peace be upon him) on account of His mercy and kindness, but they should not repeat such behavior in the future.
6. O you who believe! If a troublemaker brings you any news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance, and you become regretful for what you have done.Verse 6: Most of the commentators have expressed the view that this verse was sent down concerning Walid bin Uqbah bin Abi Muait. Its background is this: When the tribe of the Bani al-Mustaliq embraced Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Walid bin Uqbah to collect the Zakat from them. When he arrived in their territory, he became fearful due to some reason and without visiting the people of the tribe returned to Al-Madinah and complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that they had refused to pay the Zakat and had even wanted to kill him. On hearing this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) became very angry and he made up his mind to dispatch a contingent to punish those people. According to some traditions he had dispatched the contingent, and according to others, he was about to dispatch it. In any case, all agree that in the meantime the chief of the Bani al-Mustaliq, Harith bin Dirar, father of Juwairiyah, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), arrived at the head of a deputation, and submitted: By God, we did not at all see Walid; therefore, there could be no question of refusing to pay the Zakat and wanting to kill him. We are steadfast to the faith and have no intention to withhold the Zakat. At this, this verse was sent down.
Thus on this critical occasion when on account of believing in a baseless report a grave blunder was about to be committed, Allah gave the Muslims this guiding principle to be followed on receipt of news: Whenever you receive important news bearing upon a vital matter, you should not accept it immediately but should first examine the man who has brought it. If he is an evil man whose report is not authentic normally, you should inquire into it carefully to ascertain the truth instead of accepting it and acting on it immediately.
From this divine command an important legal principle is deduced, the sphere of application of which is very vast. According to it, it is not permissible for a Muslim government to take any action against a person or a group or a nation on the basis of the reports provided by the secret agents whose character might be doubtful. On the basis of this very principle the traditionalists introduced the art of critical appraisal in the science of Hadith in order to determine the value and worth of the people through whom traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the later generations. And the jurists established this principle in the law of evidence that in a matter from which a Shariah value can be deduced, or a duty imposed on a person; the evidence of an evil man would be unacceptable. However, all scholars agree that as far as the common worldly matters are concerned it is not necessary to ascertain the truth of every news and the reliability of every informer. For the word used in the verse is naba, which does not apply to every news but only to the news of consequence. That is why the jurists say that this principle does not apply in the case of ordinary matters. For example, if a person goes to visit somebody and seeks permission to enter the house, and a person comes out and conveys the permission, he can enter the house accordingly no matter whether the one conveying the permission from the master of the house was good or bad. Likewise, the scholars also agree that the evidence, as well as the report, of the people whose evil does not relate to lying and immorality, but they are regarded as unrighteous only on account of false beliefs, will also be acceptable. Only the falsehood of heir creed cannot be a hindrance to accepting their evidence or reports.
وَاعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ فِيۡكُمۡ رَسُوۡلَ اللّٰهِؕ لَوۡ يُطِيۡعُكُمۡ فِىۡ كَثِيۡرٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡرِ لَعَنِتُّمۡ وَ لٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ حَبَّبَ اِلَيۡكُمُ الۡاِيۡمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهٗ فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِكُمۡ وَكَرَّهَ اِلَيۡكُمُ الۡكُفۡرَ وَالۡفُسُوۡقَ وَالۡعِصۡيَانَؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الرّٰشِدُوۡنَۙ
7. And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. Had he obeyed you in many things, you would have suffered hardship. But Allah has given you the love of faith, and adorned it in your hearts, and made disbelief, mischief, and rebellion hateful to you. These are the rightly guided.The messenger of Allah, if he consults his friends and associates, should not be expected to follow their advice in all matters. The judgment and responsibility are his. he sees farther than the rest,and he is not swayed by personal feeling as others may be.
This is evident from the context as well as understood by several commentators from this verse that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was hesitant to take any military action against the Bani al-Mustaliq on the report given by Walid bin Uqbah, but some of the people insisted that they should be attacked at once. At this those people were warned that they should not forget that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present among them, who understood them (Bani al-Mustaliq) better than they did. Therefore, their thinking that the Prophet (peace be upon him) should act according to their counsel in important matters was misplaced boldness. For if he started acting according to what they counseled it would generally lead to blunders for which they themselves would have to suffer.
In the verse 7 (Arabic text) above, the sentence beginning with lau yutiukum is not addressed to the entire class of the companions but only to those particular companions who were insisting that the Bani al-Mustaliq should be attacked at once, and the sentence beginning with wa lakin-nallaha, is addressed to the general class of the companions who would never dare insist on their own opinion and view before the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah, but had full faith in his leadership and remained steadfast on the path of obedience, which is, and should be, the demand of true faith. From this it cannot be concluded that those who had insisted on their own opinion were devoid of the love of the faith, but what becomes obvious from this is that they had become forgetful of this demand of the faith because of which they made the error of insisting on their own opinion in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, Allah first warned them of their error, then of its evil consequences, and finally stated that the right attitude for a believer was the one that had been adopted by the generality of the companions.
8. A Grace and Favor from Allah. For Allah is Knowing and Wise.That is, Allah does not bestow His bounty and favor blindly, but He grants this great blessing to whomever He grants on the basis of wisdom and His knowledge that he is worthy of it.
وَاِنۡ طَآئِفَتٰنِ مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ اقۡتَتَلُوۡا فَاَصۡلِحُوۡا بَيۡنَهُمَاۚ فَاِنۡۢ بَغَتۡ اِحۡدٰٮهُمَا عَلَى الۡاُخۡرٰى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِىۡ تَبۡغِىۡ حَتّٰى تَفِىۡٓءَ اِلٰٓى اَمۡرِ اللّٰهِ ۚ فَاِنۡ فَآءَتۡ فَاَصۡلِحُوۡا بَيۡنَهُمَا بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَاَقۡسِطُوۡا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الۡمُقۡسِطِيۡنَ
9. If two groups of believers fight each other, reconcile between them. But if one group aggresses against the other, fight the aggressing group until it complies with God’s command. Once it has complied, reconcile between them with justice, and be equitable. God loves the equitable.Instead of saying: When two factions of the believers fight mutually, it has been said: If two factions of the believers should fight. From these words, it follows that mutual fighting is not the character of the Muslims, nor should it be. It is not expected that being the believers they would fight mutually. However, if such a thing ever happens, the procedure that follows should be adopted. Moreover, the word taifah has been used for a group instead of firqah: the words taifah and firqah in Arabic are used for a small group and a large group respectively. This also shows that it is indeed a highly offensive state in the sight of Allah in which large groups of the Muslims cannot be expected to be involved.
The Muslims also should not allow the aggressor to continue his aggression and leave the victim alone, or, still worse, join hands with the aggressor. But their duty is that if all their efforts at reconciliation between the parties fail, they should find out as to who is in the right and who is the aggressor. Then they should join hands with the one who is in the right and fight the aggressor. As this fighting has been enjoined by Allah, it is obligatory and comes under jihad, it is not the fitnah (mischief) about which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: It is a situation in which the one standing is better than the one moving, and the one sitting is better than the one standing. For, that fitnah implies the mutual fighting of the Muslims in which the parties might be fighting out of bigotry, or for a false sense of honor and worldly possessions and neither may be having the truth on its side. As for the fight that is undertaken in support of the group who is in the right against the aggressor, it is not taking part in the fitnah but carrying out Allah’s command.
However it must be understood that the command to fight the aggressor does not necessarily mean that he should be fought with the weapons and killed, but it implies the use of force against him, the real object being the removal of his aggression. For this object whatever force is necessary should be used, and no more and no less force should be used than what is absolutely necessary.
For better understanding of this verse, please read the detailed explanation given in the exegesis of this verse in reference [2] given below.
10. The believers are brothers, so reconcile between your brothers, and remain conscious of God, so that you may receive mercy.Verse 10 establishes a universal brotherhood of all the Muslims of the world, and it is by virtue of this that the sort of fraternity that exists among the Muslims exists among the followers of no other religion and creed. On it was based the Prophet's Sermon at his last pilgrimage, and Islam cannot be completely realized until this ideal is achieved.
Verses 11-13 are about the etiquettes of moral behavior a Muslim should follow with respect to others:
11. O you who believe! No people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you slander one another, nor shall you insult one another with names. Evil is the return to wickedness after having attained faith. Whoever does not repent—these are the wrongdoers.Mutual ridicule ceases to be fun when there is arrogance or selfishness or malice behind it. We may laugh with people, to share in the happiness of life: but we must never laugh at people in contempt or ridicule. In many things they may be better than ourselves!
Defamation may consist in speaking ill of others by the spoken or written word. or in acting in such a way as to suggest a charge against some person whom we are not in a position to judge. A cutting, biting remark or taunt of sarcasm is included in the word lamaza. An offensive nickname may amount to defamation, but in any case there is no point using the offensive nicknames, or names that suggest some real or fancied defect. These ill accord with serious purpose which Muslims should have in life. For example, even if a man is lame, it is wrong to address him as "O lame one." it causes him pain for its is not his fault that he is lame. Even otherwise it is bad manners. Likewise calling a black man as O you black monster etcetera.
12. O you who believe! Avoid most suspicion—some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it. So remain mindful of God. God is Most Relenting, Most Merciful.Verse 12 has two portions: One is unduly suspicion and the other is spying. As for the first part, What is forbidden is not conjecture as such but excessive conjecture and following every kind of conjecture, and the reason given is that some conjectures are sins.
“Do not spy”: Do not grope after the secrets of the people: do not search for their defects and weaknesses: do not pry into their conditions and affairs. Whether this is done because of suspicion, or for causing harm to somebody with an evil intention, or for satisfying one’s own curiosity, it is forbidden by the Shariah in every case. It does not behoove a believer that he should spy on the hidden affairs of other people, and should try to peep at them from behind curtains to find out their defects and their weaknesses. This also includes reading other people’s private letters, listening secretly to private conversation, peeping into the neighbor's house, and trying to get information in different ways about the domestic life or private affairs of others. This is grave immorality which causes serious mischief in society. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said in an address about those who pry into other people’s affairs:
The thirteenth verse is one of the most famous in the Quran, and is understood by Muslim scholars to establish equality with regards to race and origin; only God can determine one's nobility based on his piety:
13. O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you races and tribes, that you may know one another. The best among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Allah is All-Knowing, Well-Experienced.In this verse the whole of mankind has been addressed to reform it of the great evil that has always been causing universal disruption in the world, that is, the prejudices due to race, color, language, country, and nationality. On account of these prejudices man in every age has generally been discarding humanity and drawing around himself some small circles and regarding those born within those circles as his own people and those outside them as others. These circles have been drawn on the basis of accidental birth and not on rational and moral grounds. In some cases their basis is the accident of being born in a particular family, tribe, or race, and in some particular geographical region, or in a nation having a particular color or speaking a particular language. Then the discrimination between one’s own people and others is not only confined to this that those who are looked upon as one’s own people are shown greater love and cooperation than others, but this discrimination has assumed the worst forms of hatred, enmity, contempt and tyranny. New philosophies have been propounded for it, new religions invented, new codes of law made and new moral principles framed; so much so that nations and empires have made this distinction a permanent way of life with them and practiced it for centuries. The Jews on this very basis regarded the children of Israel as the chosen people of God and even in the practice of their religious rites looked upon the non-Jews as inferior to the Jews in rights and rank. This very discrimination gave birth to class distinctions (varnashrama) among the Hindus according to which superiority of the Brahmins was established, all other human beings came to be regarded as inferior and unclean and the shudras cast into the depths of disgrace and degradation. Every person can see for himself even in this 20th century what atrocities have been committed against the colored people in Africa and America on account of the distinction between the white and the black. The treatment that the Europeans meted out to the Red Indian race in America and to the weak nations of Asia and Africa had the same concept underlying it. They thought that the rights and property and honor of all those who had been born outside the frontiers of their own land and nation were lawful for them and they had the right to plunder and take them as their slaves and exterminate them if need be. The worst examples of how the nationalism of the western nations has turned one nation against the others and made it their bloodthirsty enemy have been seen in the wars of the recent past and are being seen even in the present time. In particular, if what was manifested by the racism of the Nazi Germany and the concept of the superiority of the Nordic race in the last World War is kept in view. One can easily judge how stupendous and devastating is the error for whose reform this verse of the Quran was revealed.
In this brief verse, Allah has drawn the attention of all mankind to three cardinal truths:
- The origin of all of you is one and the same. Your whole species has sprung up from one man and one woman. All your races that are found in the world today are, in fact, the branches of one initial race that started with one mother and one father.
- In spite of being one in origin, it was natural that you should be divided into nations and tribes. Obviously, all the men on the earth could not belong to one and the same family.
- The only basis of superiority and excellence that there is, or can be, between man and man is that of moral excellence. As regards birth, all men are equal, for their Creator is One, their substance of creation is one, and their way of creation is one, and they are descended from the same parents.
"Thank God Who has removed from you the blemish of ignorance and its arrogance. O people, men are divided into classes: the pious and righteous, who are honorable in the sight of Allah, and the sinful and vicious, who are contemptible in the sight of Allah, whereas all men are the children of Adam and Adam had been created by Allah from clay." (Baihaqi, Tirmidhi).Verses 14-18 explain the difference between a real Believer and a Muslim
14. The Desert-Arabs say, “We have believed.” Say, “You have not believed; but say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered into your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish any of your deeds. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”This does not imply all the desert Arabs but only a few particular groups of the Bedouins who had become Muslims, seeing the increasing power of Islam, thinking that they would not only remain safe from any attack by the Muslims but would also gain materially from the Islamic conquests. These people had not embraced Islam sincerely but had professed faith only verbally in order to be counted among the Muslims, and their inner state became exposed whenever they would come before the Prophet (peace be upon him) with different sorts of demands and would enumerate and mention their rights as if they had done him a great favor by accepting Islam.
15. The believers are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then have not doubted, and strive for Allah’s cause with their wealth and their persons. These are the sincere. 16. Say, “Are you going to teach Allah about your religion, when Allah knows everything in the heavens and the earth, and Allah is aware of all things?”Verse 16: You say (or perhaps even think) that you are Muslims, but where are the fruits of your Faith? Allah knows the innermost motives and secrets of your heart, and cannot deceive Him by attaching a certain label to yourselves'. Alas! that this answer to the desert Arabs is true of so many others in our own times!
17. They regarded it a favor to you that they have submitted. Say, “Do not consider your submission a favor to me; it is Allah who has done you a favor by guiding you to the faith, if you are sincere.”Islam in itself is a precious privilege. By accepting it we confer no favour on reacher or on any community. If the acceptance is from the heart, it is a great favour done to those who accept, that the Light of Allah has entered their hearts and they have received guidance.
18. Allah knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is seeing of everything you do.This does not mean that we should seek petty motives in newcomers into the House of Islam. That would indeed be habouring suspicions or allowing curiosity to spy motives, which would be a crime under verse 12. We should be true, sincere, and devout ourselves, and leave the case of others to Allah, from Whose eyes nothing is hidden.
May Allah grant us wisdom and acumen to understand Allah's commandments in true letter and spirit as explained and elaborated by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) so that we should not go astray and remain united as one ummah.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt with English subtitles:
You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand).
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, the exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran are basically based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In addition the references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.
References from notes from The Holy Qur'an, as published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have also been used.
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