Al-Hujurat: 12

Ayah

Word by Word

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا

O you who believe

ٱلَّذِينَ

O you who believe

ءَامَنُواْ

O you who believe

ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ

Avoid

كَثِيرٗا

much

مِّنَ

ٱلظَّنِّ

the assumption

إِنَّ

Indeed

بَعۡضَ

some

ٱلظَّنِّ

assumption

إِثۡمٞۖ

(is) sin

وَلَا

And (do) not

تَجَسَّسُواْ

spy

وَلَا

and (do) not

يَغۡتَب

backbite

بَّعۡضُكُم

some of you

بَعۡضًاۚ

(to) others

أَيُحِبُّ

Would like

أَحَدُكُمۡ

one of you

أَن

يَأۡكُلَ

eat

لَحۡمَ

(the) flesh

أَخِيهِ

(of) his brother

مَيۡتٗا

dead

فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ

Nay, you would hate it

وَٱتَّقُواْ

And fear Allah

ٱللَّهَۚ

And fear Allah

إِنَّ

indeed

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

تَوَّابٞ

(is) Oft-Returning

رَّحِيمٞ

Most Merciful

Translation

O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it... But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

Tafsir

The Prohibition of mocking and ridiculing One Another

Allah the Exalted forbids scoffing at people, which implies humiliating and belittling them. In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

الۡكِبۡرُ بَطَرُ الۡحَقِّ وَغَمۡصُ النَّاس

Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people.

And in another Version

غَمۡطُ النَّاس

And despising people,

It is forbidden to scoff at and belittle people, for the injured party could be more honored and dearer to Allah the Exalted than those who ridicule and belittle them.

This is why Allah the Exalted said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا يَسۡخَرۡ قَومٌ مِّن قَوۡمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُمۡ

وَلَا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُنَّ

O you who believe!

Let not a group scoff at another group; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former.

thus, stating this prohibition for men and then women.

The statement of Allah the Exalted,

وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمۡ

Nor defame yourselves,

forbids defaming each other. He among men who is a slanderer, and a backbiter, is cursed and condemned as Allah states

وَيۡلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ

Woe to every Humazah, Lumazah, (104:1)

Hamz is defamation by action, while Lamz is by words.

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّأءِ بِنَمِيمٍ

Hammaz (defaming), going about with slander. (68:11)

meaning, he belittles and defames people, transgressing and spreading slander among them, which is the Lamz that uses words as its tool.

Allah's statement here,

وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمۡ

(Nor defame yourselves), just as He said in another Ayah,

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُواۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡ

Nor kill yourselves, (4:29), meaning, nor kill one another.

Abdullah bin Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said that the Ayah,

وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمۡ

(Nor defame yourselves), means, none of you should defame each other,'

while,

...

وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَۡلۡقَابِ

(...nor insult one another by nicknames...) means, `you should not address people by nick names that people dislike.'

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Jabirah bin Ad-Dahhak said,

This Ayah was revealed about us, Banu Salamah;

وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَۡلۡقَابِ

(nor insult one another by nicknames), When the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, every man among us had two or three nicknames. When the Prophet called a man by one of these nicknames, people would say, `O Allah's Messenger! He hates that nickname.' Then this Ayah,

وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَۡلۡقَاب

(nor insult one another by nicknames) was revealed.

Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith.

The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored,

بِيۡسَ الاِسۡمُ الۡفُسُوقُ بَعۡدَ الاِۡيمَانِ

Evil is the name of wickedness after faith,

means, the names and descriptions of wickedness are evil; meaning, `to use the nicknames that were used by the people of Jahiliyyah, after you embraced Islam and understood it,'

وَمَن لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ

And whosoever does not repent,

means, from this sin,

فَأُوۡلَيِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

then such are indeed wrongdoers.

The Prohibition of Unfounded Suspicion

Allah the Exalted forbids His faithful servants from being suspicious, which includes having doubts and suspicions about the conduct of one's family, relatives and other people in general. Therefore, Muslims are to avoid suspicion without foundation.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ إِثۡمٌ

O you who believe!

Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is sin.

The Leader of the faithful Umar bin Al-Khattab said,

Never think ill of the word that comes out of your believing brother's mouth, as long as you can find a good excuse for it.

Malik recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah's Messenger said,

إِيَّاكُمۡ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكۡذَبُ الۡحَدِيثِ

وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا

وَلَا تَحَسَّسُوا

وَلَا تَنَافَسُوا

وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا

وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا

وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا

وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخۡوَانًا

Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales;

do not spy on one another;

do not look for other's faults;

do not be jealous of one another;

do not envy one another;

do not hate one another; and

do not desert (shun) one another.

And O Allah's servants! Be brothers!

The Two Sahihs and Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith.

Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا تَقَاطَعُوا

وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا

وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا

وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا

وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخۡوَانًا

وَلَا يَحِلُّ لِمُسۡلِمٍ أَنۡ يَهۡجُرَ أَخَاهُ فَوۡقَ ثَلَثَةِ أَيَّام

Do not shun each other;

do not ignore one another;

do not hate one another, and

do not envy one another,

and be brothers, O servants of Allah.

No Muslim is allowed to shun his brother for more than three days.

Muslim and At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith, who considered it Sahih.

Allah said,

وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا

And spy not, (on each other).

Tajassus, usually harbors ill intentions, and the spy is called a Jasus.

As for Tahassus (inquiring) it is usually done for a good reason.

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said that Prophet Ya`qub said,

يبَنِىَّ اذۡهَبُواۡ فَتَحَسَّسُواۡ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَايۡـَسُواۡ مِن رَّوۡحِ اللَّهِ

O my sons! Go you and inquire (Tahassasu) about Yusuf and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah's mercy. (12:87)

Both of these terms, `Tajassus' and `Tahassus' could have evil connotations.

In the Sahih it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَاا تَحَسَّسُوا

وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا

وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا

وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخۡوَانًا

Neither commit Tajassus nor Tahassus,

nor hate each other

nor commit Tadabur.

And be brothers, O servants of Allah.

Al-Awza`i said,

Tajassus means, to search for something, while

Tahassus means, listening to people when they are talking without their permission, or eavesdropping at their doors.

Tadabur refers to shunning each other.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement.

Allah the Exalted said about backbiting;

وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًا

neither backbite one another,

thus prohibiting it, which was explained in a Hadith collected by Abu Dawud that Abu Hurayrah said,

It was asked, `O Allah's Messenger! What is backbiting?'

He said,

ذِكۡرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكۡرَه

Mentioning about your brother in a manner that he dislikes.

He was asked, `What if my brother was as I mentioned?'

He said,

إِنۡ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغۡتَبۡتَهُ وَإِنۡ لَمۡ يَكُنۡ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدۡ بَهَتَّه

If he was as you mentioned, you will have committed backbiting. But if he was not as you say about him, you will have falsely accused him.

At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said Hasan Sahih.

Backbiting was sternly warned against, and this is why Allah the Exalted and Most Blessed compared it to eating the flesh of a dead human being,

أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن يَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتًا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُ

Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother You would hate it.

Just as you hate eating the flesh of a dead person, on account of your nature; so hate backbiting, on account of your religion. The latter carries a punishment that is worse than the former. This Ayah seeks to discourage people from backbiting and warns against it.

The Prophet used these words to discourage taking back a gift that one gives to someone,

كَالۡكَلۡبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَرۡجِعُ فِي قَيۡيِه

He is just like the dog that eats its vomit.

after saying,

لَيۡسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوۡء

Ours is not an evil parable.

Using various chains of narration, the Sahihs and Musnads record that the Prophet said during the Farewell Hajj:

إِنَّ دِمَاءَكُمۡ وَأَمۡوَالَكُمۡ وَأَعۡرَاضَكُمۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حَرَامٌ كَحُرۡمَةِ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هذَا فِي شَهۡرِكُمۡ هذَا فِي بَلَدِكُمۡ هذَا

Verily, your blood, wealth and honor are as sacred among you as the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this town of yours.

Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

كُلُّ الۡمُسۡلِمِ عَلَى الۡمُسۡلِمِ حَرَامٌ مَالُهُ وَعِرۡضُهُ وَدَمُهُ حَسۡبُ امۡرِىءٍ مِنَ الشَّرِّ أَنۡ يَحۡقِرَ أَخَاهُ الۡمُسۡلِم

All of the Muslim is sacred to the Muslim, his wealth, honor and his blood. It is evil enough for someone to belittle his Muslim brother.

At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said Hasan Gharib.

Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la recorded that a cousin of Abu Hurayrah said,

Ma`iz came to the Messenger of Allah and said, `O Allah's Messenger! I have committed adultery,' and the Messenger turned away from him until Ma`iz repeated his statement four times. The fifth time, the Prophet asked him,

زَنَيۡتَ

Have you committed adultery?

Ma`iz said, Yes.

The Prophet asked,

وَتَدۡرِي مَا الزِّنَا

Do you know what adultery means?

Ma`iz said, `Yes. I have illegally done with her what a husband legally does with his wife.'

The Prophet said,

مَا تُرِيدُ إِلَى هذَا الۡقَوۡلِ

What do you seek to accomplish by this statement?

Ma`iz said, `I intend that you purify me.'

The Prophet asked,

أَدۡخَلۡتَ ذلِكَ مِنۡكَ فِي ذلِكَ مِنۡهَا كَمَا يَغِيبُ الۡمِيلُ فِي الۡمُكۡحُلَةِ وَالرِّشَا فِي الۡبِيۡرِ

Have you gone into her just as the stick goes into the kohl container and the rope goes into the well?

Ma`iz said, `Yes, O Allah's Messenger!'

The Prophet commanded that Ma`iz be stoned to death and his order was carried out.

The Prophet heard two men saying to one another, `Have you not seen the man who had Allah cover his secret, but his heart could not let him rest until he was stoned to death, just as the dog is stoned.'

The Prophet continued on and when he passed by the corpse of a donkey, he asked,

أَيۡنَ فُلَنٌ وَفُلَنٌ انۡزِلَا فَكُلَ مِنۡ جِيفَةِ هذَا الۡحِمَار

Where are so-and-so? Dismount and eat from this donkey.

They said, `May Allah forgive you, O Allah's Messenger! Would anyone eat this meat?'

The Prophet said;

فَمَا نِلۡتُمَا مِنۡ أَخِيكُمَا انِفًا أَشَدُّ أَكۡلً مِنۡهُ وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهُ الاۡنَ لَفِي أَنۡهَارِ الۡجَنَّةِ يَنۡغَمِسُ فِيهَا

The backbiting you committed against your brother is worse as a meal than this meal. By He in Whose Hand is my soul! He is now swimming in the rivers of Paradise.

This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, We were with the Messenger of Allah when a rotten odor was carried by the wind. The Messenger of Allah said,

أَتَدۡرُونَ مَا هذِهِ الرِّيحُ هَذِهِ رِيحُ الَّذِينَ يَغۡتَابُونَ النَّاس

Do you know what this odor is? It is the odor of those who backbite people.

Accepted Repentance from Backbiting and Slander

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّه

And have Taqwa of Allah,

that is, regarding what He has commanded you and forbidden for you. Fear Him and beware of Him,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.

He forgives those who repent to Him, is merciful with those who go back to Him and trust in Him.

The majority of scholars have stated that repentance for committing the sin of backbiting is that one refrains from backbiting intending not to repeat it again. There is a difference of opinion if whether feeling remorse is required in this case, and also if one should apologize to those who he has backbitten.

Some scholars stated that it is not necessary for one to ask those whom he has backbitten to forgive him, because if they knew what was said about them, they could be hurt more than if they were not told about it. It is better, they said, that one should praise those whom he has backbitten in audiences in which he has committed the act. It is also better if one defends the injured party against any further backbiting, as much as one can, as recompense for his earlier backbiting.

All of Mankind are the Children of `Adam and Hawwa'

Allah the Exalted declares to mankind that He has created them all from a single person, Adam, and from that person He created his mate, Hawwa. From their offspring He made nations, comprised of tribe, which include sub tribes of all sizes.

It was also said that `nations refers to non-Arabs, while `tribes refers to Arabs.

Various statements about this were collected in an individual introduction from the book, Al-Inbah, by Abu Amr Ibn Abdul-Barr, and from the book, Al-Qasad wal-Amam fi Ma`rifah Ansab Al-Arab wal-`Ajam. Therefore, all people are the descendants of Adam and Hawwa' and share this honor equally.

The only difference between them is in the religion that revolves around their obedience to Allah the Exalted and their following of His Messenger.

After He forbade backbiting and belittling other people, alerting mankind that they are all equal in their humanity.

Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلۡنَاكُمۡ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَايِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا

O mankind!

We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another.

so that they get to know each other by their nation or tribe.

Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

لِتَعَارَفُوا

(that you may know one another), refers to one's saying,

So-and-so the son of so-and-so, from the tribe of so-and-so.

Sufyan Ath-Thawri said,

The Himyar (who resided in Yemen) dealt with each other according to their provinces, while the Arabs in the Hijaz (Western Arabia) dealt with each other according to their tribes.

Honor is earned through Taqwa of Allah

Allah the Exalted said,

إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتۡقَاكُمۡ

Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa.

meaning, `you earn honor with Allah the Exalted on account of Taqwa, not family lineage.'

There are many Hadiths from the Prophet that support this meaning.

Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said,

Some people asked the Prophet, `Who is the most honorable among people?'

He replied,

أَكۡرَمُهُمۡ عِنۡدَ اللهِ أَتۡقَاهُم

The most honorable among them with Allah is the one who has the most Taqwa.

They said, `We did not ask you about this.'

He said,

فَأَكۡرَمُ النَّاسِ يُوسُفُ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ابۡنُ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ابۡنِ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ابۡنِ خَلِيلِ الله

Then the most honorable person is Yusuf, Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Khalil.

They said, `We did not ask you about this.'

He said,

فَعَنۡ مَعَادِنِ الۡعَرَبِ تَسۡأَلُونِّي

Then you want to ask me about the Arab lineage?

They said, `Yes.'

He said,

فَخِيَارُكُمۡ فِي الۡجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُكُمۡ فِي الاِۡسۡلَمِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا

Those among you who were best in Jahiliyyah, are the best among you in Islam, if they attain religious understanding.

Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith in several places of his Sahih, An-Nasa'i did as well in the Tafsir section of his Sunan.

Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَنۡظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمۡ وَأَمۡوَالِكُمۡ وَلكِنۡ يَنۡظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَأَعۡمَالِكُم

Verily, Allah does not look at your shapes or wealth, but he looks at your hearts and actions.

Ibn Majah also collected this Hadith.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abdullah bin Umar said,

On the day Makkah was conquered, the Messenger of Allah performed Tawaf around the Ka`bah while riding his camel, Al-Qaswa', and was touching the corners with a stick he had in his hand. He did not find a place in the Masjid where his camel could sit and had to dismount on men's hands. He led his camel to the bottom of the valley, where he had her sit down. The Messenger of Allah later gave a speech while riding Al-Qaswa' and said, after thanking Allah the Exalted and praising Him as He should be praised,

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدۡ أَذۡهَبَ عَنۡكُمۡ عُبِّيَّةَ الۡجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَتَعَظُّمَهَا بِأبَايِهَا فَالنَّاسُ رَجُلَانِ رَجُلٌ بَرٌّ تَقِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى وَرَجُلٌ فَاجِرٌ شَقِيٌّ هَيِّنٌ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ

O people!

Allah the Exalted has removed from you the slogans of Jahiliyyah and its tradition of honoring forefathers.

Men are of two types, a man who is righteous, fearful of Allah and honorable to Allah, or a man who is vicious, miserable and little to Allah the Exalted.

Verily, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتۡقَاكُمۡ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

(O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.)

The Prophet said,

أَقُولُ قَوۡلِي هذَا وَأَسۡتَغۡفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم

I say this and invoke Allah for forgiveness for me and for you.

This was recorded by `Abd bin Humayd.

Allah the Exalted said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

means, `He is All-Knowing of you and All-Aware of all of your affairs.'

Allah guides whom He wills, misguides whom He wills, grants mercy to whom He wills, torments whom He wills, elevates whom He wills above whom He wills. He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware in all this.

Several scholars relied on this honorable Ayah and the honorable Hadiths we mentioned as evidence that compatibility in marriage is not a condition of marriage contracts. They said that the only condition required in this regard is the adherence to the religion, as in the statement of Allah, the Exalted,

إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتۡقَاكُمۡ

(Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one with the most Taqwa).

Al-Hujurat: 12

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