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Ayah
Word by Word
إِنَّمَا
Only
ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ
the secret counsels
مِنَ
(are) from
ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ
the Shaitaan
لِيَحۡزُنَ
that he may grieve
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
وَلَيۡسَ
but not
بِضَآرِّهِمۡ
he (can) harm them
شَيۡـًٔا
(in) anything
إِلَّا
except
بِإِذۡنِ
by (Allah's) permission
ٱللَّهِۚ
(by) Allah's (permission)
وَعَلَى
And upon
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ
let put (their) trust
ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ
the believers
إِنَّمَا
Only
ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ
the secret counsels
مِنَ
(are) from
ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ
the Shaitaan
لِيَحۡزُنَ
that he may grieve
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
وَلَيۡسَ
but not
بِضَآرِّهِمۡ
he (can) harm them
شَيۡـًٔا
(in) anything
إِلَّا
except
بِإِذۡنِ
by (Allah's) permission
ٱللَّهِۚ
(by) Allah's (permission)
وَعَلَى
And upon
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ
let put (their) trust
ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ
the believers
Translation
Private conversation is only from Satan that he may grieve those who have believed,1 but he will not harm them at all except by permission of Allāh. And upon Allāh let the believers rely.
Footnotes
1 - The reference may be to the sinful type of conversation, as mentioned in the previous verses, or to the practice of two persons speaking in confidence in the presence of a third, which might lead him to assume that he is the subject of their conversation. Such behavior was prohibited by the Prophet (ﷺ) in narrations of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
Tafsir
Secret conversations, [tainted] with sin and the like, are of [the work of] Satan, [a result] of his deception, that those who believe may end up grieving; but he cannot harm them in any way, except God's leave, that is, [except by] His will. And in God let the believers put [all] their trust.
The Evil of the Jews
Ibn Abi Najih reported from Mujahid,
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نُهُوا عَنِ النَّجْوَى ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ
Have you not seen those who were forbidden to hold secret counsels, and afterwards returned to that which they had been forbidden,
He said, The Jews.
Similar was said by Muqatil bin Hayyan, who added,
The Prophet had a peace treaty with the Jews. When one of the Prophet's Companions would pass by a gathering of Jews, they would speak among themselves in secret, prompting the believer to think that they were plotting to kill or harm him. When the believer ﷺ this, he feared for his safety and changed the route he was taking. The Prophet advised them to abandon their evil secret talks, but they did not listen and kept on holding the Najwa. Allah the Exalted sent down this Ayah in their case,
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نُهُوا عَنِ النَّجْوَى ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ
Have you not seen those who were forbidden to hold secret counsels, and afterwards returned to that which they had been forbidden.
Allah's statement,
وَيَتَنَاجَوْنَ بِالاِْثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ الرَّسُولِ
and conspired together for sin and wrongdoing and disobedience to the Messenger.
means, they used to talk to each other,
بِالاْاِثْمِ
for sin, which involves themselves,
وَالْعُدْوَانِ
and wrongdoing, which effects others. They speak about disobedience and defying of the Messenger, with persistence and recommending each other to follow their way,
وَإِذَا جَاوُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ اللَّهُ
And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not,
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that A'ishah said,
Some Jews came to the Prophet and greeted him by saying, `As-Sam Alayka, O Abul-Qasim.'
So I said to them, `wa `Alaykum As-Sam (the same death be upon you).'
The Prophet said,
يَا عَايِشَةُ إِنَّ اللهَ لَاا يُحِبُّ الْفُحْشَ وَلَاا التَّفَحُّش
O A'ishah, Allah does not like rudeness and foul speech.
I said, `Didn't you hear them say, `As-Sam Alayka'
He said,
أَوَ مَا سَمِعْتِ أَقُولُ وَعَلَيْكُم
Didn't you hear me answering them back by saying, `Wa `Alaykum (And the same upon you)'
Allah the Exalted then sent down this Ayah,
وَإِذَا جَاوُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ اللَّهُ
And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not,
The narration collected in the Sahih states that A'ishah said,
And be upon you the death, disgrace and curse.
The Messenger of Allah said to her,
إِنَّهُ يُسْتَجَابُ لَنَا فِيهِمْ وَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ فِينَا
Allah accepts our supplication against them, but not theirs against us.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Anas bin Malik said,
A Jew passed by Allah's Messenger, who was sitting with his Companions, he greeted them and they greeted him back. Allah's Messenger then said to his Companions,
هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا قَالَ
Do you know what he just said?
They said, `He said:As-Salam, O Allah's Messenger.'
The Prophet said,
بَلْ قَالَ سَامٌ عَلَيْكُم
Rather he said, Sam `Alaykum. (meaning, `may you disgrace your religion')
Allah's Messenger then said,
رُدُّوه
Bring him back,
and when he was brought back, the Prophet asked him,
أَقُلْتَ سَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
Did you say:Sam `Alaykum?
He said, `Yes.'
The Prophet then said,
إِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَقُولُوا عَلَيْك
When the people of the Book greet you, say, `Wa `Alaykum' (meaning, `and the same on you too).
The basis for the Hadith of Anas is in the Sahih and similar to this Hadith of A'ishah is in the Sahih.
Allah said,
وَيَقُولُونَ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ لَوْلَا يُعَذِّبُنَا اللَّهُ بِمَا نَقُولُ
and say within themselves:Why should Allah punish us not for what we say
means, the Jews say these words, changing the meaning of the Islamic greeting, into an abusive statement, and then say, `Had he been a Prophet, Allah would have punished us for what we said. Allah knows what we conceal. Therefore, if Muhammad were a Prophet, Allah would have sent His punishment on us sooner, in this life.'
Allah the Exalted replied,
حَسْبُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ
Hell will be sufficient for them;
Hell should be sufficient for them in the Hereafter,
يَصْلَوْنَهَا فَبِيْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
they will enter therein. And worst indeed is that destination!
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin `Amr said,
the Jews used to say, Sam `Alayka, to Allah's Messenger. They would say then within themselves, Why does Allah not punish us for what we say This Ayah was later revealed,
وَإِذَا جَاوُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ اللَّهُ
وَيَقُولُونَ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ لَوْلَا يُعَذِّبُنَا اللَّهُ بِمَا نَقُولُ
حَسْبُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ يَصْلَوْنَهَا فَبِيْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not, and say within themselves:Why should Allah punish us not for what we say Hell will be sufficient for them; they will enter therein. And worst indeed is that destination!
Its chain of narration is Hasan, but they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not collect it.
Manners of the Najwa, (Secret Counsel)
Allah the Exalted teaches His believing servants to avoid the ways of the disbelievers and hypocrites
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِذَا تَنَاجَيْتُمْ فَلَا تَتَنَاجَوْا بِالاْاِثْمِ
وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ الرَّسُولِ
O you who believe!
When you hold secret counsel, do it not for sin and wrongdoing, and disobedience to the Messenger,
meaning, do not hold evil secret counsels like the ignorant disbelieving People of the Scriptures and their allies among the hypocrites, who imitate their ways,
وَتَنَاجَوْا بِالْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
but do it for Al-Birr and Taqwa; and have Taqwa of Allah unto Whom you shall be gathered.
and He will then inform you of all your deeds and statements; He has counted and recorded them and will justly hold you accountable for them.
Allah the Exalted said,
إِنَّمَا النَّجْوَى مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لِيَحْزُنَ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا
وَلَيْسَ بِضَارِّهِمْ شَيْيًا إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُوْمِنُونَ
An-Najwa are only from the Shaytan, in order that he may cause grief to the believers. But he cannot harm them in the least, except as Allah permits. And in Allah let the believers put their trust.
Allah states that secret talks, where the believers feel anxious, are
مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لِيَحْزُنَ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا
(only from Shaytan, in order that he may cause grief to the believers).
meaning, that those who hold such counsels do so because of the lures of the devil,
لِيَحْزُنَ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا
(in order that he may cause grief to the believers).
The devil seeks to bother the believers, even though his plots will not harm the believers, except if Allah wills it.
Those who are the subject of evil Najwa, should seek refuge in Allah and put his trust in Him, for none of it will harm them, Allah willing. The Sunnah also forbids the Najwa so that no Muslim is bothered by it.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَثَةً فَلَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ يُحْزِنُه
If you were three, then two of you should not hold a secret counsel in the presence of the third person, because that would cause him to be worried.
This Hadith is collected in the Two Sahihs using a chain of narration that contained Al-A`mash.
Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Abdullah bin Umar said that Allah's Messenger said,
إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَثَةً فَلَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ الثَّالِثِ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ يُحْزِنُه
If you were three, then two of you should not hold a secret counsel in the presence of the third person, except with his permission, because that would cause him to be worried.
Muslim collected this Hadith.
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