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EXCERPTS FROM SURAH

AL‑HUJORAAT (Surah 49) 

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ

وَلا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ

    وَلا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ   بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الإيمَانِ

 وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ

وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا

 أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The believers are surely brothers; so make peace

among your brothers, and fear (the wrath of) Allah

so you may be blessed with mercy.

O you who believe, let not a (group of) people make fun of others who perhaps may be better than they,

nor let (some) women make fun of other women who may be better than they;

nor slander one another, nor give offensive names to one another.

After believing, it is detestable to give a bad name (to another).

Verily, those who do not repent are in the wrong.

O you who believe, avoid much suspicion; for surely

suspicion in some cases is a sin.

Do not spy and do not backbite.

Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his deceased brother?

Nay, you would abhor it.

Then fear Allah.  Verily, Allah is Oft-returning (in mercy),

and most merciful.

 AYAH: 10‑12

 

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 إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ   وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

The believers are surely brothers; so make peace among your brothers, and fear (the wrath of) Allah so you may be blessed with mercy.

 

    The believers are like brothers, and it is a single brotherhood.  Believers of whatever color, race, nationality, or sex, are invited together into a brotherhood of piety, righteousness, decency, and purity.  Theirs is a brotherhood of understanding and unity.  Theirs is a union essential for the welfare of society, since a society without integrity and righteousness is likely to suffer.

Ø The brotherhood of the Allah-loving and Allah-fearing believers transcends race, color, nationality and language.  Each society has to have such element, and each community must have this vital element.

Ø If believers are like brothers but some of them disagree or differ, other believers are commanded to intervene and try to reconcile the differences between them.  This is a duty to be observed so that a spirit of love, understanding, and friendship is to prevail.

Ø Allah also reminds the believers the principles laid out for them by Islam.  They are to do their share of work so Allah's mercy and blessings be with them.

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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ

O' you who believe, let not a (group of) people make fun of others who perhaps may be better than they,

 

    Islam calls for a righteous peaceful society.  Such a society is directed by the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  But to ascend to such a high level certain Guidelines must be observed, the rights and dignity of man are to be protected.

    The Quran prohibits people from scorning others or slighting them, since people who are slighted may be better or superior in the eyes of Allah than those who have slighted them.  There are numerous examples to be given.  Take for instance a rich man slighting the poor, a man of importance slighting a meek one, an intelligent person slighting the less gifted, and the beautiful slighting the unattractive, and the healthy young slighting the sick and old. 

    In an indirect way, the Quran says to watch your tongue, control yourselves, be respectful of others, and to regard others on equal footing with yourselves.

 

 وَلا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ go to top of page  

nor let (some) women make fun of other women who may be better than they;

 

    Slighting others and scorning them applies to all mankind.  The same rule applies to both male and female, and the reasons are the same as those cited above.

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وَلا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الإيمَانِ

nor slander one another, nor give offensive names to one another. After believing, it is detestable to give a bad name (to another).

 

    Slighting people is bad but defaming is worse.  Neither is constructive, and may prove to be destructive to individuals as well as the community.

Ø Defaming will:

  1. bring about the negative and bad, and will damage the reputation of others,

  2. undermine the confidence of people in the victim.

  3. hurt someone who minds his own business, who maybe very innocent.

  4. also waste time and may lead to retaliation.

Ø The same applies to insulting others by name-calling.  Name-calling will hurt other people's feelings and may produce animosity and retaliation.  It is a negative practice, and a believer shuns such practices.

Ø This Ayah continues that such practices are detestable in Allah's eyes, especially if it is by a person who has embraced the good faith, Islam.  The faith of Islam calls for righteousness not only to improve individuals but also society, and these traits are bad and to be avoided.

 

 وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ go to top of page  

Verily, those who do not repent are in the wrong.

 

    Islam wants a feeling of trust and goodness to prevail, a feeling of brotherhood and cooperation to predominate.  But if people pay no attention to its warnings and prohibitions, they will retrogress to the darkness of ignorance, away from Islam.

    The doors will remain open for those who reconsider and repent.  Those who repent will find forgiveness and understanding.  On the other hand, if people continue to indulge in slighting others, defaming, and name-calling, they will have become like the disbelievers.  They will be the bad and destructive force, the element contrary to the good which Islam calls for.

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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ

O' you who believe, avoid much suspicion; for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin.

 

    Allah (swt) prohibits suspicion too, since suspicion may prove to be a serious misdeed, something that can be destructive too.  Suspicion is often based on wrong assumptions, and may result in counteractions.  Suspicion may be baseless, and the innocent victim may suffer unfairly. Islam teaches people to cleanse their character and their conscience, to respect other people's rights, and encourage others to do likewise.

    Though the Ayah acknowledges that only some of our suspicions are malicious, in an indirect way it urges mankind to have trust and good faith in others.

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وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا

أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ

Do not spy and do not backbite.

Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his deceased brother?  Nay, you would abhor it.

 

    Islam deals with the rights of others in justice and sets the guidelines for dealing in good faith, trust, friendliness, respect, and dignity.

    "And spy not on each other," it says, since spying brings hurt and ill-will to some people.  It can lead to false accusations, suspicions, and damage to the good standing and reputation of the victim.  Someone will be hurt, and someone's rights will be trespassed, and his well-being suffers.

    Allah also does not like back biting, i.e., gossiping, which is equated with eating the "flesh of your dead brother."

Ø To emphasize the importance of the points mentioned Allah (swt) brings to mind a hypothetical scene.  He asks:  will anyone like to eat the flesh of his deceased brother?  Doesn't that turn your stomach?  Doesn't the thought of it fill you with disgust?  This example is of the same nature as spying, ridiculing, name-calling, suspicion, gossiping, and defaming.

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وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Then fear Allah.  Verily, Allah is Oft-returning (in mercy), and Lord of Grace.

 

    By keeping their duty to Allah people will automatically avoid the prohibitions mentioned above.  Allah brings the people to their senses by saying "hold to Islam and the love of Allah, and you will prosper.

    This is followed by a reminder and an emphasis:  that Allah is and will always be the One who pardons and He is the most merciful.  Therefore, a man who has sinned or committed vices should not despair of Allah's Mercy and should always ask His forgiveness, since Allah is the most forgiving.

 

This selection in brief: 

  1. The believers are a single brotherhood, each feels comfortable in the presence of other believers.

  2. If one believer or a group of believers fight others, the discord should be solved as soon as possible by others.

  3. Believers are to avoid slighting others, be they men or women.

  4. Believers are to avoid defaming others, calling them offensive names or insulting them.

  5. Believers are to avoid suspicion.

  6. Believers are to avoid spying on others, or back-biting others, since this is a detestable thing.

  7. When such injunctions are observed, peace in the society is the result, and the society will prosper.

  8. Allah reminds people to observe the above, to keep their duty to Him, to try their best, yet He also reminds them that He is forgiving and merciful.


  MEANING OF WORDS    go to top of page

surely

إِنَّمَا

the believers 

الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

as brothers

إِخْوَةٌ

so make peace 

فَأَصْلِحُوا

among 

بَيْنَ

your brothers 

أَخَوَيْكُمْ

and fear (heed)

وَاتَّقُوا

Allah

اللَّهَ

so you may 

لَعَلَّكُمْ

receive mercy 

تُرْحَمُونَ

O' you who believe 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا

let you not 

لا

make fun of 

يَسْخَرْ

a (group of) people 

قَومٌ

other people

مِّن قَوْمٍ

who perhaps may be

عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا

better than they

خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ

nor let 

وَلا

(some) women

نِسَاء

of other women

مِّن نِّسَاء

who may be

عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ

better 

خَيْرًا

than they are

مِّنْهُنَّ

nor 

وَلا

slander 

تَلْمِزُوا

one another

أَنفُسَكُمْ

nor 

وَلا

give (insult each other)

تَنَابَزُوا

(offensive names)

بِالألْقَابِ

detestable

بِئْسَ

(bad name)

الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ

after having

بَعْدَ

embraced the Faith 

الإيمَانِ

verily those 

وَمَن

who do not repent 

لَّمْ يَتُبْ

surely they are

فَأُوْلَئِكَ

in the wrong

هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

O you who believe

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا

avoid

اجْتَنِبُوا

much of 

كَثِيراً مِّنَ

suspicion 

الظَّنِّ

for in some cases 

إِنَّ بَعْضَ

suspicion  

الظَّنِّ

sin

إِثْمٌ

do not spy

وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا

nor back‑bite

وَلا يَغْتَب

one another 

بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا

would you like 

أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ

to eat 

أَن يَأْكُلَ

the flesh of

لَحْمَ

his brother

أَخِيهِ

deceased 

مَيْتًا

nay, you would abhor it

فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ

then fear (heed) 

وَاتَّقُوا

Allah

اللَّهَ

Allah is 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ

Oft-returning 

تَوَّابٌ

Lord of Grace

رَّحِيمٌ