Verses 7–11
58. Al-Mujaadila · The Pleading Woman
Madinan22 verses
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَٰثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَآ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ ۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
58:7Have you not regarded that Allah knows whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth? There dost not takes place any secret talk among three, but He is their fourth [companion], nor among five but He is their sixth, nor when they are less than that or more but He is with them wherever they may be. Then He will inform them about what they have done on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah has knowledge of all things.1
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ نُهُوا۟ عَنِ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَيَتَنَٰجَوْنَ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِذَا جَآءُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ وَيَقُولُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَوْلَا يُعَذِّبُنَا ٱللَّهُ بِمَا نَقُولُ ۚ حَسْبُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ يَصْلَوْنَهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
58:8Have you not regarded those who were forbidden from secret talks but again resumed what they had been forbidden from, and hold secret talks [imbued] with sin and transgression and disobedience to the Apostle? And when they come to you they greet you with words with which Allah never greeted you, and they say to themselves, ‘Why does not Allah punish us for what we say?!’ Let hell suffice them: they shall enter it, and it is an evil destination!2
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا تَنَٰجَيْتُمْ فَلَا تَتَنَٰجَوْا۟ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ وَتَنَٰجَوْا۟ بِٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
58:9O you who have faith! When you converse secretly, do not hold private conversations [imbued] with sin and aggression and disobedience to the Apostle, but converse in [a spirit of] piety and Godfearing, and be wary of Allah toward whom you will be gathered.
إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ لِيَحْزُنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَلَيْسَ بِضَآرِّهِمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
58:10Indeed [malicious] secret talks are from Satan, that he may upset the faithful, but he cannot harm them in any way except by Allah’s leave, and in Allah let all the faithful put their trust.3
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ
58:11O you who have faith! When you are told, ‘Make room,’ in sittings, then do make room; Allah will make room for you. And when you are told, ‘Rise up!’ Do rise up. Allah will raise in rank those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge, and Allah is well aware of what you do.*
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 7
1.For hypocrites this was a strange and difficult stage that they had to remain among the Muslims to show that they are believers and they wanted to hide their secrets also from them. They found a way out of this by talking in secret. Allah in reply to this first gave the reference of His knowledge, that nothing is hidden from Us then after that taught good manners that keeping a sin a secret or excess and oppression on someone and element of opposition to the Prophet (s.a.) should not get mixed otherwise its result will be very bad and in the end pointed towards the subjects on which secret talks can be held and they are virtue and fear of God. Because it is not necessary that all virtues should be in general and taqwa is the fear of Allah in the heart and for that, show and announcement is not necessary at all.
Verse 11
2.The Muslims were eager to always be present in the company of Prophet (s.a.). So that they can make propaganda of their being so close to him and in this they were a great nuisance, so Allah admonished them that they must first of all give place to those who were coming to the Prophet (s.a.) and if the space is less they must get up from there and not feel bad about it. Because people of knowledge and belief in any case should get preference and they should get appropriate place in gatherings. They cannot be placed along with the people of low status and those who are ignorant. A knowledgeable person is a learned man while a person having no knowledge is an ignorant. Only coming and sitting in a gathering cannot qualify an ignorant one to be called a learned person. And a learned person who cannot remain present in the gathering cannot be called ignorant. Knowledge is the excellence of a man which keeps the person who has it with him, in exalted status and holds him in high esteem.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Regarding whispering and talking secretly the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Where three people gather two of them should not talk secretly as this would be disliked by the third one and he would fall into suspicion.
- 1
Three and five are mentioned by way of example whereas Allah is aware of every secret of the heart and it is not said one of three because this term is used for the belief of Christians and in this way they would get an excuse to support their stand.
- 2
The Jews used to harass the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) in various ways. Thus a person came, saluted and said: As saam Alaik. Instead of Salaam he said Saam, which means death. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) also instead of giving the full reply. said: wa alaik. And upon you too. Now if you have said Salam it is so and if you said something else, it shall be same with you. This was a best diplomacy of manner which is also called confronting with the same type and it is also compared to appropriate behaviour.
- 3
Though Najwa is every secret thing but actually it implies hatching of plots which used to be held among the Jews and hypocrites.
Benefit
In the 11th ayat the special mention of the people of knowledge indicates that nothing is higher than knowledge. Islam has considered scholars higher than martyrs and worshippers; and the intercession of scholars has been preferred to that of the martyrs.