Reflections on Surah Al-Hujurat - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Reflections on Surah Al-Hujurat

In the name of Allah, we praise Him, we ask for His help, and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide him.

And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, and pure of heart, of His creation, and His friend. Allah has sent him to all people as a bearer of good news and a warner.

And he conveyed the message, and fulfilled the trust, and advised the ummah. And he left us on the white pilgrimage, its night is like its day, nothing escapes it except destruction. And peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and upon his family and his companions. And whoever is guided by his guidance, and follows his Sunnah, and calls for his call to the Day of Recompense.

Today I want to reflect over Surah 49 — Surah Al-Hujurat.

The ulama say that this surah, Surah Al-Hujurat, it really encompasses all you need to know as it relates to how you should be behaving with others, and more importantly how you should be behaving with Allah, His Prophet, and then mankind. And we as an ummah, as a community, can never underestimate the importance of manners, and how we behave towards each other. And there are certain characteristics that we have to avoid and get rid of, and others that we must embody.

And if we do this, the life that we live in this dunya will be much better — your family life will be much better, your work life will be much better, your relationships will be much better — and more importantly, it is among the ways that Allah allows you into Jannah and Paradise.

The Prophet ﷺ said there are two things that will be the reason for people entering Jannah the most — two things that will be the reason that most people will enter into Paradise and be forgiven:

Being someone that is mindful of Allah, and having the best character possible.
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 2004)

And those two are connected. And in this surah you will see that often Allah, as He is teaching us about the manners — the things we should do and the things we shouldn't do, and how we should behave, and how we should view each other and see each other — often Allah is reminding us of taqwa, being mindful of Allah Almighty. Because when you are mindful of Allah, your behavior changes. How you speak changes.

This is why it is important that we become from the muttaqeen — may Allah make us among those. Ameen.

The First Āyah: Following Allah and His Messenger

I'm not going to do the tafsir of the whole surah, but reflect on certain ayat in this chapter. Allah started the surah by telling us — and the sahabah used to say, whenever Allah addresses the believers, pay attention. Allah is talking to you. Allah Almighty, your Creator, is talking to you, and me, and all of us.

"O you who believe, do not precede any matter — do not supersede anything as it relates to Allah and His Messenger. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is the All-Hearing and the All-Knowing."

Here you learn something very important. It is not about your opinion and your views. You are a servant to Allah; you live life the way Allah wants you to live. What Allah decrees, what Allah says is good, what Allah says is moral, what Allah says is halal — that's what we do. We follow and we allow the revelation to lead us. We allow the Prophet's message and Sunnah to lead us, and we walk behind it.

And that is our salvation. We don't walk in front of it; we do not question it; we do not doubt it. And if you do that — if you understand that small fact — that in the end of the day I am here to serve Allah, to serve His Messenger, to serve Allah's creation, and to be the best servant possible, and you allow the wahy and the revelation to lead you, it will lead you to Jannah.

Be the husband that Allah wants you to be, the wife that Allah wants you to be, the neighbour that Allah wants you to be, the co-worker that Allah wants you to be, the parent that Allah wants you to be, the man and the woman and the child that Allah wants you to be. That is how we find salvation.

The Position of the Prophet ﷺ

Then Allah reminds us about the virtue and the position and the importance of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whom we love more than anyone else. When his name is mentioned, we all say صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. Who we name our children after. Who is the person among all else we follow, hear and obey.

"Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet."

This was a command for the companions. Because the companions are being reminded by Allah of the position of the Prophet ﷺ. And there is wisdom in that. Because among the companions were men that were older than the Prophet. Among the companions were his own uncles — like a parent to them — such as Abbas and Hamza. So Allah is reminding us that the position of the Prophet ﷺ supersedes age or anything else. He is the Prophet. That's why it wasn't difficult for Hamza and Abbas to humble themselves in front of their nephew. Because of the position Allah gave him. He is Rasulullah ﷺ.

Now this is something that we often see can happen when there is a younger person. And I'm addressing the elders among our community — mothers and fathers. When there is a younger person that you knew when he was growing up, it is sometimes difficult to view them other than how you remember them — a child. But then you see the child growing up, and if they apply themselves and they learn their religion, all of a sudden, mashallah, they are delivering the sermon, or they are teaching the Quran, or they are giving the lecture. And then they are reminding you. And a lot of times it is the uncles and the aunties and the grandmothers: "You are going to tell me what's right and what's wrong? Am I going to listen to you? I used to — I raised you. I remember when you learned how to walk." This is the attitude that we give.

And sometimes, fair enough, there is some truth to that. But we must remember to respect the knowledge that the people of knowledge carry, even if they are younger. Because they carry the message, the wahy and the revelation. And if Allah vested that ilm and that knowledge and that Quran among people that are younger, then they deserve that respect.

Hence why the salah will be led by the most knowledgeable person — not the eldest person. Yes, when they are equal in knowledge, then the eldest — the Prophet ﷺ said that. But the first thing is the knowledge. We respect that.

And the immense, immense respect that the companions had for the Prophet ﷺ is because he is Rasulullah ﷺ. And the immense, immense respect we have for his companions is because they are the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ. And the immense, immense respect we have for ulama is because they are carrying the knowledge of Rasulullah ﷺ. And that is something that we always have to keep in mind, my dear brothers and sisters.

Verify Before You Act

Then Allah addresses us as believers again: if someone brings you news — a corrupt person tells you something — verify before you act, lest you harm someone, lest you overreact. Verify.

And this is very important because too often we have two problems in our communities. One is people spreading statements and things — this happened to this person, this happened to that person — things that you're not meant to be doing in the first place, causing corruption and anger within the community, between family members, between spouses, between co-workers, unnecessarily. But then Allah is telling us, if someone brings you news — such and such said this about you, this person said this about you — don't immediately take it to heart. Protect your heart from that.

There is a narration where the Prophet ﷺ said to his companions: "Do not tell me what others are saying about me, because I want to come out to you سَلِيمَ الصَّدْر — with a clean heart."

There are many lessons we learn from this. One — don't be the person that is telling people everything and anything. If someone brings you news, verify before you act. Because the last thing you want is to oppress another. You want to protect your heart from all these ill feelings — jealousy, hatred, anger. You want to protect your heart. But you also want to protect others from yourself, because you will oppress them. You will say something about them: "Oh, he said that about me? Well guess what, he did this and he did that." And this is going to destroy your deen.

It's gotten so bad now, especially on social media. People are writing articles about something that they have no knowledge over. Assumptions over assumptions. Suspicions over suspicions. It is such a corrupted thing, and this surah is protecting us from that. Verify.

The Believers Are Brothers

Then Allah talks about another important fact. Why is it that we should ensure that we don't have ill feelings towards each other? Why is it important that we do not speak ill of each other? Why is it important that not everything you are told you should believe immediately? Because we are brothers:

We are brothers. This is such an important ayah. What binds us is not blood — what binds us is belief, faith. The believers from all the way on the other side of the world are just as close to you, just as beloved to you — at least it should be — just as important to you as the one that is living in your home or the one whom your mother gave birth to. This is what it means. The essence of Islam — that's what it means.

And that's what happened with the companions. Through the tutelage of the Prophet ﷺ, they understood that fact. When the refugees from Mecca — the Muhajirun — fled Mecca because of the oppression and came to a different city where they were strangers, the Ansar gave them so much love that they became actual brothers. And this is the example we have to follow.

That means, I want you to remember the people next to you — those that are praying next to you, those that are in your neighborhood — everyone that says لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّه is your brother and he has rights over you, and she is your sister and she has rights over you. And if we understood this, the way we speak about people would change, the feelings we harbor for them would change — and you know what would also increase? The amount of help and support we give each other.

Wallahi today, if it was your child or your brother's child that was in need of help and support and aid, you would give the sadaqah, the donations. But somehow, when we stand here and say — and we are all guilty of this, myself included — there is a starving child in Yemen, there is a drought in Africa, there is problems happening, and we disassociate. Allah is saying we are brothers — we can't do that anymore. إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ.

And among the best things we can do for each other — the Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith that the best charity, the best sadaqah, is to reconcile between those who are in conflict.

"Shall I not tell you of something more virtuous in degree than fasting, prayer, and charity? They said: Yes. He said: Reconciling between people."
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Hadith 4919; also in Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 2509)

So not only are we meant to see each other as true brothers as Allah said, we are meant to strive towards reconciliation every opportunity possible. Nowadays, what we are doing is the opposite — we are taking people apart. A family, a couple that are going through struggles, it is their friends that are encouraging the anger and the hatred. "Oh, he did this to you, get rid of him. You can do better. I was never happy when you married him to begin with. What does he do for you?" This mentality — is it islah dhat al-bayn or is it the opposite? It is the opposite. And this is not what Allah wants from us.

And what do we want from Allah? Allah says: لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ — so that you may gain the mercy of Allah. Be good to each other. Reconcile those that are fighting. And be true brothers to each other.

Do Not Mock, Demean, or Call Each Other Names

What are some of the things that are stopping us from this true brotherhood? It is how we speak about each other. Allah says:

"Let not one group mock another group — perhaps those who are being mocked are better. And let not women mock women — perhaps they are better than them. And do not demean one another, and do not call each other by offensive names. How wretched is the name of disobedience after faith."

How often does that happen? We view others as beneath us. We demean them. And in some way, shape, or form, many of us are guilty of it. لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ — and Allah mentions the womenfolk specifically, because this may be more prevalent within the sisters. In any case, both brothers and sisters have been addressed.

Do not mock each other. What forms can that take? It starts in the heart. Don't ever think you are better than someone else. It is an illness — ujub, self-amazement. We need to be humble. Everything good about you is because Allah guided you.

And lamz — وَلَا تَلْمِزُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ — this is when you are demeaning someone with your speech. It is very simple. For example: "Oh that brother, he is just a construction worker." This is a form of demeaning the person. We should uplift the people when we see them. Call them with the best names possible. Give them the most respect possible. And we need to teach our children and our family members to do the same.

Uplift every chance you get. To make someone's day, to say the best words possible — do it. Wallahi, Allah will reward you for it, and our community will be better off. Don't talk about another culture and demean them. Don't call each other names. Don't insult each other. The Muslim, the believer, is not someone that insults. We say the best.

"Say to the people the best of speech."

Avoid Suspicion, Spying, and Backbiting

Then Allah tells us to avoid something else. Avoid mockery. Avoid calling each other names. Avoid demeaning each other. Avoid suspicion.

Suspicion of other people — some of the ulama said this is gheebat al-qalb. You are viewing the other person in the most negative light possible. When we are being told by Allah and through the example of the companions that when someone says something, find the best explanation for it — we are being told to have husn al-dhann, to assume the best of people. This will help you before it helps them, because you cannot harbor so many ill feelings — it's going to get to you.

Do not spy on one another. Especially those that are very close to each other. Husbands, do not check your wife's phone. Wives, do not check your husband's phone. Do not be overly suspicious. Everyone has rights. And often, you are causing your own destruction. Often people say, "I wish I didn't know this." Then why are you looking for it to begin with? And it starts with suspicion. Then we spy. And then what do we do? Then we backbite.

And do not backbite one another. What is backbiting? Some people say it is only when you lie about someone. No — even if it's true, you're not allowed to. For example: your friend is engaged in something horrible. You're not allowed to tell others and talk about it — "Oh, do you know what he did? Do you know what she did?" If it is a crime, you tell the police — that is one thing. But you are not allowed to spread it among people.

And the Prophet ﷺ was asked: what is really backbiting? He said:

"It is to mention your brother in a way that he would not like."
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2589)

This is one of the things that we have made halal — we have normalized it. I want you to check yourself: how often in a day do you speak about someone in a way that you know they wouldn't like to be spoken about? How often does that happen? And then ask yourself — am I among those that Allah is speaking about in this ayah? May Allah protect us. May Allah forgive us. May Allah make us among those who have the best character.

Your tongue — what you say of others — and your character are connected. You manage to control your tongue, you manage to control what you say about others, and this will result in you having good character, which will result in you being saved. And salvation.

The example that Allah gave here — think about it. Allah Almighty gave this example: as you are speaking ill of your brother — it may even be true, it may be that he is someone that is greedy, or angers quickly, or has any of the issues, it may be true — but you're not allowed to tell others. Because that's going to cause more problems. He may find out. He may get suspicious. And then we have this vicious cycle of people mocking each other, insulting each other, backbiting each other, having bad thoughts of each other. And the whole community will get corrupt and ruined. This has destroyed homes. This has destroyed people. Let's fear Allah Almighty and get rid of these bad characteristics.

O Mankind — No Superiority Except in Taqwa

Finally, Allah Almighty mentions in the surah — about all of mankind. The whole point of nations and tribes. All the previous ayat addressed the believers: O you who believe. Now Allah opens it up to all of humanity:

"O mankind, We have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other. Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Indeed Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

Not so that you may think that you are better than each other. There is no supremacy of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a black over a white, or anyone else. And this is something that we Muslims say — but do we act upon it? You have to believe that everyone is equal. All of them are Allah's creation. No nation is better than another nation.

The Prophet's wife Safiyyah — someone said to her, "the daughter of a Jew." She came to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ became upset about this and said: "Tell them that you are the descendant of Harun, and that your uncle is Musa, and that you are married to a Prophet."

This concept exists and it is something we are not allowed to do. All the previous rules apply. You know all the rules we mentioned earlier — about not mocking, and not demeaning — these are things that we generally understand when it comes to individuals. But we think it's okay when it comes to nations and tribes. "Oh, that tribe is horrible. Oh, that country — they are known for that." Stereotyping them, looking at them differently. No. The same rules apply when it comes to tribes. You are not allowed to mock them. You are not allowed to demean them. You are not allowed to view yourself as better than them. You are not allowed to be suspicious of them as a nation. You are not allowed to backbite them as a nation.

And the purpose behind all of this is so that you may know each other. And it's a beautiful thing — it is among Allah's signs, how different we are. The different languages. The different peoples. And we are all meant to come together under لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّه.

Conclusion: The Most Honored is the Most Mindful of Allah

Then Allah mentions — and I'll conclude here — indeed the most honorable among all of you is the most God-fearing. Taqwa. The most fearing of Allah. The most mindful of Allah.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah make us among those who are truly mindful of Him, and forgive our shortcomings, and make us among those who apply these characteristics and qualities, and never demean their brothers and sisters.