Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

 

COMMENTARY OF CH.49 AL-HUJURAT VERSET 13

BY HAZRAT MUHYI-UD-DIN KHALIFATULLAH MUNIR AHMAD AZIM

 

READ BY: MISS NASRINE ALIAH

 

 

 

Yaaa’ ayyuhallaziina aamanuj-tanibuu kasiiram minaz-zann : inna ba’zaz-zanni ‘ismuw’wa laa tajassasuu wa laa yagtab-ba’-zukum ba’-zaa. Ayuhibbu ‘ahadukum ayya’kula lahma ‘akhiihi maytann fakarihtumuuh ? Watta- qullaah : innallaaha Tawwaabur Rahiim.

 

“O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they.  Nor shall you mock one another, or make fun of your names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. Anyone who does not repent after this, these are the transgressors.” (Ch.49 Al Hujurat V. 12)

 

Allah is addressing the believers, those who have got faith in the unicity of God, that God is One, that they should well understand this verse of the Holy Quran. He is warning them that one group from among them must not mock at another group. They must not also ridicule others and look for faults in them.

 

Nowadays, there are many situations in which people find faults in others, and they ridicule these people. God, the Creator (Allah), has warned people that beware of these actions for the other group whom they are mocking at may be better than them. He is also warning them that, they must not laugh at others, backbite them or spy them to find faults and create disorder and disputes, because this would be a grievous thing. There are also those types of people who are prepared to talk all sorts of things and to assemble around a table to ridicule others, and make them the subjects of their conversation. Allah warns them and say that maybe the ones whom who are taking as inferior are in fact much better than you, that they are good people with a good heart.

 

And Allah says also, not to let women mock at other women. Now, we do know that between women there are always lots of problems, because women have been created weak. Once the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – who has always respected women – has said concerning the women who were on a journey along with him: “Be careful, take precaution, because of the crystals!” Thus, he compared women as being fragile and delicate as crystals.

 

But it is a fact that between women, they like to laugh at their friends and bring out the faults in them. Not all women and girls are like that, but the majority of them are like this in the society in which we are living!

 

They would want to look at the types of clothes which other girls and women are wearing, only to find faults in them and to ridicule them. Ever since the creation of humankind, there have always been these faults in women that they ridicule others. That is why these things have caused lots of problems, be it at national level, international level, in their marital lives, everywhere; thus, every time when problems have struck, the bad actions of women have somewhat been at the root of these problems.

 

Sometimes, because of jealousy, and hatred which women have towards other women, they start to find out the weaknesses of these women, and ridicule them, and humiliate them.

 

Thus Allah wants to address the women as such: “O women, beware, because it is most possible that the second group of women which you are ridiculing are better that you, who represent the first group of women.”

 

Now, when we analyse this verse well, we will see that Allah is addressing “O you who believe”! He had not said: “O you men who believe”! Meaning that when He uses the term “you who believe”, He is in fact addressing in general all believing men and women, and even the believing children who are mature and are in an age to understand things, and who recognise the unicity of Allah! – All these are included in the term: “you who believe”.

 

Now, let us analyse why Allah is addressing specifically women? When Allah mentioned women, is it that at the beginning He addressed first those “you who believe”? Do women not form part of the believers, and perform prayer (Namaz), and read the Holy Quran? Then, why is Allah addressing specifically the women in the second phase of this verse?

 

Here, even though Allah has addressed all believers at the beginning, but here He wants to address directly to the women, to make them aware of their behaviour, because it is most probable that the second group of ladies are better than them if they are mocking and ridiculing them.

 

It must be a great problem that God Himself sent down a special message in this verse concerning that, so that women may realize that they must not do these things! They must not spy upon other women, or separate themselves from them to harm them. These are faults in the feminine gender whereby they speak a lot about other women, especially when they do not like these women. And thus their hatred and jealousy become apparent from within themselves, and they maximize their efforts to create problems for these other women.

 

Thus, it is because of these reasons that Allah has reserved a part of this verse for the women so that they may reform themselves and remove all these faults from them.

 

This may be one of the reasons also why the Holy prophet (pbuh) of Islam had seen most women in the fires of Hell, during his nocturne spiritual voyage. This may be because of these small sins which when accumulated together becomes a major sin in the eyes of Allah, that these women will find their place one day in Hell.

 

When we analyse the society today, we see that young school girls also have these flaws, whereby they mock other girls, be it at school or by the Bus-Stop. Today, girls from all religions are found swearing at other girls, without any respect, and they fight among themselves and ridicule the physiognomy of each other.

 

Allah also says that the women must not put false accusations and blames on other women. When people do not succeed in harming others, they often use blames and defamation to humiliate others – be it men or women.

 

Allah continues to say that not to give bad names to those who are believers amongst you. Allah says, Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. – Especially for someone who says that he or she has faith! And who says that he or she is a Muslim, who believes in Allah, and His Messenger, who reads the Holy Quran, thus how bad it is for that person who says that he or she says such words which are disgusting, and he or she gives bad name to other people.

 

Then, at last Allah says that those who do not repent for these sins and mistakes, who do not turn towards Allah to ask for His forgiveness, be them men, women, girls or boys who have reach the age to understand, thus Allah says, that they are really the transgressors. They are those who have lost all their dignity, for they are those who do not respect the commandments of the Lord to reform their conduct towards others! Thus, at this moment, those whom Allah has addressed as “you who believe” at the beginning of this verse, if they do not obey the commands of Allah on subjects which Allah has forbidden them to do, and reform themselves accordingly, then Allah says at last that these people becomes “transgressors” (those who do harm).

 

I end this commentary by praying for each one among us who is here in this conference today that may Almighty God (Allah) have mercy on our souls and forgive us and direct us to reform ourselves, so that we may become pious girls and ladies to serve His cause throughout our lives. Ameen.