Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
have entered the sacred Mosque will most definitely happen. It will not
happen this year. It will happen at a future date. The date had not been
specified in the dream. The blessed Companions in their enthusiasm made
up their mind to set out for the journey that very year, and the Holy
Prophet
concurred with their determination. There was much Divine
wisdom in it which became manifest at the time of the Treaty of
Hudaibiyah and served many useful purposes to which reference is
already made. For example, when Sayyidna 'Umar 4
questioned the
whole situation and expressed his doubt, Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4ge allayed
his suspicions and misgivings. He said no particular date and year was
specified in the Holy Prophet's vision. If it did not happen now, it does
not matter; it will happen at some other time (Qurtubi).
Importance of insha-allah for the Performance of Future Works
In this verse Allah promises the Muslims that they will most definitely
enter the sacred precincts of Makkah at a future time, and in making His
promise He employed the phrase An guil insha-allah [If Allah wills or God
willing]. Allah being fully aware of His Will, there was no need for Him to
have used the phrase, yet He used it (Qurtubi). This has been done for the
purpose of teaching the Messenger and the people the importance of
insha-allah. (Qurțubī)
... your heads shaved, your hair cut short ... ) مُحَلِّقِيْنَ رُءُوُسَكُمُ وَمُقَصِّرِيْنَ
48:27). It is recorded in Bukhari that when 'Umrah that was missed in
the sixth year of Hijrah was performed in Dhul Qa'dah of the following
year [7 .H.] and came to be known in history as 'Umrat-ul-Qada',
Sayyidna Mu'awiyah 4
says he trimmed the blessed hair of the Holy
Prophet
with a pair of scissors. This incident took place in
'Umrat-ul-Qada', not in hajja-tul-wada' [farewell pilgrimage] because on
the latter occasion he had his head shaved (Qurtubi).
So He knew what you did not know .... 48:27). It was) فَعَلِمَ مَالَمُ تَعْلَمُوْا
within Allah's power to have allowed the Muslims to enter the sacred
Mosque and perform their 'Umrah that very year. However, there was
great wisdom in deferring it until the following year which Allah only
knew and the Muslims generally did not know. Among these benefits was
the conquest of Khaibar which Allah had willed must be achieved first, so
that the Muslims may become a powerful force in terms of material
resources. This would make it possible for them to perform their 'Umrah

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
فَجَعَلَ مِنْ دُوُن ذلِكَ فَتْحًا :peacefully and with tranquility. Thus the Qur'an says
(and He assigned before that a well-nigh victory.) [27]" 35 533Duna
dhalika (before that) in this context stands for (3 5, Dunar-ru'ya, that is
to say, before the fulfilment of this vision, the Muslims must achieve the
conquest of Khaibar which is near at hand .* Some scholars have
expressed the view that ws LEfathan gariban [nigh victory] refers to the
Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah itself, because that opened the gate for the
victory of Makkah and all subsequent victories. Eventually, all the noble
Companions acknowledged the Treaty to be the greatest of all victories.
The meaning of the verse would be: you did not know what wisdom and
good lay hidden in your determination to march, then your apparent
failure to accomplish it, and eventually in reaching a peace settlement the
terms of which seemed to be hurtful to your self-respect but Allah was
fully acquainted with it. He had ordained that before the Holy Prophet's
vision should manifest itself, you might be blessed with another victory
in the form of the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah - a victory near at hand.
As a result of this victory, it was seen by all that while on the occasion of
Hudaibiyah the noble Companions did not number more than 1500, later
they increased in number to about 10000 (Qurțubi).
He is the One who has sent His) هُوَالَّذِى أَرُسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدى وَدِيْنِ الْحَقِّ
Messenger with Guidance and the religion of truth, so that He makes it
prevail over all religions .... 48:28). In the preceding verses, promises were
made about conquests and spoils of war; reference was made to the special
merits of the participants of Hudaibiyah and general merits of all the
noble Companions; and glad tidings were given to them. Now at the
conclusion of the Surah all these themes are summarized and
emphasized. Because these blessings were showered and the glad tidings
were given as a result of accepting and obeying the Holy Prophet 3, the
verse lays further stress on strengthening the acceptance and obedience
of the Holy Prophet g. It also denounces those who reject the
messengership of the Holy Prophet & and allays suspicions of those
Muslims who were dissatisfied with the terms and provisions of the Treaty
This was necessary because the Jews of Khaibar always conspired with the
disbelievers of Makkah against the Holy Prophet
" who was encircled by the
Makkans from the South, and by the Jews of Khaibar from the North. Any possible
battle with any of them would entail the danger from the backside. The Treaty of
Hudaibiah made the South safe for the Muslims, and they were able to conquer
Khaibar on the North without any fear from their back. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
of Hudaibiyah. The verse in addition confirms the messengership of the
Holy Prophet # and, giving glad tidings, makes a very bold prophecy to
the effect that not only would Islam prevail in Arabia but would also
eventually triumph over all other religions.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ... 48:29). The) مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
general style of the Qur'an is that, instead of referring to the Holy
Prophet
by his name, he is normally called by one or another of his
characteristic or attributive names especially in vocative cases, as for
example, ya ayyuhan-nabiyyu, ya ayyuhar-rasulu, ya ayyuhal-
muzzammilu and so on, unlike other prophets who are addressed by their
personal names, as for instance, ya ibrahimu, ya musa, ya 'isa. The Holy
Prophet
is addressed four times only in the entire Qur'an by his
personal name Muhammad. This is done only where there is a special
reason for it. Here the reason is that when at Hudaibiyah, the Peace
Treaty was being written, the unbelievers had objected to the use of the
characteristic or attributive name [rasulul-lah] with the personal name of
the Messenger of Allah. The pagan Quraish wiped off Muhammad
rasul-ul-lah, and insisted that it be replaced with Muhammad Ibn
'Abdullah. By the command of Allah, the Messenger accepted it. However,
Allah on this occasion, in the Qur'an, especially attached the
characteristic phrase rasulul-lah [Messenger of Allah] to his personal
name [Muhammad] and thus entrenched it permanently in His Last
Book, the Holy Qur'an, so that it will be written and recited like that until
the Judgement Day.
and ... ) وَالَّذِيْنَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمُ تَزِئُهُمُ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضُلًا مِّنَ اللهِ وَرِضُوَانًا
those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers, compassionate
among themselves; you will see them bowing down in ruku', prostrating
in sajdah, seeking bounty from Allah and (His) good pleasure ;.... 48:29).
From this point onwards the merits of the noble Companions of the Holy
Prophet g are described. Although the immediate addressees of the verse
are the noble participants of Hudaibiyah and bai'at-ur-Ridwan. But on
account of the generality of words, all blessed Companions are included in
the description, because a sahabi or Companion is one who embraced
Islam, saw the Holy Prophet
and accompanied him, even for a short
time.

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
The Qualities, Merits and Special Marks of the Noble
Companions
Allah Ta'ala, on this occasion, describes the messengership of the Holy
Prophet , and makes a prophecy to the effect that not only would Islam
prevail in Arabia, but would also eventually triumph over all other
religions. In addition, He has described the qualities, the merits and the
special marks of the noble Companions de. The severe test which they
had to undergo at the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah has also been
described. The passage describes that they never wavered from the path
of rectitude despite the fact that the Treaty was against their firm belief
and heart-felt emotions, and despite the fact that they could not enter the
sacred Mosque, and had to return without performing 'Umrah. In these
unfavourable circumstances, they displayed an unusual obedience of the
Holy Prophet
and their strength of faith. The blessed Companions
have been described here fully, because the Holy Prophet
is the Final
Messenger and there shall be no prophet or messenger after him. He left
behind him the Book of Allah and the paradigm of noble Companions to
follow. Specific injunctions have been laid down to emulate their pattern
of life. Therefore, the Qur'an too describes the merits of the blessed
Companions, and encourages and emphasizes to follow their model of life.
The first quality of the Companions mentioned here is that they are
hard against the unbelievers, and merciful to one another. It was proven
time and again that they were harsh against the unbelievers. They
sacrificed all their ethnic and tribal relations for the sake of Islam. This
was especially demonstrated on the occasion of Hudaibiyah. The
tenderness of the blessed Companions was especially demonstrated when
Islamic brotherhood [mu akhat] was created between muhajirs [emigrants
from Makkah] and ansar [helpers from Madinah]. Ansar invited the
muhajirin to share with them in their holdings. The Qur'an describes this
quality of the blessed Companions first, because nothing they practiced -
whether friendship or enmity, love or hatred - was for any selfish reasons.
Everything was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger - and this is the
highest degree of perfect faith. In a Hadith recorded by Bukhari, the Holy
Prophet
has said,
من احبّ لله وابغض لله فقد استكمل ايمانه
"He who loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
Allah has attained the highest degree of faith."
This means that anyone who has subjugated his friendship, love,
hatred and enmity under the Will of Allah has perfected his faith. This
clarifies another point: The Companions' being hard against the
unbelievers does not imply that they were never tender towards any
non-believer. In fact it means that where Allah and His Messenger
enjoins them to be hard against the non-believers, they would simply
comply without taking into account the relations of kinship or friendship.
As far as kind and equitable dealing with them is concerned, the Qur'an
itself promulgates:
لَا يَنْهِكُمُ اللهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوْكُمْ فِى الدِّيْنِ وَلَمُ يُخْرِجُوْكُمْ مِّنْ دِیَارِكُمْ
"Allah does not forbid you from those who did not fight you on
account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that
you do good to them, and deal justly with them." (60:8).
There is a large number of incidents where Allah's Messenger and the
blessed Companions displayed their kindness and compassion to the
helpless and needy unbelievers. Treating them with justice and equity is
the general injunction of Islam. No activity flouting justice and equity is
permissible even in the field of pitched battle.
The second quality of the blessed Companions is that they are
generally preoccupied with bowing and prostrating. The first quality is
the mark of their perfection in faith and the second quality is the mark of
their perfection in deeds, because salah is the most meritorious of all the
good deeds.
their distinguishing feature is on their faces) سِيُمَاهُمُ فِىُ وُجُوهِهِمْ مِّنْ آثَرِ السُّجُودِ
from the effect of sajdah (prostration) .... 48:29). That is to say, salah has
become such a permanent routine of their life that the special effects of
salah and sajdah are evident on their faces. These distiguishing features
do not necessarily refer to any physical sign on the forehead on account of
constant prostration. This in fact refers to the light and brightness that is
reflected naturally on the faces of the devout as a result of humility,
meekness and gentleness of disposition. Particularly this is one of the
effects that follow from offering tahajjud salah regularly. It is recorded in
Ibn Majah on the authority of Syyidna Jabir
that the Holy Prophet
has said,

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
من کثر صلواته بالیل حسن وجهه بالنهار
"He who offers his salah abundantly at night, his face looks
good during the day."
Hadrat Hasan Basri رحمه الله تعالى has said that the "features" in the
verse refer to the light that the faces of those who pray will emit on the
Day of Judgement.
ذُلِكَ مَثَلُهُمُ فِى التَّوُرِيةِ صحٍ وَ مَثَلُهُمُ فِى الْإِنْجِيْلِ ◌ّ كَرَرُعِ اَخْرَجَ شَطَهُ فَازَرَةً
فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَىْ سُوُقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيْظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ ﴿ وَعَدَ اللّهُ الَّذِيْنَ
آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ مِنْهُمُ مَّغْفِرَةً وَّأَجْرًا عَظِيْمًا
(This is their description in the Torah; and their description in
the Injil is: like a sown crop that brings forth its shoot, then
makes it strong, then it grows thick and stands straight on its
stem, looking good to the farmers, so that He may enrage the
disbelievers through them. Allah has promised forgiveness and
a huge reward to those of them who believe and do good deeds ....
48:29)
This part of the verse states the description of the noble Companions
given above about the light of their prostration and prayers on their
forehead is the same description as was given in the Torah for the
Companions of the Holy Prophet
g. And another parable of them is put
in the Gospel [injil]: When a farmer sows a seed in his field, it grows over
a period of time - especially so that it changes from its original form into a
form which is at first weak like a thin needle, then it develops into
branches getting stronger, larger and more complicated. Eventually when
it is fully grown, it is the strongest of shrubs and becomes a tree. Likewise
the Companions of the Holy Prophet
in the beginning were very few.
At one time, besides the Holy Prophet
É there were only three Muslims:
Among men, Sayyidnā Abu Bakr As-Siddiq 40%; among women, Sayyidah
Khadijah Que.
Le; and among children, Sayyidna 'Ali
. Gradually, but
progressively, the strength of the Muslims continued to grow, so much so
that the number of the noble Companions who performed the farewell
pilgrimage with the Holy Prophet
is said to be about One hundred and
fifty thousand (150,000).
There are three possibilities in this verse: First, the grammatical pause
be observed at fit-tawrah in which case it will mean that the previous
likeness, that is, the light of the faces is described in the Torah. In this

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
case, a grammatical pause would not be observed at fil-injil, but one
should proceed without stopping, and it will mean that the parable of the
noble Companions in the Gospel is like a field or tree which at the
beginning is very weak but gradually it grows strong.
The second possibility is that the pause be observed at j' syl _ fil-injil
rather than at فى التورَاتِه fit-tawrah, in which case the meaning would be
that the description of the light of their faces is found both in Torah and
the Gospel, as here in the Qur'an. Then Ka-zar-'in "like a sown crop" may
be treated as a separate parable.
The third possibility is that the statement does not end at fit-tawrah
nor at fil-injil. In this case dhalika, the demonstrative pronoun, would
point to the next parable, and it would mean that the description of the
Companions is given in both the Torah and the Gospel "like a sown crop".
If the Torah and the Gospel had been intact in their original form, we
could have compared the parables as given in those books with those
given here in the Qur'an and determined its exact meaning. However, the
present-day Torah and the Gospel have been subjected to many
alterations and distortions. Therefore, its true import cannot be
determined with any degree of certainty. Nevertheless, most
-commentators prefer the first possibility according to which the first
description is found in the Torah and the second parable is found in the
Gospel. Imam Baghawi says that this description of the noble Companions
is found in the Gospel in the following way : At the beginning they will be
few in number, then the number will grow and become strong. Qatadah
quotes from the Injil as follows: "Such a people will emerge who will grow
like a crop; they will enjoin good works and forbid evil works" (Mazhari).
Despite changes in the present-day Torah and Gospel, the following
prophecy is found:
"He said: The Lord came from Mount Sinai; and rose up from
Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he
came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a
fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in
thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive
of thy words." [Deut. 33:2]
As pointed out earlier, at the time of the conquest of Makkah there
were 10000 Companions who entered the City of Khalil Ibrahim el

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
(Makkah) with the embodiment of light [Prophet Muhammad;
3] whose
advent was from the mount Paran (in which the Cave of Hira' is
situated). The expression "in his hand will be a fiery sacrosanct law
[Shariah]" probably refers to ◌ِاشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّار "hard against the unbelievers".
The expression "he will love his people" is understood to refer to ;
"compassionate to one another". The details are set out together with
other references in a work Izhar-ul-haq, Vol. 3/ chap. 6: p.256. This book was
written by Maulana Rahmatullah Kairanwi against the Priest Fonder . In
this book, the parable of Injil is qouted as follows:
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took,
and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but
when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh
a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the
branches thereof. [Matthew 13:31-32]
The following passage is quoted from Mark 4:26 in Izhar-ul-haq, Vol
3/chap 6:p. 310:
And he said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground; And should sleep, rise night and day, and
the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For
the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the
ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is
brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the
harvest is come. (Mark 4: 27-29)(*)
The expression "kingdom of heaven" on various occasions in the
Gospel seems to refer to the Final Messenger. Allah knows best!
so that He may enrage the disbelievers through.) لِيَغِيُظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ
them ... 48:29). That is, Allah has characterized the blessed Companions by
some noble qualities. He made them strong after being weak and
multiplied them into large numbers after being small in numbers. Seeing
the growth and expansion of Islam and Muslims, the unbelievers became
furious and angry towards them, and envious of them, burning in the fire
of jealousy. Abu 'Urwah Zubairi says he was sitting in one of the sessions
of Imam Malik when a person uttered a belittling statement against the
blessed Companions. The Imam recited this entire verse. When he came to
the clause "so that He may enrage the disbelievers through them. [29]", he
(*). These quotations are taken from King James Version of the Bible.

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
said this warning will apply to anyone who belittles the blessed
Companions (Qurtubi). The Imam did not say that such a person would
become kafir, however he said that the warning applies to such a person.
It means that the conduct of such a person will be like that of unbelievers.
Allah has promised) وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحتِ مِنْهُمُ مَّغْفِرَةً وَاَجُرًا عَظِيْمًا
forgiveness and a huge reward to those of them who believe and do good
deeds ... 48:29). The preposition min in the prepositional phrase min-hum is
by consensus of Qur'anic scholarly opinion an explicative or min
lil-bayan or tabyin. Therefore, it means that it is Allah's promise to those
Muslims who are selfless in faith and strong in character that He will
forgive them and give them a great reward. The preposition min serves to
make clear and explains that all the blessed Companions - without any
exception - believe and do deeds of righteousness. The second point this
verse clarifies is that Allah has promised them all without any exception
forgiveness and a mighty reward. Min lil-bayan or tabyin is frequently
فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجُسَ مِنَ [22:30] used in the Qur'an. For example, the command in
So, refrain from the filth of the idols and refrain from" الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْله الزُّوْدِ
a word of falsehood" (22:30). In this clause, the preposition min explicates
the obscure noun rijs as referring to the "idols". Likewise the prepositional
phrase min-hum here is explicative of "those who believe". Rawafid,
however, treat the preposition min as partitive denoting a part as distinct
from the whole - meaning the promise of forgiveness and mighty reward
applies only to a part of those who believed and worked deeds of
righteousness. This is completely incompatible with the context and in
conflict with the above verses. This verse undoubtedly comprehends all
the blessed Companions. However, the immediate application of this
verse is to the participants of Hudaibiyah and the Pledge of Ridwan. In
the preceding verses Allah has announced that they have incurred His
pleasure:
لَقَدْ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُوَنَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ
"Allah was pleased with the believers when they were pledging
allegiance with you by placing their hands in your hands under
the tree, ... "(18)
This verse is a guarantee that they will all be firmly established in
their faith and righteousness, because Allah is All-knowing and
Well-Aware of what is going to happen. If Allah knows that anyone at

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anytime will turn away from the faith, He will never announce about His
pleasure. Ibn 'Abdul Barr, quoting this verse in the introduction to his
book istī'ab, writes:
ومن رضى الله عنه لم يسخط عليه ابدًا
"He with whom Allah is pleased, He will never be displeased
with him.".
On the basis of this verse, the Holy Prophet
said that no one from
among the participants of the Pledge of Ridwan will ever enter the Fire. It
is absolutely invalid to exclude some of those who were originally
promised forgiveness and a mighty reward. Hence there is unanimity
among ummah on the point that all the noble Companions are impartial,
unbiased and worthy of confidence.
All Companions Are Inmates of Paradise: Their Sins Are Forgiven
and to Belittle them is a Major Sin
Many verses of the Qur'an bear testimony to this fact. Some of the
verses are part of this Surah. For instance,
لَقَدْ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ
"Allah was pleased with the believers ... 48:29"
and
اَلْزَمَهُمُ كَلِمَةَ التَّقْوَى وَكَانُوْا أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهْلَهَا
" ... and made them stick to the word of piety, and they were very
much entitled to it, and competent for it.". (48:26)
Besides, in several verses scattered in various other Surahs the same
position has been affirmed for all the Companions:
يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى اللَّهُ النَّبِىِّ وَالَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مَعَه،
"on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those
who believed with him." [66:8]
وَالسُِّقُوْنَ الْأَوَّلُوْنَ مِنَ الْمُهْجِرِيْنَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِيْنَ اتِّبَعُوهُمُ بِحْسَانِ رَّضِىَ اللهُ
عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَاَعَدَّلَهُمُ جَنْتٍ تَجْرِىُ تَحْتَهَا الْآَنْهُ
"As for the first and foremost of the Emigrants and the
Supporters, and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is
pleased with them, and they are pleased with him; and He has

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prepared for them gardens berneath which rivers flow ... "[9:100]
And in Surah Al-Hadid, Allah has promised the Companions as
follows:
وَكُلَّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسُنَى
" Allah has promised Husna (the good ) for each." (57:10)
And about Husna it is said in Surah Anbiya':
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسُنَى أُولَئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُوْنَ
Surely, those for whom the good (news) from Us has come
earlier shall be kept far away from it (the Hell) [21: 100]
The Holy Prophet
is reported to have said:
خير القرون قرنى ثم الّذين يلونهم ثمّ الذين يلونهم.
"The best of generations is my generation, then that which
follows it immediately and then that which follows it
immediately (Bukhari)."
In a Hadith the Holy Prophet
is reported to have said: "Do not
revile my Companions, for if one of you contributed as much gold as the
mount 'Uhud, it would not amount to as much as the mudd of one of
them, or half of it (Bukhari). A mudd in Arabia was a measure which,
according to the Hanafi school of Figh, is equal to 1.032 litre or 815. 39
grams and, according to the other three major schools, it is equal to 0. 687
litre or 543 grams. Bazzar records with a sound chain of transmitters that
Holy Prophet g is reported to have said: "Of all the people in the entire
world Allah has chosen my Companions, and of all the Companions He
has particularly chosen four for me - Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali
. (See Jam'-ul-Fawa'd)
There is a Hadith recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of 'Abdullah
Ibn Mughaffal
4
e. In it the Holy Prophet sy said:
الله الله فى اصحابى لا تتّخذوهم غرضا من بعدى فمن احبّهم فبحبّی احبّهم ومن
ابغضهم فببغضی ابغضهم ومن أذاهم فقد اذانى ومن اذانى فقد اذى الله ومن اذى
الله فيوشك ان يأخذه (راه الترمذى عن عبدالله بن المغفل از جمع الفوائد)
"Fear Allah, fear Allah regarding my Companions! Do not
make them a target of your criticism after me. He who loves

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Surah Al-Fath : 48 : 27 - 29
them does so on account of my love; he who hates them does so
on account of hating me; and he who injures them has injured
me, and he who injures me has injured Allah. He who intends
to injure Allah will soon be punished by Him."
I have written a book entitled magam-e-sahabah in which I have
collected relevant Qur'anic verses and Prophetic Traditions pertaining to
the status of the Companions. This book has already been published in
Urdu. The 'Ummah is unanimous on the point that all the blessed
Companions are righteous and worthy of confidence. The book deals
elaborately with their disagreements and the civil wars that took place
among them. It also explains how a Muslim critic should deal with the
differences of the sahabah and whether it should be made a subject of
debate and investigation or one should avoid commenting on them. Some
of these issues to the degree necessary have been included in the
commentary of Surah Muhammad. Please refer to the relevant section
there. Allah's help is sought and on Him is our reliance!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Fath
Ends here

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Hujurat
(The Apartments)
Surah Al-Hujurat was revealed in Madinah. It has 18 Verses and 2 Sections.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 5
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَىِ اللهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ ، إِنَّ
اللُّهَ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١﴾ ◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوْآْ أَصْوَاتَكُمُ فَوْقَ
صَوُتِ النَّبِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهُرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ
تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَغُضُّوْنَ أَصُوَاتَهُمْ
عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ امْتَحَنَ اللّهُ قُلُوْبَهُمْ لِلنَّقْوَى * لَهُمْ
مَّغُفِرَةٌ وَأَجُرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿٣﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُنَادُوْنَكَ مِنْ وَّرَآءِ الْحُجُرتِ
أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمُ صَبَرُوا حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ
خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ، وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٥﴾
O those who believe, do not proceed ahead of Allah and
His Messenger, and fear Allah. Surely Allah is
All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [1] O those who believe, do
not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet,
and be not loud when speaking to him, as you are loud
when speaking to one another, lest your good deeds
become void while you are not aware. [2] Surely, those
who lower their voices before Allah's Messenger are the

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ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety; for them
there is forgiveness, and a great reward. [3] As for those
who call you from behind the apartments, most of them
lack understanding. [4] Had they remained patient until
you come out to them, it would have been much better
for them. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. [5]
Background of Revelation
According to Qurtubi, there are six narratives cited as the background
of revelation of these verses. Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn 'Arabi confirms that all
the narratives are correct, because they all are included in the general
meaning of the verses. One of the narratives, reported by Bukhari, is that
once some people from the tribe of Tamim came to the Holy Prophet
During their stay, one of the issues under discussion was to appoint
someone as a ruler of this tribe. Sayyidna Abu Bakr
suggested the
name of Qa'qa' Ibn Ma'bad, while Sayyidna 'Umar 4ee proposed the name
of Agra' Ibn Habis. Both of them discussed the issue for a while during
which the voices of both became loud. These verses were revealed in this
background.
do not proceed ahead of Allah and His ... ) لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ
Messenger - 49:1) The phrase بَيْنَ اليَدَيْن, literally, means "between the two
hands", but in Arabic usage it means 'in front of or 'ahead of. It means:
do not go ahead of or in front of Allah's Messenger. The Qur'an does not
say in what matter they are prohibited from preceding him. It would
appear that the general prohibition includes preceding by word or deed.
Wait for the Messenger's reply unless he himself appoints someone to
reply. Likewise if he is walking, no one should overtake him. If they are
sitting in a dining session, no one should start eating before him. If there
is a clear indication or strong evidence that he himself wants to send
someone forward, this would be possible, for example some people used to
be asked to go on a journey or war ahead of the Holy Prophet
Respect for Islamic Scholars and Religious Leaders
Some of the scholars have ruled that Muslims should observe the
same rule in respect of Islamic scholars and spiritual masters as enjoined
by the Qur'an, because they are the heirs of the Holy Prophet's .One
day the Holy Holy Prophet
saw Sayyidna Abud-Darda' 40 walking in
front of Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4%, he reprimanded him saying: "you are
walking in front of a person who is better than you in this world and in

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 1 - 5
the hereafter". Then he added : "The Sun did not rise or set on any man
better than Abu Bakr 4
in the world besides the Prophets". (Ruh-ul-Bayan
on the authority of Kashf-ul-Asrar). Therefore, scholars have ruled that
teachers and spiritual guides should be treated with similar respect.
do not raise your voices above the voice of ... ) لَا تَرْفَعُوَآ أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوُقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيّ
the Prophet. - 49:2) This is another etiquette to be observed while in the
presence of the Holy Prophet
₹ . This verse teaches the believers that
they should not raise their voices above the voice of the Holy Prophet
nor speak aloud to him as one speaks aloud to another in general
discussions. The verse warns that neglecting this etiquette may entail
nullification of one's virtuous deeds, because this is a kind of disrespect to
the Holy Prophet . Thus when this verse was revealed, the blessed
Companions became very apprehensive and very cautious. Sayyidna Abu
Bakr
said: "By God! O Messenger of Allah, from now till my last
breath, I shall speak to you as if someone is whispering." (Ad-Durr-ul-
Manthur on the authority of Baihaqi) When this verse was revealed, Sayyidna
'Umar's 40
voice became so low that the Holy Prophet
had to ask him
to repeat what he said, so that he could understand what he was saying
to him (Șihah). Thabit Ibn Qays 4% had a naturally loud voice. When he
heard this verse, he feared that his good deeds would be rendered void, he
wept and lowered his voice (Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur on the authority of Baihaqi).
It is Prohibited to Greet and Speak Aloud in front of the Holy
Prophet's
Mausoleum
Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn 'Arabi says that respect for the Holy Prophet
after his demise is just as compulsory as it was during his life-time.
Therefore, some of the scholars have expressed the view that it is
disrespectful to say salam or speak very loudly in front of the Holy
Prophet's
mausoleum. Likewise it is discourteous to make noise where
Prophetic traditions are recited, because when the blessed words of the
Holy Prophet
ig are being recited, it is compulsory to listen to them
silently. In the same manner, it is an unmannerly behaviour to raise
voices after his demise when his noble words are repeated.
Ruling
As the Qur'anic injunction "do not proceed ahead of Allah and His
Messenger" applies to 'Ulama' as the heirs of the Holy Prophet
likewise the injunction "do not raise your voices above the voice of the

116 .
Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 1 - 5
Prophet." is applicable to the great scholars of Islam also. When sitting in
their assembly, it is impolite to raise voices so loudly that their voices are
suppressed (Qurțubi).
lest your good deeds become void while you) أَنْ تَحُبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمُ وَأَنْتُمُ لَا تَشْعُرُوُنَ
are not aware - 49:2.) This clause is indicating the reason why the
Muslims are directed not to raise their voices above the voice of the Holy
Prophet . They are warned that non-compliance of the rule may nullify
their virtuous deeds. According to the axioms of Shari'ah and universally
established principles, a few perturbing questions arise here. First of all,
according to the unanimous view of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, the
only thing that can destroy righteous deeds is kufr or disblief. No sin can
destroy good deeds. Here the Qur'an addresses the noble Companions and
the believers. It addresses them by calling them "O believers" which goes
to show that they are "believers" and not "disbelievers" - so how can their
righteous works be rendered void? The second point is that "faith" is an
act of free will. A person cannot be a believer unless he embraces faith
with his own free will. Likewise "disbelief" [kufr] is an act of free will. A
person does not become kafir [unbeliever] unless he adopts disbelief with
his own free will. The concluding phrase "while you are not aware" seems
to be against this principle: Failure of good deeds is the punishment of
disbelief which ought to be a result of one's own free will and the phrase
shows that the punishment lacks "free will". So how can the good deeds go
to waste?
My master, the honorable sage of the Ummah has in his Bayan-ul-
Qur'an explicated the passage in such a manner that all these
perturbations are resolved. He says the meaning of the verse is thus: O
Muslims, avoid raising your voices above the voice of the Holy Prophet
or speaking loudly to him, because in so doing there is the fear that your
deeds should be thwarted. The danger in raising your voices above that of
the Holy Prophet
lies in the fact that it is tantamount to discourtesy to
the Holy Prophet
which is the same as vexing him. It is unthinkable
that the noble Companions would intentionally attempt to hurt him.
However, it is possible that certain deeds and actions, such as "advancing
forward" and "raising voices", without the intention of hurting could upset
or offend him. Therefore, all such conducts have been absolutely
prohibited, forbidden and regarded as sin. The essential characteristics of

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 1 - 5
some of the sins are such that the people who commit them lose the Divine
aid of repentance and the ability or capacity to perform righteous works.
As a result, he gets so engrossed in sins that they lead him to "disbelief"
and thus the righteous deeds fail. Likewise hurting one's religious leader,
teacher or spiritual guide is a sin that runs the risk of losing the Divine
aid. Thus conducts such as "advancing before the Holy Prophet "
or
"raising voices" are such sinful conducts that can cause the Divine help to
be taken away. This situation eventually leads one to "disbelief" which
destroys one's good works. Because the believer may not have
intentionally performed the act of hurting, thus he would not even
perceive how he got involved in the process of "disbelief", and "thwarting
of good deeds". Some of the scholars have expressed the view that if
someone has taken a righteous, holy person as his spiritual guide, then he
shows disrespect to him, then such a person may suffer the same
consequences: that is, sometimes it becomes the cause of Divine aid being
removed and of incurring His wrath which eventually destroys the
treasure of "faith". We seek refuge with Allah from it!
As for those who call you from) إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُنَادُوُنَكَ مِنْ وَّرَآءِ الْحُجُرَتِ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُوْنَ
behind the apartments, most of them lack understanding. - 49:4) In this
verse, Allah Ta'ala has mentioned a third etiquette about dealing with
the Holy Prophet
3. It is directed that when he is at home, one should
not call him from outside. Particularly calling him by his name is an
unmannered attitude. Reasonable persons would not do it. The term
hujurat (translated above as 'apartments') is the plural of hujrah.
Lexically, it refers to a four-walled apartment or dwelling, comprising a
courtyard and a roofed building . In Madinah, the Holy Prophet
had
nine wives. Each one of them had a separate apartment, where on
different days, he used to stay in succession.
The Apartments of the Mothers of the Faithful
Ibn Sa'd on the authority of 'Ata' Al-Khurasani gives a description of
these dwellings. He writes that these apartments were built of palm
branches and their doors were covered with thick black woolen curtains.
Imam Bukhari in Al-'Adab-ul- Mufrad and Baihaqi in his collection record
that Dawud Ibn Qais reports that he had visited these "apartments" and
estimated that from the door of the "apartment" to the roofed part of the

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 1 - 5
building, it must be about seven cubits, the room about ten cubits and the
height of the roof about eight cubits1. These apartments of the Mothers of
the faithful were included in the Holy Prophet's af mosque during the
reign of Walid Ibn 'Abd-ul-Malik at his own command. On that day in
Madinah, people were lamenting and bewailing.
Occasion of Revelation
Imam Baghawi, on the authority of Qatadah we, reports that the
delegation of Banu Tamim arrived in Madinah in the afternoon and came
up to the Holy Prophet
when he was resting in one of his apartments.
These bedouins were not acquainted with the social manners and
etiquette of a civil society. They stood outside the apartment and called
out: O Muhammad, come out to us! On this occasion, verse [4] was
revealed (Musnad of Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and others record similar reports in
differential wordings as quoted by Mazharī).
Additional Notes
The noble Companions and their followers showed the same respect
and courtesy to their scholars and spiritual masters as enjoined by the
Qur'an for the Holy Prophet
g. It is recorded in Bukhari and other
collections that when Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ge wanted to inquire about
any Prophetic Tradition from any knowledgeable Companion, he would
go to his house and sit at the threshold without calling him or knocking at
the door. He would wait there until the Companion himself comes out.
When he came out on his own, he would ask him about the Tradition.
However, the scholar himself would say to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee: "0
cousin of Allah's Messenger, why did you not knock at the door and
inform me about your arrival?" Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee would reply: "A
scholar in his community is like a prophet, and Allah has directed us that
we should wait until he comes out on his own. Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah 4
says, "I never knock on the door of any scholar at any time, but I wait
until he himself has emerged and then meet him (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani).
Ruling
In the clause of verse ◌ُحَتّى تَخُرُجَ إِلَيْهِم" ... until you come out to them
... 49:5", the prepositional phrase ilaihim "to them" is a restrictive phrase,
and it implies that people must wait until the Holy Prophet
g emerges to
talk to them, but if he has emerged for some other reason or purpose,
(1) One Cubit= about 18 inches

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 6
even in this case it is not appropriate to talk to him. The speakers should
wait until a suitable situation or occasion arises for them to speak: that is,
they should speak about their particular issue when the Holy Prophet
turns his attention to them for that purpose.
Verse 6
يَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَ كُمْ فَاسِقٌ، بِنَا فَتَبَيِّنُوْآ أَنْ تُصِيُّبُوا قَوْمًا"
بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصُبِحُوا عَلى مَا فَعَلْتُمُ تَدِمِيْنَ ﴿٦﴾
O those who believe, if a sinful person brings you a
report, verify its correctness, lest you harm a people
out of ignorance then become remorseful on what you
did. [6]
Background of Revelation
According to Ibn Kathir, it is reported in Musnad of Ahmad that
Harith Ibn Dirar Ibn Abi Dirar, the leader of the tribe of Banul-Mustaliq,
whose daughter Sayyidah Juwairiyah Que J ->, was one of the blessed
wives of the Holy Prophet &g, came up to the Holy Prophet
and he
called him towards Islam and asked him to pay his Zakah. He says, "I
embraced Islam and pledged to pay Zakah, and said to the Holy Prophet
that I would go to my people, call them towards Islam and ask them to
pay Zakah. Those who would accept my invitation and pay the
compulsory alms, I would collect their alms. I requested that on a
designated date of a designated month, a collector be sent to me, so that
the alms might be handed over to him." Accordingly, when Harith had
collected the alms of the believers and the alms collector did not arrive on
the designated date or even long after that, he feared that may be the
Holy Prophet
is displeased with them for some reason or the other.
Otherwise it was unlikely for the Holy Prophet
not to keep his promise.
Harith expressed his apprehension to the leaders of the new Muslims, and
wanted them to go to the Holy Prophet . On the other hand, the Holy
Prophet
had sent Walid Ibn 'Uqbah to collect the Zakah from them.
However, on his way he thought that the members of that tribe are his
old enemies and feared that they might kill him. With this fear he

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Surah Al-Hujurat : 49 : 6
returned to Madinah, and said to the Holy Prophet
that they refused
to pay Zakah, and wanted to kill him. On hearing this, the Holy Prophet
became very angry, and under the command of Khalid Ibn Walid
he dispatched a force of fighters in the way of Allah. On the one hand,
this contingent was dispatched, and on the other hand Harith Ibn Dirar
with his people was on his way to meet the Holy Prophet . The two
groups met near Madinah. Harith inquired: "To whom have you been
sent?" They replied: "We are sent to you". Harith inquired: "for what
purpose?" They narrated the mission of Walid Ibn 'Uqbah who reported to
the Holy Prophet
that the tribe of Banul-Mustaliq refused to pay
Zakah and planned to kill him. Harith said on oath, "I swear by Allah
who sent Muhammad as His true Messenger, Walid did not arrive in the
location, nor did I see him. Since no envoy had come to us at the
appointed location, I apprehended that you are annoyed with me due to
some shortcoming on my part. Therefore, I have come here. Harith says
that the present verse of Surah Al-Hujurat was revealed on this occasion
(Ibn Kathir).
Other versions have it that Walid Ibn 'Uqbah did go to the tribe of
Banul-Mustaliq. As the tribe was expecting the Holy Prophet's
envoy
to arrive on a designated date, they came out of their settlement as a
mark of respect to welcome him. Walid Ibn 'Uqbah suspected that they
might have come out to kill him on account of their old hostility. Therefore
he returned instantly from there, and went up to the Holy Prophet
and reported to him, according to his suspicion, that they were not willing
to pay the alms and wanted to kill him. On hearing this report, the Holy
Prophet
dispatched Sayyidna Khalid Ibn Walid
to make a
thorough investigation, so that appropriate measures could be taken.
Sayyidna Khalid Ibn Walid 4
arrived near the settlement at night and
encamped there. He selected a few of his men and sent them furtively as
spies into the location to investigate. They returned and reported that the
members of the tribe were Muslims and believers; they were regular with
their prayers and in paying their alms; and they did not find the tribe
doing anything contrary to Islam. Sayyidna Khalid Ibn Walid 4ge came
back, and reported the whole story to the Holy Prophet 5. This verse was
revealed on that occasion (Ibn-Kathir - summary of several reports).