The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 67
PT. 26 AL-HUJURĀT CH. 49 يَايُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ O ye who believe! avoid. 13 much suspicion"; for suspicion الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا in some cases is a sin. And Spy not, neither backbite one b تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا another. Would any of you like أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمُ اَنْ يَّأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ to eat the flesh of his brother b مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ ,would loathe it. And fear Allah تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيم who is dead? Certainly you surely, Allah is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful. 3850 "10:67; 53:29. him with the eye, or the like, as the head, and the lip, with low speech. This is the original signification; according to some other authorities the primary signification of the expression is: (1) he pushed him or impelled him or repelled him or he struck or beat him; (2) he blamed, upbraided, or reproached him; he found fault with him; or he did so in his face; or he spoke evil of him; or spoke of him in a manner that he disliked, mentioning vices or faults as chargeable to him, either behind his back or in his face, though it might be with truth (Lane, Aqrab & Rāghib). See also 104:2. call not by nicknames) is) لا تنابزوا Commentary: See next verse. 3850. Commentary: As stated above the principal theme of the Surah is the establishment of concord, amity and goodwill between Muslim individuals and groups and therefore it has mentioned some of those social evils which cause discord, dissensions and differences, and corrode, corrupt and contaminate a society, eating into its vitals, and enjoins Muslims to be on their guard against them. Ridiculing and taunting others, spying, and calling by nick- names, and suspicion and backbiting are some of these social evils. Women have been particularly mentioned here in that they are more prone to fall a victim to these evils. The main cause, which lies at the root of these evils, is conceit and a false sense of superiority, which the next verse expressly deals with. By removing derived from which means, he called him by a surname or nick- name and is syn. with (laqqaba), mostly signifying, he called him by a nickname, or a name of reproach or an opprobrious appellation. It also signifies, he upbraided or reproached him; or the like, being syn. with the basic causes of disharmony and (Lane & Aqrab). disagreement among Muslims the 2963