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Surah 49 · Madinah · 18 āyāt
Phase 06 · Conquest, completion and farewell(6–11 AH) — view in timelineAl-ḤujurātThe Private Rooms
الحجرات
A short Madinan surah of manners — addressed almost entirely to 'those who believe' — that regulates how the believing community should treat the Prophet ﷺ, verify news, make peace between quarrelling believers, and guard one another's honour from mockery, insult, suspicion, spying and backbiting. It closes by dismantling tribal pride: the only real rank before Allah is taqwā.
Why it was revealed
Several āyāt were revealed to correct specific incidents: some Companions raised their voices above the Prophet's ﷺ in his own gathering; al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah brought back false news that nearly caused the believers to raid an innocent tribe; and a delegation of the Banū Tamīm called out to the Prophet ﷺ from outside his private rooms rather than waiting with courtesy.
Drawn fromAl-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ, chapters on reconciliation, cf. Ibn Kathīr on 49:9; Musnad Aḥmad (sermon during Tashrīq, Farewell Pilgrimage); al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb an-Nuzūl; Ibn Kathīr on 49:1–3; Ibn Kathīr on 49:11; Ibn Kathīr on 49:13; Ibn Kathīr on 49:6; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr, on 49:6
Al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah was sent to collect zakāh from Banū al-Muṣṭaliq. Fearing (wrongly) that they meant to attack him, he returned and reported that they had apostatised and refused to pay. The Prophet ﷺ nearly sent a force against them before the matter was verified and found false — occasioning āyah 6 on checking news before acting.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr, on 49:6; al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb an-Nuzūl
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
Voices raised above the Prophet ﷺ
Some of the Banū Tamīm delegation, and on another occasion certain Companions, spoke loudly in the Prophet's ﷺ presence, prompting the opening āyāt on not raising one's voice above his.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 49:1–3
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
Etiquette with the Prophet ﷺ and with news
The surah opens by teaching the believers not to get ahead of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ in decisions, not to raise their voices above his, and to lower their voices out of reverence. From manners toward the Messenger ﷺ it moves to manners toward truth itself: any report brought by an untrustworthy source (fāsiq) must be verified before it is acted upon, so that no innocent people are harmed out of ignorance.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī; Ibn Kathīr
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن جَآءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ أَن تُصِيبُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَـٰدِمِينَ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.
From the tafsīr
'O you who have believed, do not put yourselves before Allah and His Messenger' means do not rush to speak or decide ahead of revelation and the Prophet's ﷺ guidance.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
On 49:6, the ruling is general beyond al-Walīd's report: any news from someone whose reliability is not established requires tabayyun (verification) before consequences follow.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī
Key takeaways
- Reverence for the Prophet ﷺ includes tone and manner, not only belief.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī; Ibn Kathīr
- Unverified news, once acted upon, can wrong an entire innocent people.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī; Ibn Kathīr
- Regret after acting in haste does not undo the harm — verify first.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
What is the last piece of news you forwarded or acted on without checking its source?
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Question 1 of 2
What is the ruling given for unverified reports in āyah 6?
Question 2 of 2
What false report occasioned the verification command?
Reconciling between believers
When two groups of believers fight, the surah does not permit onlookers to stay neutral: the community must actively make peace, and if one side persists in aggression, it must be resisted until it returns to Allah's command. Once returned, the settlement must be just. Āyah 10 then gives the reason for it all — believers are brothers, and brotherhood obliges reconciliation.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ
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And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allāh. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
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The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
From the tafsīr
The command to 'fight the one that oppresses' addresses restraining an aggressor within the believing community, not warfare against disbelief — it is a ruling of internal justice.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
'The believers are but brothers' establishes that reconciliation is not optional goodwill but an obligation flowing from the bond of faith itself.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī
Key takeaways
- Neutrality in a dispute between believers is not the Qur'anic ideal — active reconciliation is.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- Justice must be maintained even while restoring peace; the aggressor is corrected, not merely calmed.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- Brotherhood in faith is the stated reason for the obligation to make peace.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Is there a rift between two people you know where you have stayed silent instead of trying to reconcile?
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Question 1 of 2
Why does the surah insist on making peace between believers?
Question 2 of 2
What must be done if one of two fighting believing groups oppresses the other?
Guarding one another's honour
Two āyāt build a wall around dignity: no mocking of others (who may in fact be better before Allah), no insults, no offensive nicknames — carrying a disobedient name after having faith is described as wretched. Then the surah moves inward, to thoughts before words: avoid much suspicion, do not spy, and do not backbite, likened vividly to eating the flesh of one's dead brother.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا۟ بِٱلْأَلْقَـٰبِ ۖ بِئْسَ ٱلِٱسْمُ ٱلْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
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O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name [i.e., mention] of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
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O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
From the tafsīr
'Let not a people ridicule another people' was revealed, among other occasions, regarding mockery of Companions for poverty or humble origin — the Qur'an does not permit judging worth by appearance.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
The image of eating a dead brother's flesh in āyah 12 is deliberately repulsive, so that the backbiter feels, in his conscience, the true ugliness of the act he finds easy on the tongue.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī
Key takeaways
- Mockery risks belittling someone better than you in Allah's sight.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- An offensive nickname given after faith is called 'wretched' — words leave a moral residue.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- Backbiting is compared to consuming a dead relative's flesh — vivid enough that no one should find it easy again.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Which of the two — suspicion or backbiting — do you personally need to guard against more?
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Question 1 of 2
Why does the surah forbid ridiculing others?
Question 2 of 2
What vivid image does the Qur'an use for ghībah?
Taqwā, the only true rank
The surah closes by dismantling every basis of pride other than piety: mankind is made from a single male and female, and diversified into peoples and tribes only so that they might know one another, not boast over one another. The most honoured before Allah is simply the one with the most taqwā. The closing āyāt then distinguish mere verbal Islam (submission) from true īmān (faith) that has entered the heart.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.
From the tafsīr
'That you may know one another' (litaʿārafū) — tribal and ethnic distinction exists for recognition and lineage, never as grounds for superiority; only taqwā is named as the measure of honour.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
The distinction drawn at the end of the surah between the Bedouins who say 'we have believed' and true faith reaching the heart shows that Islam (outward submission) and īmān (inner conviction) are related but not identical.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī
Key takeaways
- Lineage, tribe and nationality are for recognition, never for ranking people.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
- Taqwā is named explicitly as the only criterion of honour before Allah.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
- Claiming faith with the tongue is not the same as faith settling in the heart.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Do you privately rank people by background, wealth or nationality rather than by their taqwā?
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Question 1 of 2
What does āyah 13 name as the true measure of honour before Allah?
Question 2 of 2
Why are people divided into nations and tribes, per 49:13?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ب ي ن
āyāt 6to be clear, to clarify
- تَبَيَّنُوا۟verify / make clear to yourselves
- بَيِّنَةclear proof
- مُبِينclarifying, manifest
ص ل ح
āyāt 9, 10to reconcile, to set right
- أَصْلِحُوا۟make settlement/reconcile
- صَالِحrighteous
- إِصْلَاحreform, restoration
أ خ و
āyāt 10brotherhood
- إِخْوَةbrothers
- أَخَوَيْكُمْyour two brothers
- أُخُوَّةbrotherhood
س خ ر
āyāt 11to mock, to ridicule
- يَسْخَرْlet him ridicule
- سُخْرِيَّةmockery
- مَسْخُورone mocked
ظ ن ن
āyāt 12assumption, suspicion
- ٱلظَّنِّsuspicion/assumption
- ظَنَّhe assumed
- يَظُنُّونَthey assume
غ ي ب
āyāt 12to be absent, hidden
- يَغْتَبbackbites (speaks of the absent)
- غَيْبthe unseen
- غَائِبabsent one
ع ر ف
āyāt 13to know, recognise
- لِتَعَارَفُوا۟that you may know one another
- مَعْرُوفthat which is recognised as good
- عَارِفone who knows
و ق ي
āyāt 13to guard, protect (root of taqwā)
- أَتْقَىٰكُمْmost God-conscious of you
- تَقْوَىٰGod-consciousness
- ٱتَّقُوا۟be mindful of (Allah)
Carry this with you
- Verify news before acting on it — regret after harm is caused does not undo the harm.
- Reconciling between quarrelling believers is an active obligation, not passive goodwill.
- Never mock another person or group — you cannot see their standing with Allah.
- Offensive nicknames and insults leave a moral stain described as 'wretched' after faith.
- Avoid the sin latent in much suspicion; do not spy, and do not backbite.
- Backbiting is likened to eating the flesh of your own dead brother — let that image stay with you.
- No lineage, tribe or nationality grants superiority; taqwā alone is the measure of honour.
- Claiming faith with the tongue is not the same as faith settling in the heart.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
Sources behind Sūrah Al-Ḥujurāt
Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.
Ḥadīth2
Tafsīr14
- Al-Qurṭubī
- Al-Qurṭubī on 49:10
- Al-Qurṭubī on 49:12
- Al-Saʿdī
- Al-Saʿdī on 49:13
- Al-Ṭabarī
- al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb an-Nuzūl
- Ibn Kathīr
- Ibn Kathīr on 49:1–3
- Ibn Kathīr on 49:11
- Ibn Kathīr on 49:13
- Ibn Kathīr on 49:6
- Ibn Kathīr on 49:9
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr, on 49:6
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Al-Ḥujurāt · Guarding one another's honour
Why does the surah forbid ridiculing others?
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