Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la yaskhar qawmun min qawmin AAasa an yakoonoo khayran minhum wala nisaon min nisain AAasa an yakunna khayran minhunna wala talmizoo anfusakum wala tanabazoo bialalqabi bisa alismu alfusooqu baAAda aleemani waman lam yatub faolaika humu alththalimoona
English
Ahmed Ali
O you who believe, men should not laugh at other men, for it may be they are better than them; and women should not laugh at other women, for they may perhaps be better than them. Do not slander one another, nor give one another nick-names. After believing, it is bad to give (another) a bad name. Those who do not repent behave wickedly.
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Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (o ye who believe! let not a folk deride a folk) this was revealed about thabit ibn qays ibn shammas who mentioned a man of the helpers with something bad; he mentioned the man's mother about whom he used to taunted in the pre-islamic period, but allah forbade him from saying ill things about fellow believers, saying: (o ye who believe) in muhammad (pbuh) and the qur'an; referring here specifically to thabit! (let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are)) in the sight of allah and also better in the share they have with him, (nor let women (deride) women) this was revealed about two of the wives of the prophet (pbuh) who derided umm salamah, the wife of the prophet, and allah forbade them from doing so (who may be better than they are) in the sight of allah and also better in the share they have with him; (neither defame one another) do not defame your believing brothers nor backbite against each other, (nor insult one another by nicknames) which were used in the pre-islamic period. (bad is the name of lewdness) it is bad to call your brother: “o jew”, “o christian”, “o magian” (after faith) after having accepted faith and turned his back on all that. (and whoso turneth not in repentance) from calling his brothers with such names and nicknames after having accepted faith, (such are evil-doers) such are those who harm themselves with punishment. this was revealed about abu burdah ibn malik al-ansari and 'abdullah ibn hadrad al-aslami who had a dispute and allah forbade them from doing so.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : o you who believe, do not let any people, that is, any men among you, deride (yā ayyuhā’lladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar … [to the end of] the verse, was revealed regarding the [banū] tamīm delegation when they derided the poor among the muslims, like ‘ammār [b. yāsir] and suhayb [al-rūmī]; al-sukhriya means ‘scorn’ and ‘disdain’) another people: who may be better than they are, in god’s sight; nor let any women, from among you, deride [other] women who may be better than they are. and do not defame one another, do not cast aspersions [on others] and hence have aspersions cast on you, that is, let none among you denigrate another; nor insult one another by nicknames, do not call another by a nickname which he detests, such as ‘o degenerate one!’ or ‘o disbeliever!’. evil is the name, mentioned out of mockery, derision and mutual reviling, of immorality after faith! (al-fusūqu ba‘da’l-īmāni substitutes for al-ismu, ‘the name’, to indicate that it [such naming of others] is ‘immorality’ as it is [an action which is] usually repeated). and whoever does not repent, of such [immorality], those — they are the evildoers.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (o ye who believe! let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are)…) [49:11].
this was revealed about thabit ibn qays ibn shimas. the latter was hard of hearing and when he came to see the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, the companions made room for him in order for him to sit next to the prophet so that he could hear him. he came one day when people were already seated and started stepping over people, saying: “make room! make room!” one man said to him: “you have found a place, so sit down!” thabit sat down but he was angry. he tried to tease the man. he said: “who are you?” the man said: “so-and-so”. thabit exclaimed: “what, the son of so-and-so”, and he mentioned his mother about whom they used to taunt him in the pre-islamic period. the man lowered his head out of embarrassment. then, allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse.
(… not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are) [49:11].
this was revealed about two of the wives of the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, who derided umm salamah. what happened is that the latter tied her loins
with a white dress and spread its extremity behind her such that she dragged it behind her. ‘a’ishah said to hafsah: “look at what she is dragging behind her! it looks like a dog’s tongue”. this was their derision of her.
anas said: “this was revealed about the wives of the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, who made fun of umm salamah because she was short.
‘ikrimah reported that ibn ‘abbas said: “safiyyah bint huyayy ibn akhtab went to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘o messenger of allah, women revile me, saying: o jewess, daughter of jewish parents!’ the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said to her: ‘could you not have said to them in reply: my father is aaron, my uncle is moses and my husband is muhammad’. then, allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse”.
(…nor insult one another by nicknames…) [49:11].
ahmad ibn muhammad ibn ibrahim al-mihrajani informed us> abu ‘abd allah ibn battah> ‘abd allah ibn muhammad ibn ‘abd al-‘aziz> ishaq ibn ibrahim al-marwazi> hafs ibn ghiyath> dawud ibn abi hind> al-sha‘bi> abu jubayrah ibn al-dahhak> his father and uncles who said: “the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, came to us and, when some men used nicknames to call others, it was said: ‘o messenger of allah, those who are called by these nicknames do not like it’. this verse was then revealed (…nor insult one another by nicknames…)”.
