Bismillah-ir Rahman-ir Raheem
Al-Hujurat was revealed in Medina and therefore the Holy Prophet SAWA was able to address more on moral cleansing then he had been able to in Makkah where he was only able to concentrate on Tawhid and removing of the idols. This surah was made clear to bring upon higher akhlaq (morals) to all of society.
In this surah Al-Hujurat if we applied all these moral traits and directions from Allah SWT it would bring about a moral society. It would take away the corruption and immoral behaviour we see today. This surah is one of the most beautiful surahs that help to purify the self. We must reflected more deeply upon this surah and apply it to our lives.
49:1 O ye who believe! Be not forward in the presence of Allah and His messenger, and keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower
In this ayat it shows how to respect and be well mannered in front of Allah SWT and His messenger SAWA. One must obey the Holy Prophet SAWA and in doing so man will obey Allah SWT weather that be a small thing or a big thing. Allah forbids making decisions before the leaders he sends. Muslims must learn not let their own inner desires to lead them to make their own laws and we must obey Allah the Almighty the all Aware and His messenger SAWA.
49:2 O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered vain while ye perceive not.
In this ayat it makes forbidden for a believer to make their own decisions in advanced before and over the Holy Prophet SAWA. It makes us realise that our speech matters and our silence and obeying is respectable. If one doesn’t obey the holy Prophet SAWA then our good deeds are fruitless and we will become those of the sinful. Bad akhlaq and rudeness destroy the value of which we have done so we must pay close attention not to observe bad akhlaq.
49:3 Lo! they who subdue their voices in the presence of the messenger of Allah, those are they whose hearts Allah hath proven unto righteousness. Theirs will be forgiveness and immense reward.
In this ayat it instructs us on how to talk to our leaders, what we ought to do and what we ought not to do in speaking. We must speak with respect and be well mannered in front of the messenger of Allah.
Those who had true piety in their hearts showed respected, honoured and obeyed the Holy Prophet SAWA. Shouting at the Holy Prophet SAWA is bad manners so when we call to the Holy Prophet SAWA and our leaders we must use calm and a low voice. We should never speak over them or interrupt them.
49:4 Lo! those who call thee from behind the private chambers, most of them have no sense.
This ayat shows the people were lacking social etiquette. Therefore it teaches us how to behave in a ethical social manner to one who holds higher authority.
49:5 And if they had had patience till thou camest forth unto them, it had been better for them. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
In this ayat it teaches us about patience and how to act in a proper manner towards those who are higher in authority from Allah SWT.
49:6 O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done.
In this ayat we are being taught not to spread rumors or gossip about anyone and that we must look into the accusations that are brought to us and be careful so not to accuse someone falsely. We are to act cautiously but with good manners. We are to remember that all Muslims are our brother/sister and we must keep peace between them. We must respect one another and not call names to each other. One of the major sins is to speak bad about another Muslim (gossiping and spreading rumors)
49:7 And know that among you is Allah's Messenger; should he obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into distress, but Allah has endeared the faith to you and has made it seemly in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief and transgression and disobedience; these it is that are the followers of a right way.
In this ayat it talks to the true believers in faith and these are the ones that obeyed Allah SWT, believed in all that was sent down through the Holy Prophet SAWA. Those who obey the holy Prophet SAWA are those who obey Allah SWT, those are the people who are on the straight path.
49:8 By grace from Allah and as a favor; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.
49:9 And if two parties of the believers quarrel, make peace between them; but if one of them acts wrongfully towards the other, fight that which acts wrongfully until it returns to Allah's command; then if it returns, make peace between them with justice and act equitably; surely Allah loves those who act equitably.
In this ayat we learn how to act with justice when someone has wronged another and how to make peace between one another. We should make peace with one another if a quarrel starts and do it swiftly.
49:10 The believers are but brethren, therefore make peace between your brethren and be careful of (your duty to) Allah that mercy may be had on you.
This ayat we are taught how to treat each other with equal respect. It doesn’t matter where you're from or what race you come from we are all brothers and sisters in faith.We should strive to have peace between our brethren at all times. It’s nice to note that “one of the gambits in the efforts of the Apostle to rehabilitate the homeless Muhajireen in Medina, and to integrate them into the economic and social life of the city, was to make them “brothers” of the Ansar. A few months after his arrival in Medina, he told the Muhajireen and the Ansar that they had to live as “brothers” of each other, and paired them off.”(A Restatement of History of Islam and Muslims by: Sayyid Ali Ashgar Razwy)
49:11 O you who believe! let not (one) people laugh at (another) people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not turn, these it is that are the unjust.
In this ayat we see how not to think we are better than another (arrogance), we must humble ourselves. We are also told to not mock or slander one another. We must be just to one another, and be kind. We should remember to do to others as we would like to be done to us. Remembering that when we want to point out the faults of others or to slander them then we must stop from doing so and look at ourselves and consider our own deeds.
49:12 O you who believe! avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.
In this above ayat we are shown how to keep ourselves away from bad talk and bad thoughts of one another. We must not think suspicious of someone as sometimes this is a sin. It also talks about backbiting and how it causes one to go away from Allah SWT. So we should stay away from backbiting to seek nearness to Him. It shows our duty towards one another in not just keeping our thought and words pure but also the action of not spying on one another.
49:13 O you men! surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty); surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.
In this ayat we are taught how we are all the same no matter what color, tribe or gender we are. The only thing that matters is our taqwa.
49:14 The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You do not believe but say, We submit; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
In this ayat we see how to not be like those who only say “we submit” but are infact not submitting with their hearts. By obeying Allah SWT and His Messenger SAWA we can submit to all that was given to us. True submission is from the depth of the heart and not just words on the tongue.
49:15 The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger then they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful ones.
In this ayat we are shown how to have faith in the Messenger of Allah. It shows how to give up our wealth and lives for Him and that these people who come to realize that wealth and life lies in the hand of Allah SWT and easily give it away are those who are of the truthful. Every human strives to live and we have an instinct to want to live therefore when one give up one's life for Allah SWT and His Messenger SAWA it is a great gift and sacrifice. This is one of the hardest struggles. It is the belief and actions that make a mumin.
49:16 Say: Do you apprise Allah of your religion, and Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and Allah is Cognizant of all things
49:17 They think that they lay you under an obligation by becoming Muslims. Say: Lay me not under obligation by your Islam: rather Allah lays you under an obligation by guiding you to the faith if you are truthful.
49:18 Surely Allah knows the unseen things of the heavens and the earth; and Allah sees what you do.
In the above three ayats we find how to be humble and not be arrogant before Allah SWT. How to see His authority over ourselves. We are reminded that Allah SWT is all Knower of all things. He is the Most Merciful which guides us the the straight path.
Biography
A Restatement of History of Islam and Muslims by: Sayyid Ali Ashgar Razwy
The Islamic Moral System: Commentary of Surah al-Hujurat by: Ayatullah Jafar Subhani
Moral Values of Qur'an, a Commentary on Surah Hujurat by: Ayatullah Sayyid Dastghaib Shirazi
Tafsir from Ayatullah Pooya website: http://quran.al-islam.org/
