Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet)
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Exegesis of His saying, the Exalted: (O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet)
We are discussing this first, to the extent that is facilitated, regarding what we began with from Surat al-Hujurat,We have spoken about the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Hujurat:1] This is a great etiquette, to which Allah directed His servants.
As for the second etiquette, it is in His saying: [al-Hujurat:2] .
In the first verse is the prohibition of getting ahead of Allah and His Messenger in any matter, whether in words, actions, or otherwise. We explained in the previous session what the verse indicates. As for the second, it concerns raising the voice, even if there is no getting ahead in rulings regarding what is lawful, forbidden, or obligatory.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:[Al-Hujurat 49:2] If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addresses you with his voice, lower your voice below his. If he raises his voice, raise yours, but it must be below the voice of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).And for this he said: [Al-Hujurat 49:2] .
[Al-Hujurat 49:2] That is: do not call out to him with a loud voice as some of you call out to one another, but let it be a loud voice with etiquette, honor, and reverence befitting him (peace and blessings be upon him).And this is like His saying: [al-Nur:63] That is: if he calls you to something, do not make his call like the call of some of you to others, where if you wish you answer and if you wish you do not answer. Rather, it is obligatory for you to answer.As Allah the Exalted said: [al-Anfal:24] And here He said: [al-Hujurat:2] .
Likewise: Do not call out to him with what you call out to one another,So you do not say: “O Muhammad!” but say: “O Messenger of Allah! O Prophet of Allah!” and the like of that.[Al-Hujurat 49:2] That is: out of fear that your deeds may be nullified.Meaning: We prohibited you from raising your voices above his and from speaking to him loudly as you speak loudly to one another, out of fear that your deeds may be nullified while you are not aware. In this is evidence that the one who raises his voice above the voice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or speaks to him loudly as he speaks to some people, his work may be nullified without him realizing it. Because this may cause contempt for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in a person’s heart, and contempt for the Messenger is apostasy from Islam, which necessitates the nullification of deeds.
When this verse was revealed, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shamas (may Allah be pleased with him) was a man with a loud voice, and he was one of the orators of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When this verse was revealed, he hid in his house and stopped attending the gatherings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger missed him and asked about him, and they informed him that he had been in his house since the verse was revealed. So he sent a messenger to ask him, and he said, “Indeed, Allah the Exalted says: [al-Hujurat:2] and that his work has been nullified, and that he is among the people of the Fire.” So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that he be called, so he came, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that he is among the people of Paradise.And he said: (Are you not pleased to live with a good reputation, be killed as a martyr, and enter Paradise?He said: Yes, I am pleased) So he was killed (may Allah be pleased with him) as a martyr in the Battle of Yamama, and he lived with a good reputation and will enter Paradise by the testimony of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those for whom it is testified that he is specifically among the people of Paradise, because every person for whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testifies that he is in Paradise is in Paradise, and every person for whom it is testified that he is in the Fire is in the Fire. As for those for whom the Messenger did not testify, we testify for them in general,We say: that every believer is in Paradise, and every disbeliever is in the Fire. We do not testify for a specific person that he is among the people of the Fire, or among the people of Paradise, except with what Allah and His Messenger testified to.
In this noble verse is the clarification of the reverence for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and that it is not permissible for a person to speak to him loudly as he speaks to other people, and that it is not permissible for him to raise his voice above the voice of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). When this verse was revealed, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were so polite with it that some of them would speak to him in a whisper, and the Prophet would not understand what he was saying due to his whispering, until he would have to repeat it again.
In this verse is also evidence that whoever shows contempt for the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), his work is nullified; because contempt for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is apostasy, and mocking him is apostasy. As Allah the Exalted said regarding the hypocrites who used to mock the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), He said: [al-Tawbah:65] And they used to say, referring to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions: “We have not seen people like these reciters with greedier bellies -Meaning: wider, and more cowardly at the time of meeting, and more lying in their tongues.”
So Allah revealed this verse. And when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them about it, they said: [al-Tawbah:65]-Meaning: We speak words we do not intend, but to cut off the path from us-So Allah revealed this verse: [al-Tawbah:65-66] .
Therefore, the correct view is: That whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is a disbeliever and an apostate. If he repents, we accept his repentance, but we do not lift the execution from him; rather, we execute him in taking the right of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And if we execute him after his sincere, true repentance, we pray over him like the other Muslims who repent from disbelief or from sins.
We are discussing this first, to the extent that is facilitated, regarding what we began with from Surat al-Hujurat,We have spoken about the saying of Allah the Exalted:
O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌAs for the second etiquette, it is in His saying:
O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَIn the first verse is the prohibition of getting ahead of Allah and His Messenger in any matter, whether in words, actions, or otherwise. We explained in the previous session what the verse indicates. As for the second, it concerns raising the voice, even if there is no getting ahead in rulings regarding what is lawful, forbidden, or obligatory.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet
لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّdo not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet
لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّor be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others
وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍDo not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another.
لا تَجْعَلُوا دُعَاءَ الرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَاءِ بَعْضِكُمْ بَعْضاًO you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْor be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others
وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍLikewise: Do not call out to him with what you call out to one another,So you do not say: “O Muhammad!” but say: “O Messenger of Allah! O Prophet of Allah!” and the like of that.
or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.
وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَWhen this verse was revealed, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shamas (may Allah be pleased with him) was a man with a loud voice, and he was one of the orators of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When this verse was revealed, he hid in his house and stopped attending the gatherings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger missed him and asked about him, and they informed him that he had been in his house since the verse was revealed. So he sent a messenger to ask him, and he said, “Indeed, Allah the Exalted says:
O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَIn this noble verse is the clarification of the reverence for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and that it is not permissible for a person to speak to him loudly as he speaks to other people, and that it is not permissible for him to raise his voice above the voice of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). When this verse was revealed, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were so polite with it that some of them would speak to him in a whisper, and the Prophet would not understand what he was saying due to his whispering, until he would have to repeat it again.
In this verse is also evidence that whoever shows contempt for the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), his work is nullified; because contempt for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is apostasy, and mocking him is apostasy. As Allah the Exalted said regarding the hypocrites who used to mock the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), He said:
And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing."
وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُSo Allah revealed this verse. And when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them about it, they said:
We were only conversing and playing.
إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ(65) And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" (66) Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.
قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ * لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْTherefore, the correct view is: That whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is a disbeliever and an apostate. If he repents, we accept his repentance, but we do not lift the execution from him; rather, we execute him in taking the right of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And if we execute him after his sincere, true repentance, we pray over him like the other Muslims who repent from disbelief or from sins.