Exegesis of Surat al-Hujurat, verses (7-8), and other selected verses, and what is derived from the verses.
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the fourteenth session after the hundredth of the session called: The Open Door Meeting, which takes place every Thursday of every week, and this is the Thursday of the sixth day of the month of Sha'ban in the year 1416.
We begin this session by speaking about what is facilitated of the exegesis of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Hujurat 49:7], this verse, as you know, came after His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Hujurat 49:6-7]
And the reason for what preceded is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed about a group of people of something that was not in them, so Allah, the Exalted, commanded to verify the news when it comes from one whose integrity is not known, and it seems that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wanted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to punish these people about whom he was informed, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do so after the verse was revealed to him:[Al-Hujurat 49:6]
But the lesson is in the generality of the wording, which is his saying:[Al-Hujurat 49:7] meaning: it is difficult for you what you seek from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
And this has many examples: among them is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood with his companions in Ramadan to pray the night prayer with them, so he finished and there remained what remained of the night, so they said:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 6:9 meaning: they asked him to establish the prayer with them for the whole night, but he, peace and blessings be upon him, said to them: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 806Sahih (Darussalam) and did not agree with their request, because of the hardship and difficulty in that.
And among them is that a group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) looked into his secret deeds, meaning: what is not apparent to people, which is the worship he does in his house, so it seems they considered it light, so they said: indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been forgiven by Allah what has passed of his sin and what has remained, meaning: and as for them, they did not have that, so one of them said: so he warned them not to do a deed that is difficult for them.
And from that also is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that it reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) his saying: then he guided him to what is better and easier.
And the result is: that there are among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) those who have high ambition, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not obey them in many matters, because that would be difficult for them if he obeyed them.
Then he said:[Al-Hujurat 49:7] A questioner might say: what is the connection between his saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:7] and his saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:7] ?
And the answer is: that you obey him, meaning: the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), in what contradicts you, because Allah has made faith beloved to you, so you prioritize the obedience of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what contradicts you, because Allah has made faith beloved to you and adorned it in your hearts, and this is a correction from the most eloquent of corrections, meaning: but if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) contradicts you in many of the matters you want, you will not hate that, and you will not contradict him, and you will not burden the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) because of it[Al-Hujurat 49:7] meaning: He made it beloved in your hearts [Al-Hujurat 49:7] meaning: He made you love it, and adorned it in your hearts such that you do not leave it after you perform it, and that is because a person's doing of a thing for love may be a passing love, but if the thing is adorned for him, the love becomes firm and lasts, for this reason he said: [Al-Hujurat 49:7] and this is in the heart, [Al-Hujurat 49:7] also in the heart, but if the beloved thing is adorned to the person, he continues with it and it becomes firm for him.
[Al-Hujurat 49:7] He made disbelief, which is the opposite of faith, and transgression, which is the opposite of uprightness, and disobedience, which is the opposite of perfection, hateful to you, and this is a progression from the highest to what is below it, disbelief is greater than transgression, and transgression is greater than disobedience, so disbelief is: exiting Islam entirely, and it has known causes in the books of the people of knowledge, which the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned in the chapter of the rulings of the apostate, and as for transgression, it is less than disbelief but it is doing a major sin, that a person does a major sin from the major sins and does not repent from it, such as zina, drinking intoxicants, theft, false accusation of zina, and the like, and disobedience is less than this, disobedience is the minor sins which are expiated by good deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 564 so the pure believers, Allah has made faith beloved to them, and adorned it in their hearts, and made disbelief, transgression, and disobedience hateful to them, we ask Allah to make us among them.
Those: the one referred to is the one to whom Allah has made faith beloved and adorned it in his heart and made disbelief, transgression, and disobedience hateful to him, meaning: those who followed the path of guidance, and guidance in the original sense is good conduct, and it is in every place according to its context, so guidance in wealth is that a person conducts himself well with it, and does not spend it in something of no benefit, and guidance in the guardianship of marriage, for example, is that the guardian is knowledgeable about the suitable match and the interests of marriage, and guidance in religion is: uprightness upon the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, so these are the ones to whom Allah has made faith beloved and adorned it in their hearts and made disbelief, transgression, and disobedience hateful to them, they are the guided ones.
And here you find all these actions are attributed to Allah, made beloved by whom?
The student: Allah.
The Shaykh : Adorned by? Allah. Made hateful by? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for this reason he said after that:[Al-Fath 48:29] meaning: that Allah has bestowed a favor upon you, meaning: a favor from Him and not by your earning, but it is from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, but to be known that Allah, the Exalted, knows best where He places His message, and knows best where He places faith in a person, so whoever Allah knows from him good intention and good purpose and sincerity, He makes faith beloved to him, and adorns it in his heart, and makes disbelief, transgression, and disobedience hateful to him, and whoever Allah does not know from him that, then Allah, the Exalted, says: [As-Saf 61:5] and He, the Exalted, says: [Al-Ma'idah 5:49] so sins are a cause for contradiction and disobedience, so these are the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor and granted them the blessing of religion, they are the ones who were guided to the truth.
Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Al-Hujurat 49:8] meaning: as a favor from Him upon them.
And the blessing is two blessings: a blessing in this world, and a blessing in the Hereafter.
So as for the disbelievers, they are blessed in this world, as Allah, the Exalted, said:[Ad-Dukhan 44:25-27] meaning: you are blessed, so these -I mean: the disbelievers- have a blessing in this world, but in the Hereafter, upon them is the punishment and the curse, and I seek refuge in Allah.
As for the believer, he obtains both blessings, the blessing of this world and the blessing of the Hereafter, even if he is poor or sick or childless or has no lineage, he is in blessing, by the saying of Allah, the Exalted:[An-Nahl 16:97] .
Here he said:[Al-Hujurat 49:8] the intended meaning of the blessing here is the blessing of religion which is connected to the blessing of the Hereafter, and the summary of the speech in the blessing is: that there are two blessings: a general blessing for all creation, the disbeliever and the believer, and the transgressor and the obedient, and a special blessing for the believer, and this special blessing is connected to the blessing of religion and this world, and as for the first, it is specific to the blessing of this world only, to establish the proof upon the disbelievers.
[An-Nisa 4:26] These are two names from the names of Allah, Allah always associates them together, knowledge and wisdom, He is All-Knowing of everything, Allah, the Exalted, said: [At-Talaq 65:12] and He, the Exalted, said: [Luqman 31:34] and He, the Exalted, said: [Al-An'am 6:59] and He, the Exalted, said: [Ali 'Imran 3:5] so the knowledge of Allah, the Exalted, encompasses everything, and if a person knows that the knowledge of Allah encompasses everything, even what he conceals in his heart, he fears, and is terrified, and flees from Allah to Him, Mighty and Majestic, and does not say a word that angers Allah, and does not do a deed that angers Allah, and does not conceal a belief that angers Allah, because he knows that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows that, it is not hidden from Him.
And as for the Wise, He is the One of the complete wisdom, and wisdom is: that all that He, Exalted and Majestic is He, rules with is in accordance with and matching the interests, there is nothing that Allah rules with except that it is a great wisdom, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:[Al-Qamar 54:5] and He, the Exalted, said: [At-Tin 95:8], and He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:50] this is the meaning of the Wise, meaning: the One of the complete wisdom.
And it has another meaning, which is: the One of the complete judgment, for Allah, the Exalted, has the judgment, as He, the Exalted, said:[Ash-Shuraa 42:10] and He, the Exalted, said: [An-Nisa 4:59] and no one rules by his desire: [Al-Mu'minun 23:71].
We ask Allah, the Exalted, to take care of us and you with His mercy and forgiveness, and to make us among those who know and benefit from His knowledge, indeed He is capable of all things, and now to the questions, and we begin with the right side.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the fourteenth session after the hundredth of the session called: The Open Door Meeting, which takes place every Thursday of every week, and this is the Thursday of the sixth day of the month of Sha'ban in the year 1416.
We begin this session by speaking about what is facilitated of the exegesis of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty, but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْأِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ(6) 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. (7) And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْماً بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ * وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِAnd the reason for what preceded is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed about a group of people of something that was not in them, so Allah, the Exalted, commanded to verify the news when it comes from one whose integrity is not known, and it seems that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wanted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to punish these people about whom he was informed, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do so after the verse was revealed to him:
if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate
إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُواBut the lesson is in the generality of the wording, which is his saying:
And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْAnd this has many examples: among them is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood with his companions in Ramadan to pray the night prayer with them, so he finished and there remained what remained of the night, so they said:
O Messenger of Allah! If you would grant us the rest of our night.
يا رسول الله! لو نفلتنا بقية ليلتناIndeed, whoever stands (praying) with the Imam until he finished, then it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.
من قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كُتب له قيام ليلةAnd among them is that a group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) looked into his secret deeds, meaning: what is not apparent to people, which is the worship he does in his house, so it seems they considered it light, so they said: indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been forgiven by Allah what has passed of his sin and what has remained, meaning: and as for them, they did not have that, so one of them said:
I fast and do not break my fast, and the second said: I stand in prayer and do not sleep, and the third said: I do not marry women. When this reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: As for me, I fast and break my fast, I stand in prayer and sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.
أنا أصوم ولا أفطر، وقال الثاني: أنا أقوم ولا أنام، وقال الثالث: أنا لا أتزوج النساء، فبلغ ذلك النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم فقال: أما أنا فأصوم وأفطر، وأقوم وأنام، وأتزوج النساء، فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس منيAnd from that also is the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that it reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) his saying:
That he would fast during the day and stand in prayer during the night as long as he lives. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called him and said: Did you say this? He said: Yes. He said: You will not be able to do that.
أنه ليصومن النهار وليقومن الليل ما عاش، فدعاه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال: أنت قلت هذا؟ قال: نعم، قال: إنك لا تطيق ذلكAnd the result is: that there are among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) those who have high ambition, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not obey them in many matters, because that would be difficult for them if he obeyed them.
Then he said:
but Allah has endeared to you the faith
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْأِيمَانَbut Allah has endeared to you the faith
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإيمَانَAnd know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْAnd the answer is: that you obey him, meaning: the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), in what contradicts you, because Allah has made faith beloved to you, so you prioritize the obedience of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what contradicts you, because Allah has made faith beloved to you and adorned it in your hearts, and this is a correction from the most eloquent of corrections, meaning: but if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) contradicts you in many of the matters you want, you will not hate that, and you will not contradict him, and you will not burden the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) because of it
but Allah has endeared to you the faith
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإيمَانَand has made it pleasing in your hearts
وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْhas endeared to you the faith
حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإيمَانَand has made it pleasing in your hearts
وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْand has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience
وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَThe five [daily] prayers, Friday to Friday and Ramadan to Ramadan make atonement for what has happened since the previous one when major sins have been avoided.
الصلوات الخمس، والجمعة إلى الجمعة، ورمضان إلى رمضان، مكفرات لما بينهن ما اجتنبت الكبائرThose are the ones who are rightly guided.
أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَThose are the ones who are rightly guided.
أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَAnd here you find all these actions are attributed to Allah, made beloved by whom?
The student: Allah.
The Shaykh : Adorned by? Allah. Made hateful by? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for this reason he said after that:
bounty from Allah
فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِAnd when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate.
فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْAnd if they turn away - then know that Allah only intends to afflict them with some of their [own] sins
فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُصِيبَهُمْ بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْAllah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
[It is] as bounty from Allah and favor
فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةًAnd the blessing is two blessings: a blessing in this world, and a blessing in the Hereafter.
So as for the disbelievers, they are blessed in this world, as Allah, the Exalted, said:
(25) How much they left behind of gardens and springs (26) And crops and noble sites (27) And comfort wherein they were amused.
كَمْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ * وَزُرُوعٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ * وَنَعْمَةٍ كَانُوا فِيهَا فَاكِهِينَAs for the believer, he obtains both blessings, the blessing of this world and the blessing of the Hereafter, even if he is poor or sick or childless or has no lineage, he is in blessing, by the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَHere he said:
[It is] as bounty from Allah and favor
فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةًAnd Allah is Knowing and Wise.
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌso you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.
لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاَطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْماًIndeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَداً وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُAnd with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.
وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلا رَطْبٍ وَلا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍIndeed, from Allah nothing is hidden in the earth nor in the heaven.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلا فِي السَّمَاءِAnd as for the Wise, He is the One of the complete wisdom, and wisdom is: that all that He, Exalted and Majestic is He, rules with is in accordance with and matching the interests, there is nothing that Allah rules with except that it is a great wisdom, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
Extensive wisdom - but warning does not avail [them].
حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُIs not Allah the most just of judges?
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَحْكَمِ الْحَاكِمِينَBut who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَAnd it has another meaning, which is: the One of the complete judgment, for Allah, the Exalted, has the judgment, as He, the Exalted, said:
And in anything over which you disagree - its ruling is [to be referred] to Allah.
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِAnd if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day
فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِBut if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away.
وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ مُعْرِضُونَWe ask Allah, the Exalted, to take care of us and you with His mercy and forgiveness, and to make us among those who know and benefit from His knowledge, indeed He is capable of all things, and now to the questions, and we begin with the right side.