What is the meaning of *najwa* in the verse: “Indeed, *najwa* is from Satan to cause grief to those who have believed”?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ...
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.[Al-Mujadila 58:10] I want to know the meaning of the word *najwa* in this surah?
The Shaykh : *Najwa* is whispering. They used to whisper in secret. When a believer sat with the hypocrites, some of them would stand up and whisper to one another in order to grieve the believer. The believer fears that they are plotting against him. He is grieved because they despised him and whispered among themselves excluding him. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 1599 The hypocrites used to do this. Now, consider it in your own heart: if you were with two people and they sat down to talk in secret, leaving you out on the left side, would you be grieved or not? Answer?
The questioner : I would be grieved.
The Shaykh : People, would you be grieved or not?
The questioner : Yes, I would be grieved.
The Shaykh : You would certainly be grieved. The least you can say is that they despised me. Also included in this is if they speak in a language you do not understand, even if they speak aloud. For example, if they know the Eritrean language and you do not, and they speak in it, that is not permissible. Or if it is English or French, the point is a language you do not understand and they are speaking it aloud; that falls under the prohibition. Yes.
The Shaykh : ...
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Private conversation is only from Satan that he may grieve those who have believed, but he will not harm them at all except by permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.
إنّما النّجوى من الشّيطان ليحزن الذين آمنوا وليس بضارّهم شيئا إلاّ بإذن الله وعلى الله فليتوكّل المؤمنونThe Shaykh : *Najwa* is whispering. They used to whisper in secret. When a believer sat with the hypocrites, some of them would stand up and whisper to one another in order to grieve the believer. The believer fears that they are plotting against him. He is grieved because they despised him and whispered among themselves excluding him. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When three of you are together, two of you must not converse privately ignoring the third till the number increases, lest the third should be grieved.
إذا كنتم ثلاثة فلا يتناجى اثنان دون الثالث حتّى تختلطوا بالنّاس من أجل أن ذلك يحزنهThe questioner : I would be grieved.
The Shaykh : People, would you be grieved or not?
The questioner : Yes, I would be grieved.
The Shaykh : You would certainly be grieved. The least you can say is that they despised me. Also included in this is if they speak in a language you do not understand, even if they speak aloud. For example, if they know the Eritrean language and you do not, and they speak in it, that is not permissible. Or if it is English or French, the point is a language you do not understand and they are speaking it aloud; that falls under the prohibition. Yes.