Surah Al-Hujurat

Mannerisms and how the Believers should deal with the Prophet ﷺand between themselves. The Surah itself teaches the Muslims the manners worthy of a true believer and the first five verses in particular relate to the manners that should be observed with regard to Allah and His Messenger.

The instruction has been given that it is not correct to believe in every piece of news blindly, without due consideration. If information is received about a person, a group or a community it should be reviewed carefully, whether the information comes from reliable means or not. If the means are not reliable, it should be examined to see whether the news is authentic before taking any action.

Next, it has been told what attitude the Muslims should adopt if two groups of the Muslims fall into mutual fighting. Then the Muslims have been exhorted to safeguard against the evils that corrupt communities and spoil mutual relationships. Mocking and taunting each other, calling others by bad nicknames, creating suspicion, prying into other people’s affairs and backbiting are evil sins that corrupt the wider society. Allah individually mentions these evils and forbids them.

After this, the national and racial distinctions that cause universal corruption have been condemned. Nationalism, tribalism, pride of ancestry, looking down upon others as inferior to oneself and pulling down others to establish one’s own superiority are important factors that have filled the world with injustices and tyranny. Allah in a brief verse has cut the root of this evil by stating that all men are descendants of the same one pair (Adam and Eve) and their division into tribes and communities is only for the sake of recognition, not for boasting and pride, and there is no lawful basis of one man’s superiority over another except by a higher status of piety and morality.

In conclusion, the people have been told that the real issue is not the verbal profession of the faith but to truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, to obey them in their practical life and to sincerely exert one’s self and wealth in the cause of Allah. True Believers are those who adopt this attitude. As for those who profess Islam merely verbally without affirmation by the heart and then adopt an attitude as if they have done someone a favour by accepting Islam, may be counted among the Muslims in the world but will not be counted as Believers in the sight of Allah.