سُوْرَةُ الْحُجُراتِ
Surah Al-Hujuraat (49) — Ayah 11
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا۟ بِٱلْأَلْقَـٰبِ ۖ بِئْسَ ٱلِٱسْمُ ٱلْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked"]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you who believe
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
O you who believe
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
O you who believe
لَا
lā
(Let) not
يَسْخَرْ
yaskhar
ridicule
قَوْمٌۭ
qawmun
a people
مِّن
min
[of]
قَوْمٍ
qawmin
(another) people
عَسَىٰٓ
ʿasā
perhaps
أَن
an
that
يَكُونُوا۟
yakūnū
they may be
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
better
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
than them
وَلَا
walā
and (let) not
نِسَآءٌۭ
nisāon
women
مِّن
min
[of]
نِّسَآءٍ
nisāin
(other) women
عَسَىٰٓ
ʿasā
perhaps
أَن
an
that
يَكُنَّ
yakunna
they may be
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
better
مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ
min'hunna
than them
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَلْمِزُوٓا۟
talmizū
insult
أَنفُسَكُمْ
anfusakum
yourselves
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَنَابَزُوا۟
tanābazū
call each other
بِٱلْأَلْقَـٰبِ ۖ
bil-alqābi
by nicknames
بِئْسَ
bi'sa
Wretched is
ٱلِٱسْمُ
l-s'mu
the name
ٱلْفُسُوقُ
l-fusūqu
(of) disobedience
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ
l-īmāni
the faith
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
لَّمْ
lam
(does) not
يَتُبْ
yatub
repent
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
then those
هُمُ
humu
they
ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
l-ẓālimūna
(are) the wrongdoers
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
11. 1. A person mocks or ridicules another only when he considers himself superior and the other inferior and insignificant, whereas who is better in terms of faith and deeds in the sight of Allah, and who is not, only Allah knows. Therefore, there is no justification for considering oneself superior and others inferior. Hence, this has been prohibited in the verse. And it is said that this moral disease is more prevalent among women, so women are mentioned separately and especially prohibited from this as well. And in the hadith of the Messenger ﷺ, looking down upon people has been described as arrogance: "Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people," and arrogance is extremely disliked by Allah.
11. 2. That is, do not taunt one another, for example, "You are so-and-so's son," "Your mother is such and such," "You belong to such and such family," etc.
11. 3. That is, to assign people such names for the purpose of mockery and humiliation that they dislike, or to distort good names and call them in a corrupted form—this is "tanabuz bil-alqab" (calling by offensive nicknames), which is prohibited here.
11. 4. That is, to distort names in this way or to invent bad names and call someone by them, or after accepting Islam and repentance, to address someone by referring to their previous religion or sin, for example, "O disbeliever," "O adulterer," or "O drunkard," etc.—this is a very bad act. Here, "al-ism" is in the meaning of "al-dhikr," i.e., "How evil is the mention that refers to sin after their entry into faith" (Fath al-Qadir). However, according to some scholars, those descriptive names are excepted from this, which become famous for someone and the person does not feel any grief in his heart because of them, such as someone being called "lame" due to lameness, or "black" or "Kalu" due to dark complexion, etc. (Al-Qurtubi).
11. 2. That is, do not taunt one another, for example, "You are so-and-so's son," "Your mother is such and such," "You belong to such and such family," etc.
11. 3. That is, to assign people such names for the purpose of mockery and humiliation that they dislike, or to distort good names and call them in a corrupted form—this is "tanabuz bil-alqab" (calling by offensive nicknames), which is prohibited here.
11. 4. That is, to distort names in this way or to invent bad names and call someone by them, or after accepting Islam and repentance, to address someone by referring to their previous religion or sin, for example, "O disbeliever," "O adulterer," or "O drunkard," etc.—this is a very bad act. Here, "al-ism" is in the meaning of "al-dhikr," i.e., "How evil is the mention that refers to sin after their entry into faith" (Fath al-Qadir). However, according to some scholars, those descriptive names are excepted from this, which become famous for someone and the person does not feel any grief in his heart because of them, such as someone being called "lame" due to lameness, or "black" or "Kalu" due to dark complexion, etc. (Al-Qurtubi).
