سُوْرَةُ الْحُجُراتِ
Surah Al-Hujuraat (49) — Ayah 13
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿13﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwâ [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn (the pious. See V.2:2)]. Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O mankind
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
O mankind
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, We
خَلَقْنَـٰكُم
khalaqnākum
created you
مِّن
min
from
ذَكَرٍۢ
dhakarin
a male
وَأُنثَىٰ
wa-unthā
and a female
وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ
wajaʿalnākum
and We made you
شُعُوبًۭا
shuʿūban
nations
وَقَبَآئِلَ
waqabāila
and tribes
لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ
litaʿārafū
that you may know one another
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
أَكْرَمَكُمْ
akramakum
(the) most noble of you
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ
atqākum
(is the) most righteous of you
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
عَلِيمٌ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knower
خَبِيرٌۭ
khabīrun
All-Aware
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.
13. 1. That is, from Adam and Hawwa (علیہما السلام), meaning all of you have the same origin, you are all children of the same mother and father. The meaning is that no one has the right to be proud merely on the basis of family and lineage, because everyone’s lineage ultimately goes back to Hazrat Adam (علیہ السلام).
13. 2. Shu‘ub is the plural of sha‘b, meaning a community or a large tribe. After sha‘b comes tribe (qabeelah), then ‘amara, then batn, then faseelah, and then ‘asheera (Fath al-Qadeer). The meaning is that the division into different families, communities, and tribes is only for identification, so that you may maintain ties of kinship among yourselves. Its purpose is not to express superiority over one another, as unfortunately, lineage and ancestry have been made the basis of superiority, whereas Islam came and abolished this and described it as ignorance (jahiliyyah).
13. 3. That is, in the sight of Allah, the standard of superiority is not family, tribe, or lineage, which is not even within a person’s control. Rather, the standard is taqwa (piety), which a person can choose by his own will and decision. This very verse is the evidence for those scholars who do not consider lineage compatibility necessary in marriage and prefer marriage based solely on religion. Ibn Kathir.
13. 2. Shu‘ub is the plural of sha‘b, meaning a community or a large tribe. After sha‘b comes tribe (qabeelah), then ‘amara, then batn, then faseelah, and then ‘asheera (Fath al-Qadeer). The meaning is that the division into different families, communities, and tribes is only for identification, so that you may maintain ties of kinship among yourselves. Its purpose is not to express superiority over one another, as unfortunately, lineage and ancestry have been made the basis of superiority, whereas Islam came and abolished this and described it as ignorance (jahiliyyah).
13. 3. That is, in the sight of Allah, the standard of superiority is not family, tribe, or lineage, which is not even within a person’s control. Rather, the standard is taqwa (piety), which a person can choose by his own will and decision. This very verse is the evidence for those scholars who do not consider lineage compatibility necessary in marriage and prefer marriage based solely on religion. Ibn Kathir.
