سُوْرَةُ الْمُجَادَلَةِ
Surah Al-Mujaadila (58) — Ayah 11
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَـٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَـٰتٍ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room. Allâh will give you (ample) room (from His Mercy). And when you are told to rise up [for prayers, or Jihâd (holy fighting in Allâh’s cause), or for any other good deed], rise up. Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you who believe
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
O you who believe
ءَامَنُوٓا۟
āmanū
O you who believe
إِذَا
idhā
When
قِيلَ
qīla
it is said
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
تَفَسَّحُوا۟
tafassaḥū
Make room
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْمَجَـٰلِسِ
l-majālisi
the assemblies
فَٱفْسَحُوا۟
fa-if'saḥū
then make room
يَفْسَحِ
yafsaḥi
Allah will make room
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah will make room
لَكُمْ ۖ
lakum
for you
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
قِيلَ
qīla
it is said
ٱنشُزُوا۟
unshuzū
Rise up
فَٱنشُزُوا۟
fa-unshuzū
then rise up
يَرْفَعِ
yarfaʿi
Allah will raise
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah will raise
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
مِنكُمْ
minkum
among you
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
and those who
أُوتُوا۟
ūtū
were given
ٱلْعِلْمَ
l-ʿil'ma
the knowledge
دَرَجَـٰتٍۢ ۚ
darajātin
(in) degrees
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
بِمَا
bimā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
خَبِيرٌۭ
khabīrun
(is) All-Aware
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
11. O you who believe! When you are told, "Make room in assemblies [12]," then make room; Allah will make room [13] for you. And when you are told, "Rise [14]," then rise. Allah will raise those among you who have believed and those who have been given knowledge in degrees [15]. And Allah is fully aware of what you do.
[12]
Etiquettes of Gatherings:
In any gathering or assembly, for two or more people to separate themselves and whisper to each other is also against the etiquettes of a gathering. In this context, in this verse, Muslims are being commanded to observe a few more etiquettes of gatherings. In this regard, consider the following ahadith:
1. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "No person should make another stand up and then sit in his place. He also said: (When space is tight) do not sit in a way that takes up too much room, and make space for those who come." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب اذا قیل لکم تفسحوا فی المجالس]
2. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "None of you should make his brother stand up from his place on the day of Jumu'ah and then sit there himself, rather he should say: 'Spread out.'" [مسلم۔ کتاب السلام۔ باب من اتٰی مجلسا فوجد فرجۃ فیجلس۔۔]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If any of you stands up from his place (for some need) and then returns, he is more entitled to that place." [مسلم۔ کتاب السلام۔ باب اذاقام من مجلسہ ثم عاد الیہ فھواحق بہ]
[13] That is, Allah will remove the constriction of your hearts and material difficulties and will open the doors of His mercy for you.
[14] From this verse, the aforementioned ahadith, and some other texts, the etiquettes of gatherings that have been taught to Muslims are as follows:
1. Upon arriving at a gathering, one should greet the people present.
2. Then, wherever space is found, one should sit there. One should not inconvenience others, nor should one feel insulted by this.
3. When the people in the gathering see that space is becoming tight and newcomers are not finding a place, they should widen the circle of the gathering. Or, if it is a gathering like Jumu'ah, they should contract and sit closer together so that space is made for those arriving.
4. Every Muslim used to wish to sit close to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a gathering, or as in the Friday sermon, most people wish to sit close to the Imam. In such a situation, no one, no matter how great in honor or status, is permitted to make someone stand up and then sit in his place.
5. Observing ranks also has its place. If a junior, upon seeing a senior arrive, out of humility and respect for the newcomer, vacates his place and moves back, this will become a means of honor and elevation of ranks for the junior. And this often happened in the gatherings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
6. If someone, for example during the Friday sermon, stands up from his place due to his wudu breaking or for some other reason, and after performing wudu returns, no one else should take possession of his place. Rather, the first person is more entitled to that place.
7. If the leader of the gathering commands the assembly to disperse and leave, or tells a particular person to leave for some reason, he should not feel any shame in this command, nor should he feel insulted or humiliated in complying with it.
8. If it is a gathering for eating, after finishing the meal, one should not engage in conversation and trouble or inconvenience the host, but rather, after finishing, should quickly seek permission and depart.
[15]
Discipline in Gatherings:
Do not think that if you sit farther from the leader of the gathering to make space for others, your status has been lowered, or if you are told to stand up and leave, you have been insulted. The real purpose of raising ranks is faith and knowledge, not who sits close to the leader of the gathering and who sits far from him. It should be clear that these commands or etiquettes of gatherings are not limited only to the gatherings of the Prophetic era, but even today it is necessary to act upon them, so that discipline is maintained and everyone gets the opportunity to benefit according to their rank. Islam teaches utmost discipline and refinement, not disorder. Then, when there are such commands of discipline regarding ordinary gatherings, in the field of jihad and the ranks of battle, even greater discipline and obedience to the leader is necessary.
[12]
Etiquettes of Gatherings:
In any gathering or assembly, for two or more people to separate themselves and whisper to each other is also against the etiquettes of a gathering. In this context, in this verse, Muslims are being commanded to observe a few more etiquettes of gatherings. In this regard, consider the following ahadith:
1. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "No person should make another stand up and then sit in his place. He also said: (When space is tight) do not sit in a way that takes up too much room, and make space for those who come." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب اذا قیل لکم تفسحوا فی المجالس]
2. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "None of you should make his brother stand up from his place on the day of Jumu'ah and then sit there himself, rather he should say: 'Spread out.'" [مسلم۔ کتاب السلام۔ باب من اتٰی مجلسا فوجد فرجۃ فیجلس۔۔]
3. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If any of you stands up from his place (for some need) and then returns, he is more entitled to that place." [مسلم۔ کتاب السلام۔ باب اذاقام من مجلسہ ثم عاد الیہ فھواحق بہ]
[13] That is, Allah will remove the constriction of your hearts and material difficulties and will open the doors of His mercy for you.
[14] From this verse, the aforementioned ahadith, and some other texts, the etiquettes of gatherings that have been taught to Muslims are as follows:
1. Upon arriving at a gathering, one should greet the people present.
2. Then, wherever space is found, one should sit there. One should not inconvenience others, nor should one feel insulted by this.
3. When the people in the gathering see that space is becoming tight and newcomers are not finding a place, they should widen the circle of the gathering. Or, if it is a gathering like Jumu'ah, they should contract and sit closer together so that space is made for those arriving.
4. Every Muslim used to wish to sit close to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a gathering, or as in the Friday sermon, most people wish to sit close to the Imam. In such a situation, no one, no matter how great in honor or status, is permitted to make someone stand up and then sit in his place.
5. Observing ranks also has its place. If a junior, upon seeing a senior arrive, out of humility and respect for the newcomer, vacates his place and moves back, this will become a means of honor and elevation of ranks for the junior. And this often happened in the gatherings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
6. If someone, for example during the Friday sermon, stands up from his place due to his wudu breaking or for some other reason, and after performing wudu returns, no one else should take possession of his place. Rather, the first person is more entitled to that place.
7. If the leader of the gathering commands the assembly to disperse and leave, or tells a particular person to leave for some reason, he should not feel any shame in this command, nor should he feel insulted or humiliated in complying with it.
8. If it is a gathering for eating, after finishing the meal, one should not engage in conversation and trouble or inconvenience the host, but rather, after finishing, should quickly seek permission and depart.
[15]
Discipline in Gatherings:
Do not think that if you sit farther from the leader of the gathering to make space for others, your status has been lowered, or if you are told to stand up and leave, you have been insulted. The real purpose of raising ranks is faith and knowledge, not who sits close to the leader of the gathering and who sits far from him. It should be clear that these commands or etiquettes of gatherings are not limited only to the gatherings of the Prophetic era, but even today it is necessary to act upon them, so that discipline is maintained and everyone gets the opportunity to benefit according to their rank. Islam teaches utmost discipline and refinement, not disorder. Then, when there are such commands of discipline regarding ordinary gatherings, in the field of jihad and the ranks of battle, even greater discipline and obedience to the leader is necessary.
