سُوْرَةُ الْمُجَادَلَةِ
Surah Al-Mujaadila (58) — Ayah 9
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا تَنَـٰجَيْتُمْ فَلَا تَتَنَـٰجَوْا۟ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ وَتَنَـٰجَوْا۟ بِٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! When you hold secret counsel, do it not for sin and wrong-doing, and disobedience towards the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), but do it for Al-Birr (righteousness) and Taqwâ (virtues and piety); and fear Allâh unto Whom you shall be gathered.
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
تَنَـٰجَيْتُمْ
tanājaytum
you hold secret counsel
فَلَا
falā
then (do) not
تَتَنَـٰجَوْا۟
tatanājaw
hold secret counsel
بِٱلْإِثْمِ
bil-ith'mi
for sin
وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ
wal-ʿud'wāni
and aggression
وَمَعْصِيَتِ
wamaʿṣiyati
and disobedience
ٱلرَّسُولِ
l-rasūli
(to) the Messenger
وَتَنَـٰجَوْا۟
watanājaw
but hold secret counsel
بِٱلْبِرِّ
bil-biri
for righteousness
وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ
wal-taqwā
and piety
وَٱتَّقُوا۟
wa-ittaqū
And fear
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
ٱلَّذِىٓ
alladhī
the One Who
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to Him
تُحْشَرُونَ
tuḥ'sharūna
you will be gathered
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.
9. O you who believe! When you confer in secret, do not confer about sin, transgression, and disobedience to the Messenger, but confer about righteousness [10] and piety. And fear Allah, to Whom you will be gathered.
[10]
The Three Types of Whispering and Their Status:
In this verse, the address is to the general Muslims, among whom the hypocrites are also included. Whispering, murmuring, and secret talk are all synonymous words. There can be three forms of this whispering. First, that this whispering is based on ill intention, evil motives, or some impure conspiracy, as the hypocrites used to whisper against the Muslims. This is an incitement from Satan, as is explicitly mentioned in the next verse, and it is unanimously forbidden. Second, that the whispering is based on goodness and virtue, for example, whispering to reconcile two people who are fighting, or as when Sayyiduna Yusufؑ, after detaining his brother Binyamin, the remaining brothers spoke among themselves away from others. Such whispering is not only permissible but commendable. In fact, sometimes it can even be obligatory. Third, such whispering that concerns only the two who are whispering and not others, as the Messenger of Allahﷺ did with Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) before his passing, which made her cry once and laugh the second time. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب من ناجی بین الناس]
Such whispering is permissible and there is no harm in it. However, there are some etiquettes for whispering which are known from the following hadith. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'udؓ narrates that the Prophetﷺ said: When you are three people together, two should not whisper to the exclusion of the third, for that will grieve him. But if there are more people present, then there is no harm. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب اذا کانوا اکثر من ثلثۃ۔۔۔]
And the main purpose of these etiquettes is that no person should be hurt or fall into suspicion. That is:
1. If there are only three people, then two should not whisper to the exclusion of the third. However, if they take permission from the third, then they may whisper. In this way, the possibility of suspicion is eliminated.
2. If there are more than three people, then two may whisper. But it should not be that there are four people and three of them whisper to the exclusion of one. And so on.
3. If there are many people and two begin to whisper, then neither of them should point towards nor look at any particular person sitting in the gathering, which may unnecessarily create suspicion in the heart of the one indicated.
The Purpose of Whispering by the Hypocrites:
In short, all forms that cause suspicion or hurt are forbidden according to this verse, and the very work of the hypocrites was that whenever they gathered with the Muslims, they would start impure secret talk. For example, at the time of departure for jihad, they would start whispering, "It seems that none of these Muslims who are setting out for jihad will return safely. Who knows what golden dreams these people are seeing," and so on.
[10]
The Three Types of Whispering and Their Status:
In this verse, the address is to the general Muslims, among whom the hypocrites are also included. Whispering, murmuring, and secret talk are all synonymous words. There can be three forms of this whispering. First, that this whispering is based on ill intention, evil motives, or some impure conspiracy, as the hypocrites used to whisper against the Muslims. This is an incitement from Satan, as is explicitly mentioned in the next verse, and it is unanimously forbidden. Second, that the whispering is based on goodness and virtue, for example, whispering to reconcile two people who are fighting, or as when Sayyiduna Yusufؑ, after detaining his brother Binyamin, the remaining brothers spoke among themselves away from others. Such whispering is not only permissible but commendable. In fact, sometimes it can even be obligatory. Third, such whispering that concerns only the two who are whispering and not others, as the Messenger of Allahﷺ did with Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) before his passing, which made her cry once and laugh the second time. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب من ناجی بین الناس]
Such whispering is permissible and there is no harm in it. However, there are some etiquettes for whispering which are known from the following hadith. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'udؓ narrates that the Prophetﷺ said: When you are three people together, two should not whisper to the exclusion of the third, for that will grieve him. But if there are more people present, then there is no harm. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاستیذان۔ باب اذا کانوا اکثر من ثلثۃ۔۔۔]
And the main purpose of these etiquettes is that no person should be hurt or fall into suspicion. That is:
1. If there are only three people, then two should not whisper to the exclusion of the third. However, if they take permission from the third, then they may whisper. In this way, the possibility of suspicion is eliminated.
2. If there are more than three people, then two may whisper. But it should not be that there are four people and three of them whisper to the exclusion of one. And so on.
3. If there are many people and two begin to whisper, then neither of them should point towards nor look at any particular person sitting in the gathering, which may unnecessarily create suspicion in the heart of the one indicated.
The Purpose of Whispering by the Hypocrites:
In short, all forms that cause suspicion or hurt are forbidden according to this verse, and the very work of the hypocrites was that whenever they gathered with the Muslims, they would start impure secret talk. For example, at the time of departure for jihad, they would start whispering, "It seems that none of these Muslims who are setting out for jihad will return safely. Who knows what golden dreams these people are seeing," and so on.
