ََُحم ْ 1253 الحجرات
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿۱﴾
﴾1﴿ Yaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo la tuqaddimoo baina yada yil laahi wa Rasoolihee wattaqul laah; innal laaha samee'un 'Aleem
﴾1﴿ O believers, do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing
Relevancy:
This surah is connected to Surah Al-Fath in several ways.
The first connection is that in the previous surah, the status of the noble companions and their progress was mentioned as an example. Now, in this surah, etiquette is discussed to prevent disputes and division among them and among all Muslims.
The second connection is that the previous surah affirmed the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and now, in this surah, the principles of respecting him are mentioned.
Claim of this surah:
The mention of principles and etiquette to prevent disputes and division and to maintain unity and harmony is outlined through ten commandments and eight prohibitions.
Summary of the surah:
In this surah, seven etiquettes are mentioned to prevent division, followed by warnings to the hypocrites who do not observe these etiquettes. It also distinguishes between the traits of believers and hypocrites. The hypocrites are reprimanded for falsely claiming faith, as their claim either suggests they are informing Allah or that they are displaying favor upon the Messenger. Both are negative traits. The surah concludes with a refutation of associating partners with Allah in knowledge.
The details of these etiquettes are as follows: First etiquette: Do not put anyone’s opinion, including your own, ahead of the Quran and Sunnah, as this leads to division. Instead, follow the Quran and Sunnah in all matters and at their designated times (Verse 1).
Second etiquette: Refrain from disrespecting the companions of Islamic law and its rulings. Observe the qualities and conditions of Islamic rulings (Verse 2). This is followed by glad tidings for those who maintain etiquette (Verse 3) and warnings for those who abandon it (Verses 4-5).
Third etiquette: Do not accept news from a sinful person without verification, to prevent discord. Investigate such reports, encourage obedience to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and act according to true faith (Verses 7-8).
Fourth etiquette: Command reconciliation among believers to prevent disputes and conflict (Verses 9-10).
Fifth etiquette: Avoid humiliating and belittling believers in any of three ways, as it stems from arrogance. Therefore, do not be arrogant (Verse 11).
Sixth etiquette: Refrain from actions that cause division and discord, especially those arising from jealousy. Do not hold grudges or be envious (Verse 12).
Seventh etiquette: Avoid boasting about lineage and tribal pride, as this also leads to division. These traits stem from ignorance, so distance yourself from pre-Islamic ignorance and honor people based on piety, not ancestry (Verse 13).
After these etiquettes, the discussion shifts to the hypocrites.
[1] This first section is aimed at establishing unity and agreement while preventing division and discord. The commentator Qurtubi states that the verse is general and applies to many situations, meaning it may have been revealed without a specific cause—so mentioning a particular reason for its revelation is not necessary.
The verb (لَا تُقَدِّمُوا) is transitive, and its object is implied: "Do not put forward your opinions, words, or actions" ahead of the Quran, Hadith, and the rulings of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).
The phrase (بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ) literally means "in front of Allah and His Messenger," but figuratively, it signifies presence, proximity, or direct confrontation. Here, it implies that Allah’s command and the Messenger’s teachings are present, so one should not formulate independent judgments, words, or actions against divine guidance.
The verse ends with (إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ)—“Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” Since people may advance their own statements, "All-Hearing" is mentioned. Likewise, since actions and beliefs are involved, "All-Knowing" is mentioned to emphasize that Allah is fully aware of all matters.