Surah AlHujurat - Class 2a

بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"مَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِي بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلاَّ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ "

"No people get together in a house of the houses of Allah (i.e. a mosque), reciting the Book of Allah, and learning it together among themselves, but calmness (sakinah) comes down to them, (Divine) mercy covers them (from above), and the angels surround them, and Allah makes a mention of them among those who are with Him"

In another Hadith:

"إن لله تعالى ملائكة يطوفون في الطرق يلتمسون أهل الذكر، فإذا وجدوا قومًا يذكرون الله عز وجل، تنادوا: هلموا إلى حاجتكم، فيحفونهم بأجنحتهم إلى السماء الدنيا، فيسألهم ربهم - وهو أعلم: ما يقول عبادي؟ قال: يقولون: يسبحونك، ويكبرونك، ويحمدونك، ويمجدونك، فيقول: هل رأوني؟ فيقولون: لا لا والله ما رأوك، فيقول: كيف لو رأوني؟! قال: يقولون: لو رأوك كانوا أشد لك عبادة، وأشد لك تمجيدًا، وأكثر لك تسبيحًا فيقول: فماذا يسألون؟ قال: يقولون: يسألونك الجنة. قال: يقول: وهل رأوها؟ قال: يقولون: لا والله يا رب ما رأوها. قال: يقول: فكيف لو رأوها؟! قال: يقولون: لو أنهم رأوها كانوا أشد عليها حرصًا، وأشد لها طلبًا، وأعظم فيها رغبة. قال: فمم يتعوذون؟ قال يقولون: يتعوذون من النار، قال: فيقول: وهل رأوها؟ قال: يقولون: ولا والله ما رأوها. فيقول: كيف لو رأوها؟! قال: يقولون: لو رأوها كانوا أشد فرارًا، وأشد لها مخافة. قال: يقول: فأشهدكم أني قد غفرت لهم، قال: يقول ملك من الملائكة: فيهم فلان ليس منهم، إنما جاء لحاجة، قال: هم الجلساء لا يشقى بهم جليسهم"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has teams of angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find some people remembering Allah they call to one another and say, 'Come to what you are looking for;' and they surround them with their wings till the space between them and the lowest sky is fully covered.

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them (although He is best informed about every thing): 'What are my slave saying?' They say: 'They are glorifying Your Tasbih, Tahmid, Takbir, Tamjid, (i.e., they were declaring Your Perfectness, praising, remembering the Greatness and Majesty of Allah).' He asks: 'Have they seen Me?' They reply, 'No, indeed, they have not seen You.' He asks: 'How would they act if they were to see Me?' Thereupon they reply: 'If they were to see You, they would engage more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You and would extol You more.' He would say: 'What do they beg of Me?' They say, 'They beg You for Your Jannah.' Allah says, 'Have they seen My Jannah?' They say, 'No, our Rabb.' He says: 'How would they act if they were to see My Jannah?' They reply, 'Were they to see it, they would more intensely eager for it.'

They (the angels) say, 'They seek Your Protection.' He asks, 'Against what do they seek My Protection?' They (the angels) say, 'Our Rabb, from the fire of Hell.' Allah says, 'Have they seen the fire of Hell?' They say, 'No. By Your Honour, they have not seen it.' He says: 'How would they act if they were to see My Fire?' They say: 'If they were to see it, they would more earnest in being away from it and fearing it. They beg of Your forgiveness.' He says: 'I call you to witness that I hereby grant pardon to them and confer upon them what they ask for; and grant them protection against what they seek protection from.'

One of the angels says: 'Our Rabb, there is amongst them such and such slave who does not belong to the assembly of those who are participating in Your remembrance. He passed by them and sat down with them.' He says: 'I also grant him pardon because they are the people by virtue of whom their associates will not be unfortunate'." [Agreed upon]

We need to periodically remind ourselves of the rewards behind these gatherings and studying the Book of Allah, because the more hopes and intentions you have, the more you will be rewarded. If you are heedless of it while performing the action, you will not get these rewards.

We want tranquility to descend upon us, mercy to cover us, the Angels to surround us, for Allah to mention us to the Angels with Him, for our sins to be forgiven by the end of gathering, and for Allah to increase our faith. Because studying the Book of Allah is a means of increasing in faith; the evidence being the following two verses:

In [9:124]:

"And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from the Quran), some of them (hypocrites) say: "Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?" As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice."

And in [8:2]:

"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);"

One of the greatest blessings upon us is the blessing of the Qur'an. Allah blessed us by making us able to recite His Words. And He praised Himself for revealing this Book in [18:2]

"All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad ﷺ) the Book (the Quran), and has not placed therein any crookedness."

We have to praise and thank Allah for this great blessing. And one way of showing gratitude is to study the Qur'an, ponder over it, and act upon it. We hear the commands and obey, we hear the prohibitions and abstain from them.

Allah said regarding the Wives of the Prophet ﷺ in [33:33-34]:

"And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (IqamatasSalat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove ArRijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet ﷺ), and to purify you with a thorough purification."

"And remember (O you the members of the Prophet's family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of Allah and AlHikmah (i.e. Prophet's Sunnah legal ways, etc. so give your thanks to Allah and glorify His Praises for this Quran and the Sunnah). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous, WellAcquainted with all things."

Allah advises the Wives of the Prophet ﷺ, and orders them to stay in their houses, pray, give charity, and recite and ponder over the Qur'an. We are looking for joy and happiness by traveling, but joy and happiness is in the heart, and comes from obeying Allah.

The most precious thing you have in your life is your time. Your time is your life. When you spend your life studying the Qur'an and then in the end go to your grave, you will be pleased with what you have prepared for yourself.

سورة الحجرات - Surah AlHujurat

The Repeated Words

The most frequently repeated word in this Surah is إيمان and the derivations, because Allah is addressing the believers. Another word which is repeated is التقوى. Taqwa is a means of increasing faith. It is to prevent yourself from disobeying Allah and to obey Allah, knowing that He sees you. That is why another word that is repeated is the Name of Allah عليم. Allah is the Most Knowledgeable. We do not need to put cameras on the streets to prevent crimes. We should know that Allah is Knowledgeable, He knows about us, He sees us, He hears us. If you remember that, you will practice Taqwa - you will not commit sin. The Muslim falls into sin when he forgets that Allah knows about him and sees him.

The place of Taqwa is the heart, which is another repeated word in the Surah. And Allah is testing us - and the place of these test is the heart, because it is the place of Taqwa. We are tested everyday, with words and actions. The more you remember Allah knows, the more you will have Taqwa. The more you practice Taqwa, the more you will increase in faith.

The Pillars of Faith

Our faith should increase until it reaches the level of certainty. We increase our faith by studying them in detail. The more you know the details of the Pillars of Faith, the more certainty you will have regarding them.

The Pillars of Faith are 6:

1) Belief in Allah

2) Belief in the Angels

3) Belief in the Books

4) Belief in the Prophets and Messengers

5) Belief in the Last Day

6) Belief in the Qadar

Belief in Allah

The Names, Attributes, and Actions of Allah in the Surah

Verse 1:

"O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), and fear Allah. Verily! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated three times

-> سميع

-> عليم

Allah addresses the believers, and begins mentioning His Name الله three times. What is the wisdom?

Ibn Abbas said that the Name الله means:

ذو الألوهية والعبودية على خلقه أجمعين

He is Perfect in all His Attributes, that is why no one deserves to be worshipped except Him. If you are a believer and your heart is full of glorification and love of Allah, you would not direct any worship to other than Him. You would not obey anyone more than Allah.

That is why this name is repeated thrice - to remind and prepare the believers. Allah is going to command you with commandments, forbid you with prohibitions, and order you with manners you have to follow. Hear and Obey.

Verse 3:

"Verily! Those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety. For them is forgiveness and a great reward."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

Actions of Allah

-> إمتحن - Allah tests our heart. So we need to be alert of these tests. Do not act and then discover it was a test and you failed. Ask Allah to enlighten your heart, so that when you are tested you know it is a test. Sometimes the test is a few minutes, other times for days, or longer.

There was a woman who was tested regarding her son. He was sick, and the doctors diagnosed it as cancer, but they were mistaken. She said when she was told it was cancer, she was not patient, and said and did things she did regretted. Then two days later they told her that her son was fine. She said only after the test did she discovered Allah was testing her - will you think good about Allah? Will you have patience when Allah tests you? Will you be content with Allah? Will you say Allah is your Wali and will never let you down? Or will you forget everything and collapse.

Verse 5:

Names of Allah

-> الله

-> غفور

-> رحيم

Verse 7:

"And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah (SAW). If he were to obey you (i.e. follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger SAW) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones"

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

Actions of Allah

-> حبب

-> زينه

-> كره

The dearest thing for a mother is for her children to be guided and righteous. Who will beautify and make beloved worship to their hearts? Allah. This is the action of Allah. No one else can do it. A Messenger of Allah - Nuh عليه السلام spent 950 years calling his people, and his son was not guided. It is not because there was something wrong with Nuh عليه السلام. Allah chooses those whom He guides, He beautifies faith in their hearts. The most important means you have to guide your children is Dua. Make Dua everyday that Allah guides your children and endears faith in their hearts.

Teenagers do not listen at all, they think you are from another planet. A mother said she tried her best to make her son leave his friends, who were bad company. He did not listen to her at all. She began to made Dua. She said Allah wanted my son not to listen to me, but to leave them when a dispute happened between them. If he left them because I told him to, he would go back to them. But he left them after a dispute, so he did not go back to them at all. Allah knows the best time and He chooses the best way, the most important thing is to be patient and think good of Allah. He will be for you as you think He will be. If you think bad, wait for the bad.

Ask Allah:

Verse 8:

"(This is) a Grace from Allah and His Favour. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Names of Allah

-> الله

-> عليم

-> حكيم

Actions of Allah

-> فضلا

-> نعمة

Verse 9:

"And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allah; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah loves those who are equitable."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

Actions of Allah

-> يحب - When you know that Allah loves, you should look at the actions He loves, because you want Him to love you.

-> أمر الله

Verse 10:

"The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy."

Names of Allah

-> الله

Actions of Allah

-> ترحمون - Where will you receive mercy? From Allah.

Verse 12:

"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

-> تواب

-> رحيم

Verse 13:

"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 Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

-> عليم

-> خبير

Actions of Allah

-> خلقناكم - Allah created us

-> جعلناكم - Allah made us into nations and tribes

There are people who have children who are all white skinned except for one. And all the time he feels bad for being this color. Who created you? Allah. The family will either plant the sickness of envy in his heart by mocking him, or will respect him because this is Allah's creation. If a relative has something different than the rest of his family, then know Allah created you this way. He chose you to look like this, to be from this place, to have the amount of wealth you do, etc. Accept and be content with what Allah has decreed upon you. Allah knows what suits you.

If the child has a disability, Allah has written that upon you. Be content and accept that, and ask Allah to cure you. Do not have the sickness of envy and look at people wondering why they have and you do not. Ask the One who gave them to give you.

Verse 14:

"The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You believe not but you only say, 'We have surrendered (in Islam),' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ

, He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Names of Allah

-> Allah - This is repeated twice

-> غفور

-> رحيم

Actions of Allah

-> لا يلتكم - This is a negated action of Allah. Allah will not decrease anything in the reward of your deeds if you obey Him.

Verse 15:

"Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated twice

Verse 16:

"Say: "Will you inform Allah about your religion? While Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allah is All-Aware of everything."

Names of Allah

-> الله - This is repeated thrice

-> عليم

Actions of Allah

-> يعلم

Verse 17:

"They regard as favour upon you (O Muhammad ﷺ) that they have embraced Islam. Say: "Count not your Islam as a favour upon me. Nay, but Allah has conferred a favour upon you, that He has guided you to the Faith, if you indeed are true"

Names of Allah

-> الله

Actions of Allah

-> هداكم - Allah is the One who guides. When you know that, ask guidance from Him. And we do so 17 times a day in our prayer. We have to ask Allah to guide us.

-> يمنّ -> Allah conferred a favour upon you

Verse 18: