Al-Hujurat
Al-Hujurat (Arabic: الحُجُرات, al-ḥujurāt meaning: The Chambers) is the 49th chapter (surah) of the Quran with 18 verses (āyāt). The chapter contains etiquette and norms to be observed in the Muslim community, including the proper conduct towards the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, an injunction against acting on news without verification, a call for peace and reconciliation, as well as injunctions against defamation, suspicion, and backbiting. The chapter also declares a universal brotherhood among Muslims. The thirteenth verse, one of the most famous in the Quran, is understood by Muslim scholars to establish equality with regards to race and origin; only God can determine one's nobility based on his piety.
| الحجرات Al-Ḥujurāt The Private Apartments | |
|---|---|
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| Classification | Medinan |
| Other names | The Inner Apartments, The Chamber, Apartments |
| Position | Juzʼ 26 |
| No. of Rukus | 2 |
| No. of verses | 18 |
| Quran |
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The chapter is a Medinan sura, revealed in the year 9 AH (630 CE) when the nascent Islamic state under the leadership of Muhammad had extended to most of Arabia. Muslim historians linked some of the verses (either verses 2–5 or just 4–5) to the conduct of a Banu Tamim delegation to Muhammad in Medina. The chapter reprimands the delegates' behavior and then lays down protocol when interacting with Muhammad.
Revelation history
According to most scholars of the Islamic tradition, the chapter was revealed in late Medinan period, therefore, it is a Medinan sura. It is most likely revealed in 630 CE (or 9 AH), after the Conquest of Mecca and when Muhammad already ruled most of Arabia. A minority opinion, including that of the exegete Mahmud al-Alusi, says that the thirteenth verse was revealed in the Meccan period.[1] The traditional Egyptian chronology puts the chapter as the 106th chapter by the order of revelation (after Al-Mujadila), while the Nöldeke Chronology (by the orientalist Theodor Nöldeke) puts it as the 112th.[2]
Muslim historians, such as Al-Waqidi and Ibn Ishaq, linked the revelation of several verses to the conduct of a delegation from the Banu Tamim when they were in Medina to meet with Muhammad.[3] According to Al-Waqidi, the Tamimites were negotiating the release of Tamimite prisoners in Muhammad's custody,[4] while according to Ibn Ishaq they were challenging Muhammad to a mufakhara (a boasting contest, a pre-Islamic Arabian practice).[3] As Muhammad was sleeping, they went through the private apartments of Muhammad and his wives to seek him out.[5] Verses 2–4 (according to Al-Waqidi) or verse 4 (Ibn Ishaq) of this chapter describe the Tamimites' behavior,[6] while verse 5 reprimands it and instructs Muslims to be patient when seeking audience with Muhammad.[7] Al-Waqidi dated this event as month of Muharram 9 AH, while Ibn Ishaq's account implied that it had happened in Ramadan 9 AH or later.[6]
Name
The chapter is named after the word Al-Hujurat (The Private Apartments) which appeared in the fourth verse.[1] Verses 4 and 5 instructed the Muslims to not enter the private apartments of Muhammad—at this point the ruler of most of Arabia—or his wives to search for or petition him.[7]
The word al-hujurat is the plural and definite form of hujrah which translates as room, compartment of chamber. Verse 4 of this chapter is the only use of this word in the Quran, and due to this uniqueness, the chapter is named after it.[8]
Citations
- The Study Quran 2015, p. 1257.
- Ernst 2011, p. 39.
- Landau-Tasseron 1986, p. 254.
- Landau-Tasseron 1986, p. 253.
- The Study Quran 2015, p. 1258, verse 4 commentary.
- Landau-Tasseron 1986, p. 255.
- The Study Quran 2015, pp. 1258–9, commentary of verses 4 and 5.
- Ebrahim 1996, p. x.
Bibliography
- Abul Kalam Muhammad Shahed; Noor Muhammad Osmani; Muhammad Abu Bakr Siddique (2015). "Surah al-Hujurat: A Charter of Ideal Social Life" (PDF). Bangladesh Journal of Islamic Thought. 11 (16): 1–20. ISSN 1816-689X.
- Al-Dargazelli, Shetha (2013). The Names of the Qur'anic Chapters. The Other Press. ISBN 978-967-5062-93-3.
- Ebrahim, Rahim (1996). Major Themes in Surat Al-Hujurat (Chapter 49 of the Qur'an) (PDF) (M. A.). University of Durban-Westville.
- Ernst, Carl W. (5 December 2011). How to Read the Qur'an: A New Guide, with Select Translations. Univ of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-6907-9.
- Landau-Tasseron, Ella (1986). "Processes of Redaction: The Case of the Tamīmite Delegation to the Prophet Muḥammad". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 49 (2): 253–270. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00024150. JSTOR 618597.
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr; Caner K. Dagli; Maria Massi Dakake; Joseph E.B. Lumbard; Mohammed Rustom, eds. (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-112586-7.
- Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
