Surah Al Hujurat Verse 2 & 3
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
- O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet ﷺ, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not.
In this verse, Allah informs the believers that when they speak to the Prophet (ﷺ), they must lower their voices, and must not raise it above the voice of the Prophet (ﷺ). They must also not speak to him in a loud manner as they would normally speak to one another. They must show respect in their speech and speak to him in a quiet and low tone, without raising their voices.
Additionally, they must not address him by his name or his nickname (agnomen) as they address each other. As such, they must not address him as ‘Yaa Muhammad’, but should say, ‘Yaa Rasoolullah’ or ‘Yaa Nabiyallah’, in order to show respect to his rank and status in the sight of Allah. (Safwah At Tafaseer vol.3 pg. 216)
The verse further states, ‘lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not’. It means that if one raises his voice above the Prophet’s voice or he addresses him without respect, then he should fear that he may lose his good deeds while he is totally unaware of it. The scholars have stated that raising one’s voice and speaking loud in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) in order to show disrespect to him, may lead to Kufr (disbelief) which destroys one’s good deeds.
With respect to the above verse, it is narrated from Abdullah bin Zubair (R.A) that a group of people from Banu Tameem came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and requested that he appoint one of them as an Ameer (leader) over the rest (of people). Before the Prophet (ﷺ) could say anything, Abu Bakr (R.A) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, make Qa’qa bin Ma’bad the Ameer’. Umar (R.A) said, ‘But instead, make Aqra bin Habis the Ameer’. Upon this, Abu Bakr (R.A) said (to Umar), ‘You did not intend anything except to oppose me’. Umar (R.A) responded and said, ‘I did not intend to oppose you’. Both of them disputed in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) until their voices became loud. Upon this, Allah revealed the above verse (i.e. verse 2 of Surah Hujurat) saying, ‘O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet ﷺ, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not’. (Sahih Bukhari; Tirmidhi; An Nasaii – Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.5 pg. 579 Dar Al Kitab Al Arabi, Beirut 2013; Tafseer Al Qurtubi vol.16 pg. 257, 258 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta).
It is narrated that after the revelation of the above verse, Abu Bakr (R.A) said to the Prophet (ﷺ), ‘By Allah! O Messenger of Allah, I will not speak to you except like one who is sharing a secret’. (Bazar; Hakim – Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.5 pg. 579 Dar Al Kitab Al Arabi, Beirut 2013).
Abdullah bin Zubair (R.A) narrated that (after the revelation of the above verse) Umar’s voice was so low that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had to ask him to repeat what he said so that he could understand what he was saying to him’. (Ibid)
The above two verses thus, gave two instructions to the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), while correcting the situation which occurred with Abu Bakr (R.A) and Umar (R.A). In the first instance, when the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked to choose a leader from the Banu Tameeem, both these companions gave their opinions/suggestions even before the Prophet (ﷺ) could say a word about it. The first verse guided the Sahabahs and informed them that they should not voice their opinions/suggestions on any matter before the Prophet (ﷺ). The verse stated, ‘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.’
In the second situation, both Abu Bakr (R.A) and Umar (R.A) began to raise their voices while in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), without showing due reverence/deference to the august presence of the Prophet (ﷺ). The second verse corrected this and gave a clear instruction to the companions that they must not raise their voices above/higher than that of the Prophet (ﷺ), nor should they speak to him in a loud tone which they may use while talking to each other. The verse stated, ‘O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet ﷺ, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not.’
While explaining the above verse, Hafiz Ibn Katheer (A.R) has stated that based on the order given in the above verse (of not raising one’s voice in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ), the scholars have stated that it is Makrooh (reprehensible) to raise one’s voice at the grave of the Prophet (ﷺ), just as it was Makrooh (reprehensible) to do so in his lifetime (while being in his presence). The reason is that he is respected/honoured at all times, while alive and also when he is in his grave.
It is narrated that once Umar (R.A) (while he was the Khalifah), heard two men speaking to each other and they had raised their voices while in the masjid of the Prophet (ﷺ). He came to them and said, ‘Do you know where you are?’ He then asked, ‘From where did you come?’ They said, ‘From the people of Ta’if.’ He said to them, ‘If you were from the people of Madinah, I would have caused pain to you by punishing you. Are you raising your voices in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?’ (Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.5 pg. 581 Dar Al Kitab Al Arabi, Beirut 2013)
The great Mufassir (exegete) of the Holy Quran, Imam Qurtubi (A.R) has also stated, ‘Some scholars have deemed it Makrooh for one to raise one’s voice (aloud) at the grave of the Prophet (ﷺ), and they have also considered it Makrooh to raise one’s voice (aloud) in the presence of the Ulama, as respect/honour to them, since they are the inheritors of the Prophets’. He (Imam Qurtubi) then mentioned the statement of the great scholar, Qadhi Abu Bakr Ibn Al Arabi (A.R) in which he said, ‘The holiness/veneration of the Prophet (ﷺ) after his demise, is the same as when he was alive (on the face of the earth). His transmitted speech/statements after his return to Allah, with respect to its rank and loftiness, is the same as they were, when heard directly from his spoken words in his lifetime.. Therefore, when his words are read, it is essential upon everyone who is present (listening to his words) to not raise his voice, nor turn away from it, just as these were essential upon one who was in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ), listening to his direct words when he spoke’.(Tafseer Al Qurtubi – Al Jami’ li Ahkam Al Quran vol. 16 pgs. 260, 261 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta)
Surah Al Hujurat states in verse 3:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
- 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.
Here, Allah ordains lowering one’s voice in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and encourages and guides one upon it.
The verse explains that those who lower their voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they are the ones whose hearts Allah has purified for Taqwa (piety) and made it (the heart) a dwelling and residence for it. Therefore, Taqwa has become firmly established in their hearts and Allah has selected their hearts for it (Taqwa). (Tafseer Ibn Katheer vol.5 pg. 581)
With respect to the statement, ‘They are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for Taqwa (piety)’, Abdullah bin Abbas (R.A) explains that it means Allah has purified their hearts from every vile/ugly deed and has placed in their hearts fear for Him and piety’.
Umar (R.A) states that it also means that Allah has removed base/low desires from their hearts. The meaning of ‘Allah has tested their hearts for piety’ is that Allah has expanded their hearts and opened it for piety’. (Tafseer Al Qurtubi vol. 16 pg. 262 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta).
The verse concludes with the statement, ‘For them is forgiveness and a great reward’. It means that those who lower their voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), through the Taqwa of their hearts, they would be handsomely rewarded by Allah in the hereafter in two ways. Firstly, Allah would forgive them for all their sins, and secondly, He would grant them entrance into Paradise, which would certainly be a great reward. (Tafseer At Tabari vol.26 pg. 139 Dar Ihya At Turath Al Arabi Beirut 2001).
Some commentators have stated that although the above verse (i.e. v.3) was general to all believers, it was revealed about Abu Bakr (R.A) and Umar (R.A) when both of them, due to the extreme fear of Allah, decided to speak very soft and in a very low tone to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), after they were warned about raising their voices in his presence.
In this warning, they were tested and tried by Allah to see the level of Taqwa in their hearts. When they lowered their voices and became extremely remorseful for what they did, Allah revealed the verse about them, attesting to their high level of Taqwa and also promising them forgiveness and entry into Paradise. (Tafseer Al Bahr Al Muheet vol.9 pg. 508 Dar Al Fikr Beirut 1992).