Surah The private apartments [Al-Hujraat] in English

O People who Believe! Do not advance ahead of Allah and His Noble Messenger, and fear Allah; indeed Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

O People who Believe! Do not raise your voices higher than the voice of the Prophet, nor speak to him loudly the way you shout to one another, lest your deeds go to waste whilst you are unaware. (Faith will go waste due to the slightest disrespect towards the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him. To honour him is part of faith. To disrespect him is blasphemy.)

Indeed those who suppress their voices in the presence of Allah’s Noble Messenger, are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety; for them is forgiveness, and a great reward.

Indeed most of those who call you from outside the chambers do not have sense.

And had they been patient until you yourself came out to them, it would be better for them; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

O People who Believe! If any miscreant brings you some tidings, verify it, lest you unknowingly cause suffering to some people, and then remain repenting for what you did.

And know that Allah’s Noble Messenger is among you; in most of the affairs, were he to listen to you, you would surely fall into hardship, but Allah has made faith dear to you and has instilled it in your hearts, and has made disbelief and rebellion and disobedience abhorred by you; it is people like these who are on guidance.

The munificence and favour of Allah; and Allah is All Knowing, Wise.

And if two groups of Muslims fight against each other, reconcile them; and if one of them oppresses the other, fight against the oppressor till it returns to the command of Allah; then if it returns, reconcile between them with justice, and be fair; indeed Allah loves the equitable.

The Muslims are brothers to each other, therefore make peace between your two brothers and fear Allah, so that you may gain mercy. (The entire Muslim nation is a single brotherhood, without any distinction for caste, creed or colour.)

O People who Believe! Men must not ridicule other men for it could be that the ridiculed are better than the mockers, nor must the women ridicule other women for the ridiculed women may be better than the mockers; and do not insult one another, nor assign evil nicknames; how base it is to be called a sinner after being a Muslim! And whoever does not repent – then it is they who are unjust.

O People who Believe! Avoid excessive assumptions; indeed assumption sometimes becomes a sin, and do not seek faults, and do not slander one another; would any one among you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? So you will hate that! And fear Allah; indeed Allah is Most Acceptor of Repentance, Most Merciful.

O mankind! We have indeed created you from one man and one woman, and have made you into various nations and tribes so that you may know one another; indeed the more honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is one who is more pious among you; indeed Allah is All Knowing, All Aware. (Piety is the basis of honour in Allah’s sight.)

The ignorant said, “We have accepted faith”; say, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “You have surely not accepted faith, but you should say ‘We have submitted’, for faith has not yet entered your hearts; and if you obey* Allah and His Noble Messenger, He will not reduce the reward of any of your deeds; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (* By accepting faith and then obeying the commands).

The true believers are only those who accepted faith in Allah and His Noble Messenger and then did not have any doubt, and fought with their wealth and their lives in Allah’s way; it is they who are the truthful.

Proclaim (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Are you teaching Allah your own religion? Whereas Allah knows all whatever is in the heavens and all whatever is in the earth; and Allah knows all things.”

They portray that they are doing a great favour to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) by having become Muslims; say, “Do not think that you have done me a favour by accepting Islam; in fact Allah has bestowed a favour upon you, for He guided you to Islam, if you are truthful.”