الحجرات
Al Hujurat
Verses
18
Revelation
Madani
Period
Madinan
Surah No.
49 / 114
Al-Hujurat is a concentrated surah of social ethics revealed in Madinah. Its name refers to the private chambers of the Prophet's wives, which some Bedouins rudely called out from without waiting. The surah establishes comprehensive principles of communal conduct: verifying news before acting, not raising one's voice before the Prophet, resolving conflict between believers justly, avoiding mockery and defamation, refraining from suspicion and spying, and the Islamic definition of brotherhood based on faith rather than race or tribe.
أسباب النزول
Composed of several revelations responding to specific incidents in the Madinan community. The incident of Al-Walid ibn Uqbah bringing a false report about the tribe of Banu Mustaliq (49:6) prompted the command to verify news. The Banu Tamim delegation's rude behaviour (calling from outside the Prophet's chambers) prompted 49:4-5. The conflict between two groups of the Ansar prompted the mediation verses (49:9-10). These collective revelations became foundational principles of Islamic social ethics.
“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate.”
The Quranic foundation for the principle of verifying sources before acting on information – one of the central methodological principles of hadith scholarship and Islamic jurisprudence.
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.”
The foundational Quranic statement of human equality and the positive purpose of diversity: mutual acquaintance and cooperation, not pride or discrimination. The criterion of honour is taqwa alone.