Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

www.alhassanain.org/english

The Islamic Moral System: Commentary of Surah al-Hujurat

Author(s): Ayatullah Jafar Subhani

Translator(s): Shaykh Saleem Bhimji

Publisher(s): Islamic Humanitarian Service (IHS)

www.alhassanain.org/english

In a detailed commentary of Surah al-Hujurat, Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani elaborates on the ethical aspects behinds its revelation and expounds on a range of ethical problems that are experienced in society which are thoroughly dealt with by Islamic teachings.

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

Table of Contents

Biography of Ayatullah Ja`far Subhani 9

Introduction 11

Introduction to the Fourth Printing in Farsi 11

Stability of Nations and the Importance of Etiquette 11

Introduction to the English Translation 13

18 August 2003 / 20 Jumadi ath-Thani 1424 13

Foreword 14

The Most Important Issue in the Lives of the Youth 14

The Factors that Can Control One’s Instincts 15

1. Knowledge and Wisdom 15

2. Training and Upbringing without Religion 17

Beneficial Ethical Traits 18

3. Ethical Traits that Rely upon Religious Teachings 19

The Mission of Ethical Guidance of Islam 20

The Distinctions of the Islamic Ethical Teachings 20

Necessity of Having a Movement that Encourages Ethics 22

Notes 23

The Specifics of Surah al-Hujurat 24

What Objectives does this Surah Pursue? 24

This Surah was Revealed in Madinah, Not Makkah 25

Note 27

The Disciplines of Islam 28

(Verse 1) 28

Examples in History of Those who have Taken Precedence over Allah and His Prophet 29

The True Meaning of Islam is Submission 31

Notes 36

Humility When Speaking 37

(Verses 2 - 5) 37

A Rough, Rude Society 38

Notes 40

The Sin of Making up Rumours 41

(Verse 6) 41

Liars During the Period of Prophet Muhammad 42

Who was Walid? 43

Walid Performs Four Rak`at of Salat al-Fajr 44

Rumour Mongering in Our Time 46

Notes 46

Immunity from Sin and Error 48

(Verses 7 - 8) 48

An Infallible Prophet and the Subject of Asking Advice 50

Notes 53

An Internal Messenger: The Ethical Conscience 54

(Verse 7) 54

Freud and the Ethical Consciousness 57

Notes 58

An Everlasting Peace Treaty 59

(Verse 9) 59

Struggling for Peace 61

Standing up to an Oppressor 61

Notes 64

Brotherhood in Islam 65

(Verse 10) 65

Unity under the Luminance of True Belief 66

An Effective Medication 70

An Alert Enemy 71

Examples of Self-Sacrifice through Islamic Brotherhood 72

Notes 73

Respecting the Repute of Another Muslim 75

(Verse 11) 75

Support from the Qur’an in Strengthening this Principle 76

Psychological Motives for Making Fun of Others 76

Occasion of Revelation of this Verse 77

Notes 78

Picking Faults is Prohibited 79

(Verse 11) 79

Pointing Out One’s Defects with Sincerity is Not the Same as Fault Finding 80

Stirring Up a Person’s Emotions 81

Notes 82

A Bad Name and Family 83

(Verse 11) 83

Bad Names and Titles 83

Notes 85

Being Pessimistic About Others 87

(Verse 12) 87

The Dangers of Being Pessimistic About Others 88

Notes 90

Prying Into the Secrets of People 91

(Verse 12) 91

Societal Dangers Brought About by Prying into Others’ Lives 91

1. Ruining the Reputation of Others 91

2. Withdrawing and Retreating from Society 92

3. Loss of Freedom 93

Notes 94

Speaking Bad Behind Someone’s Back 95

(Verse 12) 95

The Motives that Lead to Backbiting 96

Dangers of Backbiting 96

Notes 97

Islam and Racial Superiority 99

(Verse 13) 99

The Question of Race and Language in the World Today 100

1. Having Pride of One’s Relations, Family or Tribe 101

2. The “Virtue” of Being an `Arab 102

The Most Amazing Marriage in History 103

Why is Allah Consciousness (Taqwa) the Criteria for Excellence? 109

Notes 110

‘Islam’ and ‘Iman’ from the Point of View of the Qur’an 111

(Verse 14) 111

Analysis of the Word ‘Iman’ 113

Another Meaning of ‘Islam’ and ‘Iman’ 115

Investigating a Long Running Dispute 117

Notes 119

Self-Sacrifice in Order to Reach One’s Objectives 120

(Verse 15) 120

The Areas Where Love is of No Use 122

True Faith Takes the Place of the Forces of Equality 123

The Generation of Freedom 123

Notes 124

The Infinite Knowledge of Allah 125

(Verse 16) 125

Proofs of Allah’s Never-Ending Knowledge 126

First Proof for the Comprehensive Knowledge of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He): 126

Guidance from the Qur’an on the First Proof 126

Second Proof for the Comprehensive Knowledge of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He): 127

The Knowledge of God in the Tawrat 129

Notes 131

The Greatest Blessing 132

(Verse 17) 132

Notes 136

Knowledge of the Unseen 137

(Verse 20) 137

Notes 141

Appendix: Explanatory Translation of Surah al-Hujurat 142

Obedience to the Shari`ah 142

Criterion of Truth & Falshood in News 143

Obedience to the Prophet 143

Islamic Solidarity 143

Some Moral Rights of Muslims 144

Racism Rejected 145

Difference Between Islam and Iman: Submission & Conviction 145

Notes 146

Selected Bibliography 147

Biography of Ayatullah Ja`far Subhani

The golden pages of history are replete with individuals who have sacrificed their lives for the guidance and leadership of humanity and throughout the ages, we see many scholars who have dedicated their lives to the path of progress and spiritual upliftment of mankind. One such scholar who is also one of the greatest thinkers of the Islamic world is Ayatullah Hajj Shaykh Ja`far Subhani who has spent his entire life in research, writing and teaching and has struggled through these means to lift the culture and level of humanity.

Ayatullah Subhani was born on the 28th of Shawwal in the year 1347 AH (1926 CE) in the city of Tabriz (in Iran) into a scholarly and well-respected family. His father was the late Ayatullah Shaykh Muhammad Husain Subhani Khayabani who spent more than fifty years teaching, writing and guiding the people and was also responsible for the training and educating of the future teachers and leaders of the society.

After completing his primary school and the introductory studies, Ayatullah Subhani then went on to study the books of Farsi literature and grammar. Following this, at the age of 14 (1361 AH/1940 CE) he proceeded to enter into the Theological Seminary of Tabriz named Talibiyah and was busy in the preliminary and second level of studies in the Theological Seminary.

He studied the `Arabic language under the guidance of the following deceased scholars: Hajj Shaykh Hasan Nahwi and Shaykh `Ali Akbar Mudarris Khayabani (author of the book Rayhanatul Adab). These studies took him five years - until the year 1365 AH (1944 CE) after with Ayatullah Subhani was able to complete the second level of theological studies and began the highest level of Islamic studies (Kharij) in Fiqh, Usulul Fiqh and Philosophy. During this period of his studies, he benefited from the knowledge of teachers such as:

1. The Late Ayatullah al-`Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Muhammad Husain Burujerdi (d. 1380 AH/1959 CE)

2. The Late Ayatullah al-`Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Muhammad Hujjat Kuhkamari (d. 1372 AH/1951 CE)

3. The Late Ayatullah al-`Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Ruhullah al-Musawi Khumayni (d. 1409 AH/1988 CE)

In the field of Philosophy, he studied the commentary of the book Manzumah and al-Asfar of Mullah Sadra (may Allah be pleased with him) and also benefited from private lessons in the subject of realism under the tutelage of the late `Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husain Taba’taba’i (may Allah be pleased with him).

In addition, he studied `Ilmul Kalam under the late Sayyid Muhammad Badkubae (d. 1390 AH/1969 CE).

Ayatullah Subhani is one of those scholars who took up the pen and writing from a very young age and since then, his entire life has been spent in the fields of teaching and writing. Because of this, we see that the first book he ever wrote which was named The Criterion of Thinking (in the field of Logic) was written when he was a mere 17 years old!

At the age of 18, he began teaching the secondary level of Islamic studies (Sutuh) and was imparting knowledge in the fields of Fiqh, Usul, Philosophy, Hadith and other subjects.

In addition, he has written notes on the lectures of Usulul Fiqh of the late Ayatullah Khumayni which have been recently printed.

Through all of this work, he has transformed himself into a teacher who goes deep into a subject and an effective thinker such that many important tasks have been imparted onto him, such as:

1) Establishing a centre for the teaching of `Ilmul Kalam and a research library and facility for those who are conducting research in the Islamic sciences.

2) Written one complete topic-wise commentary of the Qur’an in ten volumes.

3) Prepared and taught one complete course - consisting of 16 printed volumes of books - in the fields of the History of Fiqh and the Fuqaha.

4) Prepared and wrote manuals for the teaching of Usulul Fiqh, `Ilmul Kalam, Hadith, `Ilmul Rijal and the history and information on the various religions of the world and their sects and divisions.

We pray to Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) to grant the author of this work the blessings to be able to continue on this path.

Introduction

Introduction to the Fourth Printing in Farsi

Stability of Nations and the Importance of Etiquette

This book, The Islamic Moral System which was written close to thirty years ago, contains a discussion on the Islamic principles and values as mentioned in the blessed Surah of the Qur’an, al-Hujurat. These topics were explained in a way that could be easily understood by all readers and it was our intention and prayer to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) that the youth would take notice of this book, and through the manifestation of the Islamic etiquette (mentioned in this book), they would be able to reach to great (spiritual) levels during the course of their lives.

Since we desired that this close relationship with the dear readers of this book (especially the youth) should be re-established (through this work), we have edited and re-published this work once again.

We remind the readers of one point in relation to the importance of developing the noble ethical traits, just as an `Arab poet has stated:

فَإِنَّمٌا الأُمَمُ، الأَخْلاٌقُ مٌا بَقِيَتْ فَإِنْ هُمْ ذَهَبَتْ أَخْلاٌقُهُمْ ذَهَبُوا

So then surely they are (the true) nations,

Whose etiquette has remained behind (for us);

Then if they lost their etiquette (when they existed),

Then they too have ceased to exist (now).

Who are those nations that had made a pledge to uphold these valuable ethical traits such that these priceless qualities would rule supreme over them and through this, have remained in existence? If one day we see that a nation is destroyed and becomes extinct, then the only reason for this can be that they did not pay attention to the noble ethical traits, and thus they were pulled into confusion and destruction.

During the `Abbasid Empire, all of the branches of knowledge (with the exception of Akhlaq - Morals and Ethics) of the Greeks were translated into the `Arabic language and were widely and openly accepted (by others) and even the Muslims struggled (to understand these texts).

However, in the opinion of the Muslim thinkers, the ethical and moral teachings of the Greeks did not even carry the slightest importance since the moral commandments that Islam possessed were much more superb, such that no other ethical teachings could compare to them. Therefore, after the book Taharatul A`raq of Ibn Maskuyah, most of the books of Akhlaq written were concerning the Islamic etiquette.

It is our hope that this book will be the guiding light to the (straight) path for the Muslim youth.

Qum, Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) Institute

6/11/1376

27th of the Blessed Month of Ramadhan, 1418 AH

Ja`far Subhani

Introduction to the English Translation

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad

Surah al-Hujurat, the forty-ninth chapter of the Qur’an, lays out many of the social-ethical concepts in Islam. It covers various themes from submission and obedience to Almighty Allah and His Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to the status and honour of the Prophet in eyes of Allah; its talks about the brotherhood of the Muslims and the ethical duties that they have towards one another; it emphasizes on the concern that Muslims should have for solving internal disputes, and for supporting justice against injustice; it presents the equality among the believers irrespective of their ethnic and racial differences; it highlights the importance of spiritual conviction (Iman) over the physical submission (Islam).

Al-Hujurat was my favourite Surah since my student days in Qum in the seventies. When I was invited by the Imamia Students Organisation (of Pakistan) in Ramadhan of 1979, I started a tafsir program in their four local chapters in Karachi and used Surah al-Hujurat as the theme. All praise is due to Allah that the program became a success even, and that tradition of tafsir in Ramadhan nights has continued ever since in Karachi.

When I came to Vancouver (Canada) in summer of 1983, I initiated the tafsir program in Ramadhan where I again started with Surah al-Hujurat. That Surah was also used by me as the pilot project for the plan of An Explanatory Translation of the Qur’an which has been published in three volumes covering half of the holy Qur’an (and the remaining three volumes will be published soon, Insha-Allah).

The Persian commentary of Surah al-Hujurat by Ayatullah Shaykh Ja`far Subhani was one of the sources that I referred to when doing the tafsir of that Surah. Ayatullah Subhani is one of the leading scholars of Qum, and his multi-volume commentary of the Qur’an (under the title of“Mafahimu ’l-Qur’an” ) may be considered as a pioneering attempt in the thematic approach of Qur’anic commentary.

And so it was indeed a delight to know that Shaykh Saleem Bhimji has translated the commentary of Surah al-Hujurat of Ayatullah Subhani and has thus helped the English-speaking students of the Qur’an to study the moral/ethical concepts of Islam from its original source.

May Almighty Allah bless Shaykh Saleem Bhimji for his endeavours in translating this book and increase his tawfiqat.

Amen

18 August 2003 / 20 Jumadi ath-Thani 1424

Toronto

Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi