544 Page Notes

58 Surah Al-Mujadila (continued)

Page 544 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 544 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 544 of the Qur'an contains the latter portion of Surah Al-Mujadila (The Pleading Woman), verses 12 through 20. These verses mark a structural shift in the Surah, moving from specific social rules and community manners to geopolitical realities, internal security, and spiritual loyalty in the early Madinan state.

Historically, this passage addresses two distinct issues: the etiquette of private consultation with the Prophet ﷺ (Verses 12–13) and the hidden subversion of the hypocrites (Munafiqun) who aligned with those who incurred Allah's wrath (Verses 14–20).

1. Verses 12–13: The Law of Sadaqah Before Private Consultation

"O you who have believed, when you [wish to] private converse with the Messenger, introduce your private conversation with an charity..." (Qur'an 58:12)

The Hadith Context

When the Muslims settled in Madinah, many individuals constantly sought private audiences with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Some did this for trivial matters, which exhausted the Prophet’s time and crowded out those with serious needs. Allah revealed verse 12, commanding that anyone wanting a private meeting must first give a Sadaqah (charity) to the poor.

According to classical Hadith and Tafsir literature, this injunction was very short-lived and served as a psychological test of sincerity.

• The Sole Executioner of the Verse: Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) famously noted that he was the only person who acted upon this verse before it was abrogated by the very next verse (Verse 13).

• The Hadith: In Sunan At-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3300), Ali reported: "In the Book of Allah, there is a verse which no one acted upon before me, and no one will act upon after me... I had a dinar, so I changed it for ten dirhams. Whenever I wanted to converse privately with the Prophet ﷺ, I offered a dirham in charity." Then the verse was abrogated by: "Have you feared that you should introduce your private conversation with charities? Then when you have not done it and Allah has forgiven you, then establish prayer and give zakah..." (Qur'an 58:13).

2. Verses 14–17: The Deception and Oaths of the Hypocrites

"Have you not seen those who make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to untruth while they know [they are lying]." (Qur'an 58:14)

The Hadith Context

These verses were revealed concerning the hypocrites of Madinah, specifically targeting individuals like Abdullah ibn Nabtal (or in some narrations, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul), who secretly met with hostile factions while pretending to be devoted Muslims.

• The Incident of the "Spy with the Eyes of a Devil": In accounts documented by Ibn Kathir and classical Hadith collectors, the Prophet ﷺ was sitting in a room with his companions when he suddenly said: "A man will enter upon you now whose heart is the heart of a tyrant, and who looks through the eyes of a devil."

• Shortly after, a man entered. The Prophet ﷺ confronted him, asking: "Why do you and your companions insult me?" The man denied it vehemently and swore by Allah that he had done no such thing. He then left and brought his friends, who all swore false oaths to the Prophet ﷺ to protect themselves. Allah then revealed verse 14, exposing their false swearing ("and they swear to untruth while they know").

3. Verses 18–20: Swearing False Oaths on the Day of Resurrection

"On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all and they will swear to Him as they swear to you and think that they are [standing] on something. Unquestionably, it is they who are the liars." (Qur'an 58:18)

The Sunnah/Hadith Context

The Sunnah elaborates heavily on the severe spiritual danger of using false oaths (Yameen Al-Ghamoos) to protect one's wealth, reputation, or social standing, linking it directly to the behavior of the hypocrites highlighted on page 544.

• Perjury and False Testimony: In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 2673) and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have warned: "The major sins are: Associating partners with Allah, disobedience to parents, killing a soul, and the false oath (Al-Yameen Al-Ghamoos)."

• The Prophet ﷺ explained that anyone who deliberately takes a false oath to usurp the property or rights of another Muslim will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment while Allah is angry with him. Verses 18–19 demonstrate that the hypocrites' habit of lying becomes so deeply ingrained that they will foolishly attempt to swear falsely to Allah Himself on the Day of Resurrection, blinded by the delusion that it will save them just as it did in the worldly life.

Surah Al-Mujadila, Verse 21 reads:

            كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

"Allah has written [i.e., decreed]: 'I will surely overcome, I and My messengers.' Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might." (Qur'an 58:21)

This verse functions as a grand divine declaration following the exposure of the hypocrites in the preceding verses. In classical Hadith, Sunnah, and historical context (Asbab al-Nuzul), this verse establishes a permanent cosmic law regarding the ultimate triumph of truth over falsehood.

1. Context of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The historical background explaining why this verse was sent down is preserved by classical mufassirun (such as Al-Wahidi, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Qurtubi) via narrations tracing back to the Companions:

• The Taunt of the Hypocrites: When the early Muslims were facing immense military, economic, and social pressure in Madinah—threatened by the Quraish, neighboring Jewish tribes, and internal saboteurs—the hypocrites (Munafiqun) openly mocked them. They looked at the geopolitical superpowers of the era, the Byzantine (Roman) and Sasanian (Persian) Empires, and scoffed at the Prophet's ﷺ prophecies.

• The Hadith/Tradition: Narrations from Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) and Qatadah state that the Muslims openly talked about how Allah would eventually grant them victory over these great empires. The hypocrites sneeringly replied: "Do Muhammad and his companions genuinely believe they can conquer the Romans and Persians? Never! The power dynamic is entirely stacked against them." In direct response to this psychological warfare and defeatism, Allah revealed Verse 21 to declare that His decree is unalterable: the Messengers will always ultimately prevail.

2. Hadith Corroborating the Theme of Ultimate Victory

While Verse 21 is an absolute statement of divine decree, the Sunnah provides numerous authentic Hadiths explicitly expanding on how and when this specific promise manifested for the Prophet ﷺ and his followers.

A. The Earth Swallowed for the Prophet ﷺ

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly connected his mission to this cosmic guarantee of geopolitical and spiritual triumph.

• The Hadith: In Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2889), Thawban reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "Indeed, Allah drew the ends of the earth together for me (wrapped it up), so that I saw its eastern and western extremities. And indeed, the dominion of my nation will reach as far as what was drawn together for me..."

• Relevance: This is the literal fulfillment of "I will surely overcome, I and My messengers." Despite the absolute material weakness of the early Muslim community, the global reach promised by the Sunnah perfectly mirrored the absolute decree written in verse 21.

B. The Collapse of Caesar and Khosrow

To counter the specific doubts of the hypocrites regarding Rome and Persia, the Prophet ﷺ left definitive statements in the Sunnah.

• The Hadith: In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3618) and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "When Khosrow (the ruler of Persia) perishes, there will be no Khosrow after him; and when Caesar (the ruler of Rome) perishes, there will be no Caesar after him. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you will spend their treasures in the cause of Allah."

• Relevance: This prophecy directly actualized Verse 21 within a single generation. The superpower entities that mocked the early Muslims were structurally dismantled, ensuring the victory of the prophetic message.

3. The Conceptual Nature of Prophetic "Victory" (Ghalaba)

Islamic scholars point out that the word la-aghlibanna (I will surely overcome/prevail) in Verse 21 applies to all Messengers, yet historically, some Prophets (like Yahya/John the Baptist or Zakariya) were martyred by their people.

The Sunnah clarifies that "victory" in the divine sense takes two forms, both of which are documented in Hadith literature:

1. Material and Geopolitical Victory: Granted to messengers who were commanded to establish states or engage in physical defense, such as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Prophet Musa (Moses), and Prophet Dawud (David).

2. Ideological and Ultimate Intellectual Victory: The absolute vindication of their message and the utter destruction or eternal disgrace of their enemies.

• The Hadith on Divine Vengeance: In a famous Hadith Qudsi recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6502), Allah warns:
  "Whosoever shows enmity to a Wali (pious friend/messenger) of Mine, I during that time declare war against him."

• When Allah declares war on the opponents of His messengers, defeat for those opponents is absolute. Even if a Prophet was physically harmed in this life, the Sunnah reinforces that their legacy, theology, and honor remained completely victorious, while their persecutors vanished into historical infamy.