Al-Mujadila 58:13
The Pleading Woman · Juz 28 · Page 544
ءَأَشۡفَقۡتُمۡ أَن تُقَدِّمُواْ بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡ نَجۡوَىٰكُمۡ صَدَقَٰتٖۚ فَإِذۡ لَمۡ تَفۡعَلُواْ وَتَابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٣
Have you feared to present before your consultation charities? Then when you do not and Allāh has forgiven you, then [at least] establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allāh and His Messenger. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 58:12–13
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَاجَيْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ (0 those who believe, when you consult the Messenger of Allah, ...58:12) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was preoccupied day and night with educating the people and improving their quality of life. In his general assemblies, all the members of the audience benefited from his teachings. However, there were people who wanted private meetings with the Holy Prophet ﷺ and he would grant them that. Obviously, it was not possible to grant everyone's request as it required time and effort, and that was difficult. The hypocrites made matters worse when they asked for private audiences with the Holy Prophet ﷺ in order to hurt the sincere Muslims. Besides, the hypocrites held protracted conferences with him. Some of the illiterate Muslims also held private audiences with him for a longer time than normal or necessary. This made things difficult for him. Allah provided a way to stop their irksome behaviour by this verse which lightened the burden of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Initially, the verse provided that anyone who wishes to hold a private conference with him must advance a freewill charity, the amount or measure of which is not specified in the Qur'an. However, when this verse was revealed Sayyidna ` Ali رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ was the first Companion to act upon it: He offered one Dinar in charity and requested a private audience with the Prophet ﷺ .
Only Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ Acted upon the verse
It is a remarkable co-incidence that most of the blessed Companions ؓ ، because of financial constraints, were unable to act upon this verse. Its provision was repealed. Sayyidna Ali ؓ used to say that there is a verse in the Qur'an that none before me and none after me has ever acted upon it. The meaning of the phrase 'none before me' is obvious. The phrase 'none after me' means 'none after me will practise it' because the verse is abrogated. Although the ordinance is repealed, it achieved its basic purpose. The Muslims, because of the dictates of their sincere love, avoided their protracted audiences with the Prophet ﷺ so that he is not inconvenienced in any way. The hypocrites avoided protracted audiences with him because they feared that they would be recognized for what they are and their hypocrisy would be exposed. Allah knows best!
Page 544
58:12
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا نَٰجَيۡتُمُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُواْ بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡ نَجۡوَىٰكُمۡ صَدَقَةٗۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ وَأَطۡهَرُۚ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَجِدُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٌ ١٢
O you who have believed, when you [wish to] privately consult the Messenger, present before your consultation a charity. That is better for you and purer. But if you find not [the means] - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
58:13
ءَأَشۡفَقۡتُمۡ أَن تُقَدِّمُواْ بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡ نَجۡوَىٰكُمۡ صَدَقَٰتٖۚ فَإِذۡ لَمۡ تَفۡعَلُواْ وَتَابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٣
Have you feared to present before your consultation charities? Then when you do not and Allāh has forgiven you, then [at least] establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allāh and His Messenger. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
58:14
۞ أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوۡاْ قَوۡمًا غَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مَّا هُم مِّنكُمۡ وَلَا مِنۡهُمۡ وَيَحۡلِفُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡكَذِبِ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٤
Have you not considered those who make allies of a people with whom Allāh has become angry? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to untruth while they know [they are lying].
58:15
أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٗا شَدِيدًاۖ إِنَّهُمۡ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٥
Allāh has prepared for them a severe punishment. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.
58:16
ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَيۡمَٰنَهُمۡ جُنَّةٗ فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞ ١٦
They took their [false] oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allāh, and for them is a humiliating punishment.
58:17
لَّن تُغۡنِيَ عَنۡهُمۡ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـًٔاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ١٧
Never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allāh at all. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally
58:18
يَوۡمَ يَبۡعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ جَمِيعٗا فَيَحۡلِفُونَ لَهُۥ كَمَا يَحۡلِفُونَ لَكُمۡ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ عَلَىٰ شَيۡءٍۚ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡكَٰذِبُونَ ١٨
On the Day Allāh will resurrect them all, and they will swear to Him as they swear to you and think that they are [standing] on something.1 Unquestionably, it is they who are the liars.
1 translator’s note
- They assume that their lies will be believed and that they will escape detection as they did in worldly life. ↩
58:19
ٱسۡتَحۡوَذَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ فَأَنسَىٰهُمۡ ذِكۡرَ ٱللَّهِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ حِزۡبُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ ١٩
Satan has overcome them and made them forget the remembrance of Allāh. Those are the party of Satan. Unquestionably, the party of Satan - they will be the losers.
58:20
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآدُّونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي ٱلۡأَذَلِّينَ ٢٠
Indeed, the ones who oppose Allāh and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled.
58:21
كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَأَغۡلِبَنَّ أَنَا۠ وَرُسُلِيٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٞ ٢١
Allāh has written [i.e., decreed], "I will surely overcome, I and My messengers." Indeed, Allāh is Powerful and Exalted in Might.