أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ نُهُوا۟ عَنِ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَيَتَنَٰجَوْنَ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِذَا جَآءُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ وَيَقُولُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَوْلَا يُعَذِّبُنَا ٱللَّهُ بِمَا نَقُولُ ۚ حَسْبُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ يَصْلَوْنَهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
Have you not considered those who were forbidden from private conversation, then they return to that which they were forbidden and converse among themselves about sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger? And when they come to you, they greet you with that [word] by which Allah does not greet you and say among themselves, "Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?" Sufficient for them is Hell, which they will [enter to] burn, and wretched is the destination.
Introduction
This is āyah 8 of Sūrat Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman), the 105th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 28. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 105 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Mujaadila (58)
(Hast thou not observed those who were forbidden conspiracy�) [58:8]. Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid said that this verse was revealed about the Jews and the hypocrites. This is because the latter used to talk secretly amongst themselves to the exclusion of the believers and then look at the believers and wink at each other. When the believers saw their secret communications, they said: �We think that they are doing this because they received news about our relatives and brothers who went out in military expeditions. They have been killed, wounded or defeated�. But when these secret conversations continued, they complained to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and he commanded them not to speak in secret to the exclusion of the believers. They did not heed his command and went back to secret conversations among themselves. Allah, exalted is He, therefore revealed this verse. (And when they come unto thee they greet thee with a greeting wherewith Allah greeteth thee not�) [58:8]. Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Khashshsab informed us> Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn 'Abd Allah al-Asfahani> Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Sarraj> Qutaybah ibn Sa'id> Jarir> al-A'mash> Abu'l-Duha> Masruq> 'A'ishah who said: �Some Jews came to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said 'Al-Sam to you, O Abu'l-Qasim!' And so I replied: 'Al-Sam to you too, and may Allah take you away!' The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'Stop, O 'A'ishah! For Allah, exalted is He, does not like indecency nor the uttering of indecent words'. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, did you not hear what they said?' He said: 'Do you not see that I have sent back to them what they said. I said: the same to you'. This verse was revealed about this (And when they come unto thee they greet thee with a greeting wherewith Allah greeteth thee not)�. Abu Sa'id Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Ghazi informed us> Abu 'Amr Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hiri> Ahmad ibn 'Ali al-Muthanna> Zuhayr ibn Muhammad> Yunus ibn Muhammad> Shayban> Qatadah> Anas who said: �A Jewish man came to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: 'Al-Sam be with you!' The people who were present responded to him with the greetings of peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to them: 'Do you know what this man said?' They said: 'O Prophet of Allah, Allah and His Messenger know best, [but we think he said: al-Salam [peace be with you]'.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
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