يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ
O you who have believed, when you are told, "Space yourselves" in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you. And when you are told, "Arise," then arise; Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
Introduction
This is āyah 11 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)
(O ye who believe! when it is said unto you, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter)�) [58:11]. Said Muqatil: �The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was at al-Suffah. The place was not spacious and it was a Friday. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, had the habit of honouring those who had taken part in the Battle of Badr from among the Emigrants and the Helpers. Some of those who had participated in Badr came to the gathering and found that people were already there before them. They stood, therefore, facing toward the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, waiting for people to make room for them. But no one made room for them. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was pained to see this and so he said to those around him who did not take part in Badr: �So-and-so get up, and you get up�, and he moved as many people as the number of those who were standing among the Companions who participated in the Battle of Badr. Those who were asked to vacate their seats were not pleased and the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, saw their displeasure on their faces. Then, the hypocrites said to the Muslims: �Did you not claim that your man deals fairly with people? By Allah, he has not been fair with these people. He removed people who wanted to be close to their Prophet from places in which they were already sitting and seated in their stead people who came late!� Allah, exalted is He, therefore revealed this verse�.
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.
Community resources
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