Texts of Islam

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 49. al-Hujurat: The Chambers

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This is Surah Al-Hujurat (Chapter 49, "The Chambers") from the Quran, presented in M.M. Pickthall's early 20th-century English translation — a landmark rendering notable for its archaic but reverent prose style. The surah is a Medinan chapter addressed directly to the early Muslim community, focusing almost entirely on social ethics and interpersonal conduct rather than theology or law. Its central concerns are proper deference to the Prophet, the obligation to verify information before acting on it, and the prohibition of mockery, defamation, suspicion, and backbiting among believers. The chapter's most widely cited verse (13) asserts that humanity's division into nations and tribes exists for mutual knowledge, not hierarchy, and that moral conduct — not lineage or ethnicity — is the true measure of human worth before God. It also draws a pointed distinction between outward submission (islam) and genuine internalized faith (iman), rebuking those who claim belief without conviction. Taken together, the surah reads as a practical community charter for Muslim social life, emphasizing reconciliation, epistemic caution, and dignity in human relations.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 49. al-Hujurat: The Chambers

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