Sūrah Al-Ḥujurāt The Rooms: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī The Source Commentary

Surah Overview

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahالحجراتMadanī 18 versesSocial ethics, verification of reports, community conduct

Key DisagreementWho is the "fāsiq" in 49:6 whose report must be verified?Occasion of revelationAl-Ṭabarī: al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah sent to collect zakāh, he falsely reported a tribe was hostile

Competing OpinionsWhat is the difference between "qālū āmannā" and "ūtū l-īmān" (49:14)?Īmān vs. IslāmAl-Ṭabarī: Islām is outward submission; īmān requires internal conviction through chains from Ibn ʿAbbās

MethodologyConnecting each etiquette command to its specific occasion of revelation through chainsAsbāb al-nuzūl methodAl-Ṭabarī traces specific individuals, events, and situations that prompted each verse in this surah

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

The fāsiq-report verse (49:6) is analyzed through chains tracing the specific occasion: al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah was sent by the Prophet to collect zakāh from the Banū l-Muṣṭaliq tribe. He turned back out of fear (or fabricated a report) claiming the tribe was hostile. The Prophet sent another delegation and found the tribe peacefully awaiting the zakāh delegation. The verse was revealed: "If a fāsiq brings you news, verify it." Al-Ṭabarī uses this chain to establish the legal principle: reports from morally unreliable persons require verification before action.

The Islām-vs.-īmān distinction (49:14) is one of the most theologically significant in al-Ṭabarī's tafsīr. The Bedouins say "we believe (āmannā)" the verse corrects: "say rather 'we have submitted (aslamnā)'." Al-Ṭabarī traces through Ibn ʿAbbās and the prophetic tradition: Islām is the outward declaration and practice; īmān is the additional internal conviction that has "not yet entered your hearts." This distinction is a key Sunni theological principle he traces through chains.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū in jāʾakum fāsiqun bi-nabaʾin fa-tabayyinū "O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate." (49:6) Al-Ṭabarī presents the chain from al-Walīd incident as the established occasion, making this verse the Quranic foundation for verifying reports from unreliable transmitters directly relevant to his isnād methodology.

قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا Qālati l-aʿrābu āmannā qul lam tuʾminū wa-lākin qūlū aslamanā "The Bedouins say, 'We have believed.' Say: 'You have not believed; but say instead, We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts." (49:14) Al-Ṭabarī traces the īmān-Islām distinction through chains, making this the Quranic basis for the theological difference between outer submission and inner conviction.

Fāsiq-report principle: Al-Ṭabarī connects 49:6 directly to his tafsīr methodology just as news from a fāsiq requires verification, chains through weak transmitters require critical scrutiny.
Īmān-Islām distinction: His chain analysis of 49:14 establishes this as a Quranic theological principle a foundational concept in Sunni ʿaqīdah.
Asbāb al-nuzūl precision: This surah is one of al-Ṭabarī's most detailed asbāb analyses nearly every verse has a traceable occasion with chains.
Brotherhood principle: 49:10 "the believers are but brothers" is presented through chains as the foundation of the Islamic social order.
Mockery prohibition: 49:11's prohibition of mockery, defamation, and bad nicknames is traced through chains from Companion community practice in Medina.

Surah Overview

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

Finished this lesson?