al-Ḥujurāt

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أصْوَاتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ اُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَی لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

3. Indeed, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger (for the sake of good manners and their respect for him], they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested [and prepared] for [entertaining] piety. For them are forgiveness and a great reward.

The Arabic word ghadhdh is used in the sense of “lower, cast down.” It is employed in the Holy Qur’an in the senses of lowering one’s voice and glance; for instance, lower one’s glance to avoid from looking at those outside the circle of close kinship as it is attested elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

“Tell the believing men to lower their glance [from looking at forbidden things and persons]” ⁵ .

It should be borne in mind that we have to censure the wrong-doing and encourage the good-doing. The preceding blessed Verse reproaches those who raised their voices in the presence of the Noble Prophet (S) and the blessed Verse in question and the following ones encourage decent people;

(“Indeed, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger (for the sake of good manners and their respect for him], they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested [and prepared] for [entertaining] piety. For them are forgiveness and a great reward”).

At any rate, the blessed Verse makes a reference to the pious whose characteristics includes speaking softly in the presence of the Noble Prophet (S) and never raise their voices above that of the Noble Prophet (S), since his exalted state and grandeur have penetrated in their hearts such that they are so modest that they never raise their voices before him but they lower them. Divine Reward and Forgiving are in store for such people.

Footnotes

1. 5. 24:30