al-Ḥujurāt

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِن وَرَاء الْحُجُرَاتِ أكْثَرُهُمْ لَآ يَعْقِلُونَ

وَلَوْ أنَّهُمْ صَبَرُوا حَتَّی تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

4. Indeed those who call you from behind the rooms, most of them refrain from intellection.

5. And if they had patience till you could come out to them, it would have been definitely better for them. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Social decorum has the prime of place in Islam. Some of the rules of etiquette are mentioned in this Chapter, hence its designation Surah al-Adab (“The Chapter of Manners”). Each of the rooms of the Noble Prophet’s (S) house was devoted to one of his wives. These rooms were quite simple, but unfortunately, they were destroyed under the caliphate of Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik and their spaces were annexed to a mosque.⁶ Had these rooms been preserved, the world would have been able to notice the simplicity of their life and they would have received a lesson concerning the same.

Bad manners indicate insensibility. Imam ‘Ali (as) says:

“One devoid of reason lacks good manners.”

Thus it is said in the blessed Verses in question:

“O Muhammad! Those who call you from behind the rooms, most of them are ignorant. If they had reason and could understand your exalted state of Prophethood, they ceased to do so. Had they had patience until you left the room, it would have been better for them, since they could reflect their understanding and modesty.”

The blessed Verses apparently make mention of those people concerning whom the blessed Verses were revealed. Some Qur’anic exegets have also said that the blessed Verses indicate that the Noble Prophet (S) is not supposed to be called:

“O Muhammad! O Ahmad!”

in the manner that they call themselves, but they are supposed to called him as:

“O Messenger of Allah! O Prophet of Allah!”

They maintain that the blessed Verses in question are like the other Qur’anic Verse⁷:

“Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as you call one another.”

Footnotes

1. 6. Tafsir Ruh al-Ma’ani, apud Ibn Sa’d’s Tabaqat.
2. 7. 24:63