In these Ayat, Allah the Exalted teaches His faithful servants the good
manners they should observe with the Messenger , which are respect, honor and
esteem. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُقَدِّمُواْ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ]
(O you who believe! Make not (a decision) in advance before Allah and His
Messenger,) meaning, do not rush in making decisions before him, rather, follow
his lead in all matters. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah
be pleased with him, commented;
[لاَ تُقَدِّمُواْ
بَيْنَ يَدَىِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ]
(Make not (a decision) in advance before Allah and His Messenger,) "Do not
say anything that contradicts the Qur'an and Sunnah.'' Qatadah commented, "We
were told that some people used to say, `Revelation should be sent down about
such and such matters,' and, `such and such practices should be rendered
allowed.' Allah the Exalted disliked this attitude.'' Allah said,
[وَاتَّقُواْ
اللَّهَ]
(and have Taqwa of Allah.) meaning, `in what He has ordered you;'
[إِنَّ اللَّهَ
سَمِيعٌ]
(Verily, Allah is Hearing,) `your statements,'
[عَلِيمٌ]
(Knowing.) `your intentions.' Allah said,
[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَرْفَعُواْ أَصْوَتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِىِّ]
(O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet,)
This contains another kind of favorable behavior. Allah the Exalted is teaching
the believers that they should not raise their voices above the voice of the
Prophet . It was stated that this Ayah was revealed about Abu Bakr and `Umar.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, "The two righteous ones, Abu
Bakr and `Umar, almost earned destruction when they raised their voices before
the Prophet who was receiving the delegation of Bani Tamim. One of them
recommended Al-Aqra` bin Habis the member of the Banu Mujashi` while the other
recommended another man. Nafi` (a subnarrator) said: "I don't remember his
name.'' Abu Bakr said to `Umar, `You only wanted to contradict me,' while `Umar
said, `I did not intend to contradict you.' Their voices then became loud,
thereupon Allah the Exalted sent down this Ayah,
[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَرْفَعُواْ أَصْوَتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِىِّ وَلاَ
تَجْهَرُواْ لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ
أَعْمَـلُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَشْعُرُونَ ]
(O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor
speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds
should be thwarted while you perceive not.)'' `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr said,
"After that, `Umar's voice was so low that the Messenger of Allah had to ask him
to repeat what he said so that he could understand what he was saying to him.''
`Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr did not mention the same regarding his father, Abu Bakr,
may Allah be pleased with him. Muslim did not collect this Hadith. In another
narration collected by Al-Bukhari, he said that a delegation from the tribe of
Banu Tamim came to the Prophet and that Abu Bakr recommended Al-Qa`qa` bin
Ma`bad to be appointed as their leader, while `Umar recommended Al-Aqra` bin
Habis. Muslim did not collect this narration. Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas bin
Malik said, "The Prophet missed Thabit bin Qays and a man said, `O Allah's
Messenger! I will find out about his news.' That man went to Thabit and found
him sitting at home with his head lowered and asked him, `What is the matter'
Thabit said, `An evil matter!' And he said that he used to raise his voice above
the voice of the Prophet . He feared that his good deeds would be useless and he
would be among the people of the Fire. The man went back to the Prophet and
conveyed Thabit's statement and returned to Thabit with a wonderfully good news.
The Prophet said,
«اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ
فَقُلْ لَهُ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَلَكِنَّكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ
الْجَنَّة»
(Go back to him and tell him this news; you are not among the people of the
Fire. Rather, you are among the dwellers of Paradise.)'' Al-Bukhari collected
this Hadith with this wording. Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said,
"When this Ayah was revealed,
[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَرْفَعُواْ أَصْوَتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِىِّ]
(O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet),
until,
[وَأَنتُمْ لاَ
تَشْعُرُونَ]
(while you perceive not), Thabit bin Qays bin Ash-Shammas, whose voice was
loud, said, `I was the one who raised his voice above the voice of Allah's
Messenger . I am among the dwellers of the Fire. My good deeds have been done in
vain.' He remained in his house feeling distressed, and the Messenger of Allah
noticed his absence. So some men went to Thabit and said to him, `The Prophet
noticed your absence. What is the matter with you' Thabit said, `I used to raise
my voice above the voice of the Prophet and speak loudly in front of him. My
deeds have been rendered useless and I am among the people of the Fire.' They
went to the Prophet and told him what Thabit said and the Prophet said,
«لَا، بَلْ هُوَ مِنْ
أَهْلِ الْجَنَّة»
(Nay, he is among the dwellers of Paradise.)'' Anas commented, "We used to
see Thabit walk among us knowing that he was (to be) among the dwellers of
Paradise. During the battle of Yamamah, our forces suffered retreat. Suddenly,
Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas came, having put on his Hanut and shrouds, and said,
`The worst habit is the one you acquire from your enemy and do not set a bad
example for your companions.' And he went on fighting until he was martyred, may
Allah be pleased with him.'' Allah then prohibited speaking to the Prophet in a
loud voice, just as one speaks loudly to another in a way that offends him.
Instead, they were required to speak to him in terms of respect, honor and
calmness. This is why Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
[وَلاَ تَجْهَرُواْ
لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ]
(nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another,) just as
He said in another Ayah,
[لاَّ تَجْعَلُواْ
دُعَآءَ الرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَآءِ بَعْضِكُمْ بَعْضاً]
(Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling one of
another.) (24:63) Allah's statement,
[أَن تَحْبَطَ
أَعْمَـلُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَشْعُرُونَ]
(lest your deeds should be thwarted while you perceive not.) means, `We
ordered you to refrain from raising your voices to the Prophet , so that he will
not get angry with you, because in doing so, you will also anger Allah.' The
good deeds of he who caused the Prophet's anger will become useless without him
even knowing. In the Sahih, there is a Hadith that states,
«إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ
لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ اللهِ تَعَالَى لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا
بَالًا، يُكْتَبُ لَهُ بِهَا الْجَنَّةُ، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ
بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ تَعَالَى لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا، يَهْوِي بِهَا
فِي النَّارِ أَبْعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْض»
(Verily, a man might utter a word that pleases Allah the Exalted, even though
he does not recognize the significance of his word, and on its account Paradise
is written for him. Verily, a man might utter a word carelessly that angers
Allah the Exalted, and on its account, he is cast in the Fire farther than the
distance between the heavens and earth.) Allah then ordains lowering one's voice
before the Messenger and encourages, directs and recommends this better
behavior.
[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ
يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ
اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَى]
(Verily, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger,
they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for Taqwa.) whose hearts have
been purified by Allah and made as a residence and dwelling for the Taqwa,
[لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ
وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ]
(For them is forgiveness and a great reward.) Imam Ahmad recorded in the Book
of Az-Zuhd that Mujahid said, "Someone wrote to `Umar, `O Leader of the
faithful! Who is better, a man who does not feel the desire to commit a sin and
does not commit it, or a man who feels desire to commit a sin, but does not
commit it' `Umar replied, `He who feels desire to commit a sin, but does not
commit it,
[أُوْلَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَى لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ
عَظِيمٌ]
(they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for Taqwa. For them is
forgiveness and a great reward.)'''
[إَنَّ الَّذِينَ
يُنَادُونَكَ مِن وَرَآءِ الْحُجُرَتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ - وَلَوْ
أَنَّهُمْ صَبَرُواْ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ وَاللَّهُ
غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ]
(4. Verily, those who call you from behind the dwellings, most of them have
no sense.) (5. And if they had patience till you could come out to them, it
would have been better for them. And Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful.)