49 Al-Hujurat (The Private Apartments)

Medina Period 106 [18 verses]9H

49:11 O YOU who have attained to faith! No men shall deride [other] men: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves; and no women [shall deride other] women: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves. 12 And neither shall you defame one another, nor insult one another by [opprobrious] epithets: evil is all imputation of iniquity after [one has attained to] faith; 13 and they who [become guilty thereof and] do not repent - it is they, they who are evildoers!

Ali’s version

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ...

11. O ye who believe!

let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former):

C4929. Mutual ridicule ceases to be fun when there is arrogance or selfishness or malice behind it. We may laugh with people, to share in the happiness of life: we must never laugh at people in contempt or ridicule. In many things they may be better than ourselves!

...وَلَا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ...

Nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former):

...وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِِ...

nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames:

C4930. Defamation may consist in speaking ill of others by the spoken or written word, or in acting in such a way as to suggest a charge against some person whom we are not in a position to judge.

A cutting, biting remark or taunt of sarcasm is included in the word lamaza.

An offensive nickname may amount to defamation, but in any case there is no point in using offensive nicknames, or names that suggest some real or fancied defect. They ill accord with the serious purpose which Muslims should have in life. For example, even if a man is lame, it is wrong to address him as "O lame one!" It causes him pain, and it is bad manners. So in the case of the rude remark, "the black man".

...بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ...

Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed:

...وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ﴿١١﴾

And those who do not desist are (Indeed) doing wrong.