Transliteration:( Yaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa tarfa'ooo aswaatakum fawqa sawtin Nabiyi wa laa tajharoo lahoo bilqawli kajahri ba'dikum liba 'din an tahbata a 'maalukum wa antum laa tash'uroon )
"O believers! Do not raise your voices above the voice [3] of the Prophet (Prophet Muhammad), and do not [4] speak aloud in his presence as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds become in vain, while you are unaware."
This verse was revealed concerning Hazrat Thabit bin Qais (May Allah be pleased with him), who had a loud voice due to being hard of hearing. After the revelation of this verse commanding believers to lower their voices in the presence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, Hazrat Thabit became extremely distressed. Fearing that he had offended the Prophet ﷺ with his voice and that his good deeds were now void, he stopped coming to Masjid al-Nabawi.
When the Holy Prophet ﷺ noticed his absence, he inquired about him from Hazrat Sa'd, his neighbour. Hazrat Sa'd then asked Thabit about the reason for his absence. Thabit replied, "I am among the people of Hell because of my loud voice." Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
“Tell Thabit not to fear; he is among the people of Paradise.”
This verse strongly emphasizes that even raising one’s voice in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ can nullify good deeds. If such a seemingly minor act could result in this, then greater forms of disrespect are even more dangerous.
The verse teaches that the Prophet ﷺ must not be addressed in casual or familiar terms. One should avoid calling him "father," "brother," or merely a "man." Instead, titles like:
“Messenger of Allah,” “Beloved of Allah,” and “Intercessor of Sinners” should be used.
The instruction is timeless—even today, the etiquettes of respect in addressing or speaking about the Holy Prophet ﷺ must be upheld. Disrespect of the Prophet ﷺ, even unintentionally, is a grave matter in Islam.
The tafsir of Surah Hujurat verse 2 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Hujurat ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 3.
(49:2) Believers, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet and when speaking to him do not speak aloud as you speak aloud to one another,[3] lest all your deeds are reduced to nothing without your even realising it.[4]
3. This is the etiquette that was taught to the people who sat among the audience of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or came to visit him. Its intention was that the believers should treat the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the highest respect and reverence when visiting him and talking to him. Nobody should raise his voice louder than his. The people should not be unmindful of the fact that they are addressing the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah, and not a common man, or a person of equal rank. Therefore, there should be a marked difference between one’s tone of conversation with the common people and one’s tone of conversation with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and no one should talk to him in a voice louder than his.
Although this etiquette was taught for sitting in the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) assembly and its addressees were the people who were living in his time, the people of the later ages should also observe the same respect and reverence on the occasion when the Prophet’s name is mentioned, or a command of his is stated, or his sayings are explained. Besides, this verse also points out what attitude the people should adopt when talking to persons of a higher rank and status than themselves. A person’s talking before the men of a higher rank in a way as he talks before his friends or the common men, is in fact a sign that he has no respect for them in his heart, and he does not recognize any difference between them and the common people.
4. This shows what high position the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him) occupies in Islam. No one, whatever his rank and status, has a position so that his unmannerly behavior towards the Prophet (peace be upon him), would not deserve in the sight of Allah the same punishment as the punishment for disbelief. In respect of ordinary people it is at the most a sort of rudeness, an uncivilized conduct, but in respect of the Prophet (peace be upon him) a little lack of reverence is such a grave sin as can destroy all the services of one’s lifetime. For the reverence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is indeed reverence of that God Who has sent him as His Messenger and lack of reverence for him amounts to lack of reverence of God Himself.
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