Surah Al Hujuraat Notes (11) ~ Prohibition of Mocking & Ridiculing Others

Source: Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of mocking and ridiculing One Another

(11) O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them, nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

1. Allah the Exalted forbids scoffing at people, which implies humiliating and belittling them. 

In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said, (Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people.) 

And in another Version (And despising people) It is forbidden to scoff at and belittle people, for the injured party could be more honored and dearer to Allah the Exalted than those who ridicule and belittle them. 

This is why Allah the Exalted said,

(O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former.) Thus, stating this prohibition for men and then women. 

The statement of Allah the Exalted,

2. (Nor defame yourselves,) forbids defaming each other. He among men who is a slanderer, and a backbiter, is cursed and condemned as Allah states

(Woe to every Humazah, Lumazah)(104:1) Hamz is defamation by action, while Lamz is by words. 

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

(Hammaz (defaming), going about with slander.) (68:11) meaning, he belittles and defames people, transgressing and spreading slander among them, which is the Lamz that uses words as its tool. 

3. (nor insult one another by nicknames.) means, `you should not address people by nick names that people dislike.' 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Jabirah bin Ad-Dahhak said, "This Ayah was revealed about us, Banu Salamah; (nor insult one another by nicknames.) When the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, every man among us had two or three nicknames. When the Prophet called a man by one of these nicknames, people would say, `O Allah's Messenger! He hates that nickname.' Then this Ayah,

(nor insult one another by nicknames.) was revealed.'' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith. The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored,

4. (Evil is the name of wickedness after faith), means, the names and descriptions of wickedness are evil; meaning, `to use the nicknames that were used by the people of Jahiliyyah after you embraced Islam and understood it,'

5. (And whosoever does not repent,) means, from this sin, (then such are indeed wrongdoers.)