Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Hujurat Verse 11

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, no men should ever scoff at other men. May be, the latter are better than the former. Nor should women (ever scoff) at other women. May be, the latter women are better than the former ones. And do not find fault with one another, nor call one another with bad nicknames. Bad is the name of sinfulness after embracing Faith. If anyone does not repent, then such people are the wrongdoers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not let some ˹men˺ ridicule others, they may be better than them, nor let ˹some˺ women ridicule other women, they may be better than them. Do not defame one another, nor call each other by offensive nicknames. How evil it is to act rebelliously after having faith! And whoever does not repent, it is they who are the ˹true˺ wrongdoers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, let not some men ridicule others, for it may be that they are better than them; nor let some women ridicule others, for it may be that they are better than them. Do not speak ill of one another, nor call one another by [offensive] nicknames. How evil is the name of wickedness after having faith! And whoever does not repent, it is they who are the wrongdoers.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, let not any people scoff at another people who may be better than they; neither let women scoff at women who may be better than themselves. And find not fault with one another, neither revile one another by nicknames. An evil name is ungodliness after belief. And whoso repents not, those -- they are the evildoers.

Abdul Haleem

Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! let not one group scoff at another group, belike they may be better than they are, nor let some women scoff at other women, belike they may be better than they are. And traduce not one another, nor revile one another by odious appellations! ill is the name of sin after belief. And whosoever will not repent, then those, they are the wrong-doers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others; It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former); Nor let some women laugh at others; It may be that the (latter are better than the (former); Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames; Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed; And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers, let not a group (of men) scoff at another group, it may well be that the latter (at whom they scoff) are better than they; nor let a group of women scoff at another group, it may well be that the latter are better than they. And do not taunt one another, nor revile one another by nicknames. It is an evil thing to gain notoriety for ungodliness after belief. Those who do not repent are indeed the wrong-doers.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, men should not laugh at other men, for it may be they are better than them; and women should not laugh at other women, for they may perhaps be better than them. Do not slander one another, nor give one another nick-names. After believing, it is bad to give (another) a bad name. Those who do not repent behave wickedly.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Men must not ridicule other men for it could be that the ridiculed are better than the mockers, nor must the women ridicule other women for the ridiculed women may be better than the mockers; and do not insult one another, nor assign evil nicknames; how base it is to be called a sinner after being a Muslim! And whoever does not repent – then it is they who are unjust.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Let not any people ridicule another people: it may be that they are better than they are; nor let women [ridicule] women: it may be that they are better than they are. And do not defame one another, nor insult one another by [calling] nicknames. How evil are profane names subsequent to faith! As for those who are not penitent [of their past conduct]—such are the wrongdoers.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Let not some people among you deride another people, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let some women deride other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another (and provoke the same for yourselves in retaliation), nor insult one another with nicknames (that your brothers and sisters dislike). Evil is using names with vile meaning after (those so addressed have accepted) the faith (– doing so is like replacing a mark of faith with a mark of transgression). Whoever (does that and then) does not turn to God in repentance, (giving up doing so), those are indeed wrongdoers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! let no people look down upon another people for the (latter) people may be better than they, nor let women (look down) upon other women, who (- the women who are treated lightly) may be better than the other ones. And find not fault in one another (in order to defame your own people), nor call one another by nick-names. Bad is the reputation of wickedness after the (profession of) belief. Highly unjust are the people who would not abstain from what they are forbidden.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, a nation does not humiliate/redicule/mock , from (a) nation, maybe/perhaps that (E) they be better than them, and nor women from women, maybe/perhaps that (E) they (F) be better than them (F), and do not backbite/defame yourselves, and do not insult each other/give each other with insulting nicknames, with the nicknames/surnames . How bad (is) the debauchery`s name, after the belief? And who does not repent, so those are the unjust/oppressive.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Men must not ridicule other men for it could be that the ridiculed are better than the mockers, nor must the women ridicule other women for the ridiculed women may be better than the mockers; and do not insult one another, nor assign evil nicknames; how base it is to be called a sinner after being a Muslim! And whoever does not repent - then it is they who are unjust.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! Let not one people deride (or ridicule) another people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women deride other women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with (or defame) your own people nor insult one another by (offensive) nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not desist, these it is that are the unjust.

Hilali & Khan

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, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked", etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The believers are brethren so make peace between your brethren, and keep your duty to Allah that mercy may be had on you.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! let not (one) people laugh at (another) people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not turn, these it is that are the unjust.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, let not a group of you mock another. Perhaps they are better than you. Let not women mock each other; perhaps one is better than the other. Let not one of you find faults in another nor let anyone of you defame another. How terrible is the defamation after having true faith. Those who do not repent are certainly unjust.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not let people mock other people who may be better than themselves. Do not let women mock women, who may be better than themselves. Do not find fault with one another, nor abuse one another with nicknames. An evil name is disobedience after belief. Those who do not repent are the harmdoers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

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. Nor defame yourselves, nor insult one another by nicknames. Evil is the name of wickedness after faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed wrongdoers.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, let not some men among you ridicule others: it may be that the latter are better than the former: nor should some women laugh at others: it may be that the latter are better than the former: do not defame or be sarcastic to each other, or call each other by [offensive] nicknames. How bad it is to earn an evil reputation after accepting the faith! Those who do not repent are evil-doers.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! No people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you slander one another, nor shall you insult one another with names. Evil is the return to wickedness after having attained faith. Whoever does not repent—these are the wrongdoers.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, do not let any people, that is, any men among you, deride (y ayyuh'lladhna man l yaskhar ... [to the end of] the verse, was revealed regarding the [Ban] Tamm delegation when they derided the poor among the Muslims, like `Ammr [b. Ysir] and Suhayb [al-Rm]; al-sukhriya means `scorn' and `disdain') another people; who may be better than they are, in God's sight; nor let any women, from among you, deride [other] women who may be better than they are. And do not defame one another, do not cast aspersions [on others] and hence have aspersions cast on you, that is, let none among you denigrate another; nor insult one another by nicknames, do not call another by a nickname which he detests, such as `O degenerate one!' or `O disbeliever!'. Evil is the name, mentioned out of mockery, derision and mutual reviling, of immorality after faith! (al-fusqu ba`da'l-mni substitutes for al-ismu, `the name', to indicate that it [such naming of others] is `immorality' as it is [an action which is] usually repeated). And whoever does not repent, of such [immorality], those -- they are the evildoers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of mocking and ridiculing One Another

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,

الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْصُ النَّاس

Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people.

And in another Version

غَمْطُ النَّاس

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,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ

وَلَا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ

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,

وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ

Nor defame yourselves,

forbids defaming each other. He among men who is a slanderer, and a backbiter, is cursed and condemned as Allah states

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ

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

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّأءِ بِنَمِيمٍ
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.

Allah's statement here,
وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
(Nor defame yourselves), just as He said in another Ayah,

وَلَا تَقْتُلُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ

Nor kill yourselves, (4;29), meaning, nor kill one another.

Abdullah bin Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said that the Ayah,

وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
(Nor defame yourselves), means, none of you should defame each other,'

while,
...
وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَْلْقَابِ
(...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;
وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَْلْقَابِ
(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,
وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالاَْلْقَاب
(nor insult one another by nicknames) was revealed."

Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith.

The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored,

بِيْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الاِْيمَانِ

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,'

وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ

And whosoever does not repent,

means, from this sin,

فَأُوْلَيِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ



then such are indeed wrongdoers.