Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mujadila Verse 11

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, when it is said to you, “Make room (for others) in the sittings”, then make room, and Allah will make room for you (in the Hereafter). And when it is said, “Rise up”, then rise up, and Allah will raise those, in ranks, who have believed and are given knowledge. Allah is well-aware of what you do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! When you are told to make room in gatherings, then do so. Allah will make room for you ˹in His grace˺. And if you are told to rise, then do so. Allah will elevate those of you who are faithful, and ˹raise˺ those gifted with knowledge in rank. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, when you are told to make room in your gatherings, then make room; Allah will give you abundance. And when you are told to rise, then rise; Allah will raise in ranks those who believed from among you and those who are given knowledge. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, when it is said to you 'Make room in the assemblies', then make room, and God will make room for you; and when it is said, 'Move up', move up, and God will raise up in rank those of you who believe and have been given knowledge. And God is aware of the things you do.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, if you are told to make room for one another in your assemblies, then do so, and God will make room for you, and if you are told to rise up, do so: God will raise up, by many degrees, those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge: He is fully aware of what you do.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! when it is said Unto you: make room in your assemblies, then make room; Allah will make room for you. And when it is said: rise up, then rise up; Allah will exalt those who believe among you and those who are vouchsafed knowledge, in degrees. And Allah is of whatsoever ye work Aware.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! When ye are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room; (ample) room will Allah provide for you. And when ye are told to rise up, rise up Allah will rise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all ye do.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers, when you are told: “Make room for one another in your assemblies,” then make room; Allah will bestow amplitude on you. And when it is said: “Rise up,” then rise up; Allah will raise to high ranks those of you who believe and are endowed with knowledge. Allah is well aware of all that you do.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, when you are told to make room in the assemblies, then make room; God will give you more room to spread. When you are told to rise, then rise; God will raise those of you who believe, and those who have knowledge, in position. God is aware of what you do.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! When you are told to give room in the assemblies, then do give room – Allah will give you room (in His mercy); and when it is said, “Stand up in reverence”, then do stand up – Allah will raise the believers among you, and those given knowledge, to high ranks; and Allah is Aware of your deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! When you are told, ‘Make room,’ in sittings, then do make room; Allah will make room for you. And when you are told, ‘Rise up!’ Do rise up. Allah will raise in rank those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge, and Allah is well aware of what you do.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! When you are told, "Make room in the assemblies (for one another and for new comers)," do make room. God will make room for you (in His grace and Paradise). And when you are told, "Rise up (and leave the assembly)," then do rise up. God will raise (in degree) those of you who truly believe (and act accordingly), and in degrees those who have been granted the knowledge (especially of religious matters). Surely God is fully aware of all that you do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! when you are asked to extend the circle (leaving reasonable space between one another when sitting together) in your assemblies, then do extend it. Allâh will make ample room for you. And disperse when you are told to disperse. Allâh will exalt such of you as believe and such of you as have been given knowledge, to high degrees (of rank). And Allâh is Well-Aware of what you do.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, if (it) was said to you: "Widen/make space in the seats/sitting places." So widen/make space, God widens/makes space for you, and if (it) was said: "Rise/get up from your place." So rise/get up from your place, God raises those who believed from you and those who were given/brought the knowledge, (in) stages/degrees/steps, and God (is) expert/experienced with what you make/do.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! When you are told to give room in the assemblies, then do give room - Allah will give you room (in His mercy); and when it is said, “Stand up in reverence”, then do stand up - Allah will raise the believers among you, and those given knowledge, to high ranks; and Allah is Aware of your deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! When it is said to you, "Make room in your assemblies," then make ample room, Allah will give you ample, and when it is said, "Rise up," then rise up. Allah will exalt those of you who believe and those who are given knowledge, to high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what you do.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room. Allah will give you (ample) room (from His Mercy). And when you are told to rise up [for prayers, Jihad (holy fighting in Allah's Cause), or for any other good deed], rise up. Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Secret counsels are only of the devil that he may cause to grieve those who believe, and he can hurt them naught except with Allah’s permission. And on Allah let the believers rely.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! when it is said to you, Make room in (your) assemblies, then make ample room, Allah will give you ample, and when it is said: Rise up, then rise up. Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what you do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! when it is said unto you, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher! go up higher; Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Informed of what ye do.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, when you are told to make room in a meeting for others, do so. God will then make room for you. When you are told to disperse, do so. God will raise the position of the believers and of those who have received knowledge. God is Well-Aware of what you do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, make room in your sitting places when it is asked of you, and Allah will make room for you. When you are asked to move, so move, and Allahwill raise up in ranks those who believed among you and those who have been given knowledge. Allah is Aware of what you do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, make room. Allah will give you room. And when you are told to rise up, then rise up. Allah will exalt in degress those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, if you are told to make room for one another in your assemblies, then do so, and God will make room for you, and if you are told to rise up, do so: God will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge: He is fully aware of all that you do.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in your gatherings, make room; God will make room for you. And when you are told to disperse, disperse. God elevates those among you who believe, and those given knowledge, many steps. God is Aware of what you do.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, when it is said to you, `Make room' during the assembly, during the assembly [convened] with the Prophet (s) or for remembrance, so that those arriving to [join] you may [find room to] sit (al-majlis, `assembly', may also be read [in the plural] al-majlis) then make room; God will make room for you, in Paradise. And when it is said, `Rise up', stand up for prayer or for other good deeds, do rise up (a variant reading [for unshuz fa'nshuz] has anshiz in both instances [sc. anshiz fa'nshiz]); God will raise those of you who have faith, [thereby] obeying this [command], and, He will raise, those who have been given knowledge by degrees, in Paradise. And God is Aware of what you do.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Manners for Assemblies

Allah teaches His servants good manners and orders them to be kind to each other when they are sitting together,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ

O you who believe!

When you are told to make room in the assemblies,

فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

make room. Allah will give you room.

Indeed, the reward or recompense depends on the type of action.

In a Hadith, the Prophet said,

مَنْ بَنَىىِللهِ مَسْجِدًا بَنَى اللهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّة

Whoever builds a Masjid for Allah, Allah builds for him a house in Paradise.

In another Hadith, the Prophet said,

وَمَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاْخِرَةِ وَاللهُ فِي عَوْنِ الْعَبْدِ مَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عَوْنِ أَخِيه


He who relieves a difficulty for a person living in straitened circumstances, then Allah will relieve the difficulties of this life and the Hereafter for him. Surely, Allah helps the servant as long as the servant helps his brother.

There are many similar Hadiths.

This is why Allah the Exalted said,
فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ
(make room. Allah will give you room).

Qatadah said,

"This Ayah was revealed about gatherings in places where Allah is being remembered. When someone would come to join in assemblies with the Messenger, they would hesitate to offer them space so that they would not loose their places. Allah the Exalted commanded them to spread out and make room for each other."

Imam Ahmad and Imam Ash-Shafi`i recorded that Abdullah bin Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا يُقِمِ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ فَيَجْلِسَ فِيهِ وَلَكِنْ تَفَسَّحُوا وَتَوَسَّعُوا

One of you should not remove someone from his place and sit in it, but instead, spread out and make room.

This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

لَاا يُقِمِ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فِيهِ وَلَكِنِ افْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللهُ لَكُم

A man should not remove another man from his place and then sit in it. Rather spread out and make room and Allah will make room for you.

Imam Ahmad also recorded this Hadith with the wording;

لَاا يَقُومُ الرَّجُلُ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ وَلَكِنِ افْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللهُ لَكُم

A man should not leave his place for another man, but rather spread out and make room, and Allah will make room for you.

It has been reported that Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others said that;

إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ

فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

When you are told to make room in the assemblies, make room. Allah will give you room.

means to war assemblies,

and that,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُوا فَانشُزُوا

And when you are told to rise up, then rise up.

means, "Get up to fight."

Qatadah said
وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُوا فَانشُزُوا
(And when you are told to rise up, then rise up). means,

"When you are called to any type of good, then respond."
The Virtues of Knowledge and People of Knowledge

Allah's statement,

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ



Allah will exalt in degrees those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.

means, do not think that if one of you makes room for his brother, or rises up when he is commanded to do so, that this will diminish his right or honor. Rather, this will increase his virtue and status with Allah, and Allah the Exalted will never make his good deed be lost. To the contrary, He will reward him for it in this life and the Hereafter. Surely, he who humbles himself by and before the command of his Lord, then Allah will elevate his status and make him known by his good behavior. the statement of Allah the Exalted,

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well--Acquainted with what you do.

meaning, surely, Allah is Aware of those who deserve this reward and those who are not worthy of it.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu At-Tufayl `Amir bin Wathilah said,

Nafi` bin Abdul--Harith met Umar bin Al-Khattab in the area of Usfan. Umar appointed Abu At-Tufayl to be the governor of Makkah. Umar asked him,

"Whom did you appoint as your deputy for the valley people (that is, Makkah)."

Amir said, "I appointed Ibn Abza, one of our freed slaves, as my deputy."

Umar said, "You made a freed slave their governor in your absence"

He said, "O Leader of the faithful! He has memorized Allah's Book and has knowledge of regulations of inheritance, along with being a proficient judge."

Umar said, "Surely, your Prophet has said,

إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهذَا الْكِتَابِ قَوْمًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ اخَرِين


Verily, Allah elevates some people and degrades others, on account of this Book."

Muslim collected this Hadith