Tafsir of Al-Mujadilah 58:9

Surah Al-Mujadilah (The Disputing Woman): Verse 9

Allah's saying: ${ \text{O you who have believed, when you converse privately, do not converse in sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger, but converse in righteousness and piety.} }

Commentary:

Know that there are two views regarding the addressees of the statement: { \text{That is because those who disbelieved...} } (referring to the preceding verse).

1. If we interpret the statement in the previous verse, { \text{Have you not seen those who were forbidden from private conversation?} } (Al-Mujadilah: 8), as referring to the Jews, then in this verse, the statement { \text{That is because those who disbelieved...} } refers to the hypocrites. This means: "O you who believed with your tongues [but not truly]."
2. If we interpret the previous statement as referring to all disbelievers (Jews and hypocrites), then this statement refers to the true believers. This is because after Allah condemned the Jews and hypocrites for conversing in sin, aggression, and disobedience to the Messenger, He followed it by forbidding His believing companions from following their path, saying: { \text{do not converse in sin} }—that which is reprehensible concerning them—{ \text{and aggression} }—which leads to wronging others—{ \text{and disobedience to the Messenger} }—which is contrary to his command.

He commanded them instead to converse in righteousness (which opposes aggression) and piety (which is guarding oneself against the Fire by performing acts of obedience and abandoning sins).

Know that whenever people converse in this manner (sinful conversation), their conversation becomes insignificant, because what prompts such speech encourages its openness. This is close to the meaning of { \text{There is no good in much of their private conversation, except for one who enjoins charity or what is right or reconciliation among people} } (An-Nisa: 114). Furthermore, if a person's manner of private conversation is known, no one will be harmed by his discourse.

Then Allah, the Exalted, says: { \text{And fear Allah, to Whom you will be gathered.} } This means gathering for accountability and recompense, as the concept of physical location is not applicable to Allah, the Exalted.

Verse 10: { \text{Indeed, the private conversation is from Satan, [intended] to grieve those who have believed, but he cannot harm them at all except by permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.} }$