Tafsir of Al-Mujadilah 58:7

{ما يكون} (What is): This is the tamma (complete) kana. It is recited with both the ya (ي) and the ta (ت). The ya is used because the feminine gender of najwa (private conversation) is not literal, and there is a separation between the verb and the subject. Alternatively, it means "no thing of private conversation exists."

{من نجوى} (Of private conversation): Najwa is the act of conversing privately. It is either:

1. Genitive (idafa): Meaning "from the private conversation of three people."
2. Descriptive: Meaning "from the people of the private conversation of three," where the word "people" (ahl) is omitted.
3. Hyperbole: Treating najwa as a state of the people themselves, as in the verse: "They went off, whispering privately (najiyan)" (Yusuf: 80).

Recitation: Ibn Abi ‘Abla recited "three and five" in the accusative case (nasb) as a state (hal), implying "they converse privately," as najwa indicates this. Or, it is interpreted as "two private conversers," with the accusative being derived from the pronoun hidden within it.

Question: Why specify three and five? Answer: There are two views:

1. The Hypocrites: A group of hypocrites gathered to converse privately to spite the believers in these specific numbers (three and five). Thus, it was said: "No three or five converse privately—as you see them doing—nor any number less or more, except that Allah is with them, hearing what they say." It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that this was revealed regarding Rabi‘a, Habib (sons of ‘Amr), and Safwan ibn Umayya. They were talking, and one said: "Do you think Allah knows what we say?" Another said: "He knows some, but not others." The third said: "If He knows some, He knows all." He was correct, for whoever knows some things without a cause knows them all, as His being a knower without a cause is established for every known thing.
2. Customary Practice: It refers to the customary numbers of those who hold private consultations. Those chosen for such matters are not just anyone, but a select group of the wise and experienced. Their number starts from two, up to five or six, as the situation requires. Observe how ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab left the matter of the Shura to six people and did not exceed that. Thus, the Exalted mentioned three and five, and added "nor less than that" (indicating two and four) and "nor more" (indicating what follows or approaches that number).

In the Mushaf of ‘Abdullah: "There is no three but Allah is their fourth, no four but Allah is their fifth, no five but Allah is their sixth, and no number less or more than that, but Allah is with them when they converse."

Grammatical Notes on {ولا أدنى من ذلك ولا أكثر}:

• Accusative (nasb): Based on la being for the negation of the genus.
• *Nominative (raf‘):* As a conjunction to the place of la with adna, similar to saying "There is no power and no strength (la hawla wa la quwwata) except by Allah," with the first opened and the second raised.
• *Nominative as Inception (ibtida’):* Both raised as subjects.
• Conjunction to the place of {من نجوى}: As if to say, "There is no less or more except He is with them."
• Genitive (jarr): Conjoined to najwa, as if to say, "There is no [thing] of less or more except He is with them."
• Variant: It is also recited as {ولا أكبر} (nor greater) with a ba.

Meaning of "He is with them": It means He knows what they are conversing about; nothing of their state is hidden from Him. It is as if He is witnessing and present with them, though He is exalted above place and physical witnessing.

Variant: {ثم ينبئهم} (Then He will inform them) is also recited with the lightened form (takhfif).