4:114

۞لَّا خَيۡرَ فِي كَثِيرٖ مِّن نَّجۡوَىٰهُمۡ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوۡ مَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ إِصۡلَٰحِۭ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا

La khayra fee katheerin min najwahum illa man amara bisadaqatin aw maAAroofin aw islahin bayna alnnasi waman yafAAal thalika ibtighaa mardati Allahi fasawfa nuteehi ajran AAatheeman

No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward.

Word by word
  1. ۞لَّا(There is) no
  2. خَيۡرَgood
  3. فِيin
  4. كَثِيرٖmuch
  5. مِّنof
  6. نَّجۡوَىٰهُمۡtheir secret talk
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. مَنۡ(he) who
  9. أَمَرَorders
  10. بِصَدَقَةٍcharity
  11. أَوۡor
  12. مَعۡرُوفٍkindness
  13. أَوۡor
  14. إِصۡلَٰحِۭconciliation
  15. بَيۡنَbetween
  16. ٱلنَّاسِۚthe people
  17. وَمَنAnd who
  18. يَفۡعَلۡdoes
  19. ذَٰلِكَthat
  20. ٱبۡتِغَآءَseeking
  21. مَرۡضَاتِpleasure
  22. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  23. فَسَوۡفَthen soon
  24. نُؤۡتِيهِWe will give him
  25. أَجۡرًاa reward
  26. عَظِيمٗاgreat
An-Nisa · 4:114Madinah

Most whispers are empty, except these three.

Private talk that is worth having


The good kind of secret talk
charitylet us help them
what is rightgood advice
reconciliationbringing people back together
Better than extra worship
more fasting and prayerwhat I thought ranked highest
mending relationsthe Prophet ﷺ ranked it higher

Allah says there is no good in most private talk, except urging charity, good, or reconciliation. Abu Ad-Darda' reported the Prophet ﷺ said mending relations between people is better than the grade of extra fasting, prayer and charity, and that spoiling relations is the destroyer.

Look at your direct messages from this week. How much was complaint, gossip, or plans that go nowhere? Now imagine one message that helps two estranged cousins talk again. That is the kind of whisper the verse rewards.

What I say in private does not really matter.

Private talk is either empty or it is charity, good counsel and peacemaking.

Try this

Send one private message today that encourages charity, gives good advice, or helps two people reconcile.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah, or goodness, or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great rewar (114)And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell what an evil destination (115)

Righteous Najwa, Secret Talk

Allah said,

لَّا خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِّن نَّجْوَاهُمْ

(There is no good in most of their secret talks) meaning, what the people say to each other.

 إِلَّا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلَاحٍ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ

(save him who orders Sadaqah (charity), or goodness, or reconciliation between mankind;) meaning, except for this type of talk.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah said that she heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

لَيْسَ الْكَذَّابُ الَّذِي يُصْلِحُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَيَنْمِي خَيْرًا، أَوْ يَقُولُ خَيْرًا

(He who brings about reconciliation between people by embellishing good or saying good things, is not a liar.)

She also said, "I never heard him allow what the people say (lies) except in three cases: in war, bringing peace between people and the man's speech (invented compliments) to his wife and her speech to her husband." Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah was among the immigrant women who gave their pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Group also recorded this Hadith, with the exception of Ibn Majah.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِأَفْضَلَ مِنْ دَرَجَةِ الصِّيَامِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ، وَالصَّدَقَةِ؟

(Should I tell you what is better than the grade of fasting, praying and Sadaqah?) They said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger!" He said,

إِصْلَاحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ

(Bringing reconciliation between people.) He also said,

وَفَسَادُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ هِيَ الْحَالِقَةُ

(Spoiling the relationship (between people) is the destroyer.) Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih". Allah said,

وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ 

(and he who does this, seeking the good pleasure of Allah,) with sincerity and awaiting the reward with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored,

فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

(We shall give him a great reward.) meaning, an immense, enormous and tremendous reward.

The Punishment for Contradicting and Opposing the Messenger and Following a Path Other than That of the Believers

Allah's statement,

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ

(And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him.) refers to whoever intentionally takes a path other than the path of the Law revealed to the Messenger, after the truth has been made clear, apparent and plain to him. Allah's statement,

وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and follows other than the believers' way,) refers to a type of conduct that is closely related to contradicting the Messenger ﷺ. This contradiction could be in the form of contradicting a text (from the Qur'an or Sunnah) or contradicting what the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ has agreed on. The Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ is immune from error when they all agree on something, a miracle that serves to increase their honor, due to the greatness of their Prophet.

There are many authentic Hadiths on this subject. Allah warned against the evil of contradicting the Prophet ﷺ and his Ummah, when He said,

نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

(We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination!) meaning, when one goes on this wicked path, We will punish him by making the evil path appear good in his heart, and will beautify it for him so that he is tempted further. For instance, Allah said,

فَذَرْنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(Then leave Me Alone with such as belie this Qur'an. We shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not), [68:44]

فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ

(So when they turned away (from the path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away)[61:5], and,

وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

(And We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly)[6:110]. Allah made the Fire the destination of such people in the Hereafter. Indeed, the path of those who avoid the right guidance will only lead to the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, as evident by Allah's statements,

احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ

((It will be said to the angels): "Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions (from the devils))[37:22], and,

وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا

(And the criminals, shall see the Fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein. And they will find no way of escape from there)[18:53].