Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Mujadilah -> Manners for Assemblies

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

﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُواْ فِى الْمَجَـلِسِ﴾

(O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies,)

﴿فَافْسَحُواْ 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 وَالْاخِرَةِ، 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,

﴿فَافْسَحُواْ 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,

«لَا 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,

«لَا 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:

«لَا 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 تَفَسَّحُواْ فِى الْمَجَـلِسِ فَافْسَحُواْ 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 انشُزُواْ فَانشُزُواْ﴾

(And when you are told to rise up, then rise up.) means, "Get up to fight.'' Qatadah said

﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُواْ فَانشُزُواْ﴾

(And when you are told to rise up, then rise up.) means, "When you are called to any type of good, then respond.''