Admonishing Those Who call the Prophet from behind Dwellings

Allah the Exalted and Most Blessed admonished those, such as the uncivilized bedouins, who used to call to the Prophet from behind the dwellings which belong to his wives,

أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ

Background of Revelation

According to Ibn Kathir, it is reported in Musnad of Ahmad that Harith Ibn Dirar Ibn Abi Dirar, the leader of the tribe of Banul-Mustaliq, whose daughter Sayyidah Juwairiyah ؓ was one of the blessed wives of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، came up to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and he called him towards Islam and asked him to pay his Zakah. He says, "I embraced Islam and pledged to pay Zakah, and said to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that I would go to my people, call them towards Islam and ask them to pay Zakah. Those who would accept my invitation and pay the compulsory alms, I would collect their alms. I requested that on a designated date of a designated month, a collector be sent to me, so that the alms might be handed over to him." Accordingly, when Harith had collected the alms of the believers and the alms collector did not arrive on the designated date or even long after that, he feared that may be the Holy Prophet ﷺ is displeased with them for some reason or the other. Otherwise it was unlikely for the Holy Prophet ﷺ not to keep his promise. Harith ؓ expressed his apprehension to the leaders of the new Muslims, and wanted them to go to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . On the other hand, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had sent Walid Ibn 'Uqbah to collect the Zakah from them. However, on his way he thought that the members of that tribe are his old enemies and feared that they might kill him. With this fear he returned to Madinah, and said to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that they refused to pay Zakah, and wanted to kill him. On hearing this, the Holy Prophet ﷺ became very angry, and under the command of Khalid Ibn Walid he dispatched a force of fighters in the way of Allah. On the one hand, this contingent was dispatched, and on the other hand Harith Ibn Dirar with his people was on his way to meet the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The two groups met near Madinah. Harith inquired: "To whom have you been sent?" They replied: "We are sent to you". Harith inquired: "for what purpose?" They narrated the mission of Walid Ibn 'Uqbah who reported to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that the tribe of Banul-Mustaliq refused to pay Zakah and planned to kill him. Harith said on oath, "I swear by Allah who sent Muhammad as His true Messenger, Walid did not arrive in the location, nor did I see him. Since no envoy had come to us at the appointed location, I apprehended that you are annoyed with me due to some shortcoming on my part. Therefore, I have come here. Harith says that the present verse of Surah Al-Hujurat was revealed on this occasion (Ibn Kathir).