Maimun ibn Siyah said: “While I was asleep, I found myself beside the corpse of a Zanj man (a black African), and someone was saying, ‘Eat!’ I said, ‘O servant of Allah, why should I eat?’ He said, ‘Because you backbit So-and-so’s servant.’ I replied, ‘By Allah, I said nothing good or bad about him.’ He said, ‘But you listened and approved of it.’ Thereafter, Maimun would neither backbite anyone nor allow anyone to backbite another in his presence.” (1)

“And fear Allah. Surely Allah is Ever-Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.”

“O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may come to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (13)

Concerning the words, “O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female,” and the rest of the verse, Ibn Abbas said: It was revealed concerning Thabit ibn Qays and his remark to the man who did not make room for him, “Son of so-and-so,” by which he shamed him on account of his mother. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Who was it that mentioned so-and-so’s mother?” Thabit said, “It was I, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Look at the faces of the people.” So he looked and the Prophet said, “What do you see, Thabit?” He replied, “I see white, red, and black people.” He said, “You are superior to them only through faith and piety.” Thus, this verse was revealed concerning Thabit, while concerning the one who did not make room, the verse was revealed: “O you who believe, when you are told, ‘Make room in gatherings,’ then make room.” (3) (Surah al-Mujadalah, 58:11)

Muqatil said: On the day of the Conquest of Mecca, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered Bilal to ascend to the top of the Kaaba and give the call to prayer. Attab ibn Asid ibn Abi al-Is said, “Praise be to Allah, who took my father before he saw this day.” Al-Harith ibn Hisham said, “Could Muhammad not find anyone but this black crow to be a caller to prayer?” Suhayl ibn Amr said, “If Allah wills to change something, He changes it.” Abu Sufyan said, “I shall say nothing, for I fear that the Lord of heaven may inform him of it.” Gabriel then came and informed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of what they had said. He summoned them and asked them about their remarks, and they admitted them. Thereupon Allah, Exalted is He, revealed this verse (4) and rebuked them for boasting of lineage, vying in wealth, and despising the poor. He said:

“O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female”—that is, Adam and Eve—meaning that you are equal in lineage. “And We made you into peoples”: the term shu'ub (peoples) is the plural of sha'b (a major tribal stock), with an a vowel after the sh. These are the principal tribal groupings, such as Rabiah, Mudar, Aws, and Khazraj. They are called shu'ub because of their branching out and coming together, like the branches of a tree. The word sha'aba is a contronym: it can mean “to gather” and can also mean “to divide.”

“And tribes”: these are below the shu'ub in rank. Its singular is qabilah (tribe), such as Bakr of Rabiah and Tamim of Mudar. Below the tribes are the ama'ir (clans); its singular is amarah, with an a vowel after the initial letter, such as Shayban of Bakr and Darim of Tamim. Below the ama'ir are the butun (sub-clans); its singular is batn, such as Banu Ghalib and Lu'ayy of Quraysh.