The Glorious Qur`an

49: the [inner] Apartments (hujurat)

This important chapter tells a great deal about the Prophet's private life and his growing concerns of state. It was revealed during the so-called Year of Delegations " in 9 / 630, when all of Arabia was finally united in a political federation, and some sort of protocol had to be set up. Muhammad's own house in Madina where he had apartments for his numerous family. was becoming the center for this activity, and his household had to be protected from unexpected incidents and intruders. (It is now the site of the great mosque with the green dome in Madina.)

The chapter consists of only 18 longest Madinese verses arranged in two sections. They were all revealed after The Pleading Woman 58 and before Prohibition 66. Here we meet the Prophet as a man with great cares of state and clearly in need of privacy.

The chapter also deals with social relationships between individual Muslims, and how to handle gossip and rumor, and to patch up quarrels (I). The next section furnishes more rules on social behavior and etiquette (II). Finally we receive recommendations on budding foreign policy and international law, which at this stage were quite embryonic. Nevertheless these details are important.