Meaning: the private conversation · Also translated as: your private consultation, their secret talk, and their secret conversation, in private conversation
Forms in the Quran
ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ×4
وَنَجْوَىٰهُمْ×2
نَجْوَىٰٓ×2
نَجْوَىٰكُمْ×2
نَّجْوَىٰهُمْ×1
Its root in the classical dictionaries
م، ونجم: طلع، نجوما ونجما، فصار النجم مرة اسما، ومرة مصدرا، فالنجوم مرة اسما كالقلوب والجيوب، ومرة مصدرا كالطلوع والغروب، ومنه شبه به طلوع النبات، والرأي، فقيل: نجم النبت والقرن، ونجم لي رأي نجما ونجوما، ونجم فلان على السلطان: صار
قوله تعالى: ﴿وأنجينا الذين آمنوا﴾ [النمل: 53] أي خلصناهم وأصل النجاة الانفصال من الشيء والتقصي منه. وذلك أن النجاة في الأصل المكان المرتفع، لأنه خلص عما حواليه من الأمكنة. وقيل: لأنه نجا من السيل. والناجي كأنه حل في ذلك المكان، ثم أطلق على كل خلاص.
In most of their secret talks
There is no good: but if
One exhorts to a deed
Of charity or justice
Or conciliation between men,
(Secrecy is permissible):
To him who does this,
Seeking the good pleasure
Of God, We shall soon give
A reward of the highest (value).
We know best why it is
They listen, when they listen
To thee; and when they
Meet in private conference,
Behold, the wicked say,
"Ye follow none other than
A man bewitched!"
Their hearts toying as with
Trifles. The wrong-doers conceal
Their private counsels, (saying),
"Is this (one) more than
A man like yourselves?
Will ye go to witchcraft
With your eyes open?"
Seest thou not that
God doth know (all) that is
In the heavens and
On earth? There is not
A secret consultation
Between three, but He
Makes the fourth among them,—
Nor between five but
He makes the sixth,—
Nor between fewer nor more,
But He is in their midst,
Wheresoever they be:
In the end will He
Tell them the truth
Of their conduct, on the Day
Of Judgment. For God
Has full knowledge
Of all things.
Turnest thou not thy sight
Towards those who were
Forbidden secret counsels
Yet revert to that which
They were forbidden (to do)?
And they hold secret counsels
Among themselves for iniquity
And hostility, and disobedience
To the Apostle. And when
They come to thee,
They salute thee,
Not as God salutes thee,
(But in crooked ways):
And they say to themselves,
"Why does not God
Punish us for our words?"
Enough for them is Hell:
In it will they burn,
And evil is that destination!
Secret counsels are only
(Inspired) by the Evil One,
In order that he may
Cause grief to the Believers;
But he cannot harm them
In the least, except as
God permits; and on God
Let the Believers
Put their trust.
O ye who believe
When ye consult
The Apostle in private,
Spend something in charity
Before your private consultation.
That will be best for you,
And most conducive
To purity (of conduct).
But if ye find not
(The wherewithal), God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Is it that ye are
Afraid of spending sums
In charity before your
Private consultation (with him)
If, then, ye do not so,
And God forgives you,
Then (at least) establish
Regular prayer; practise
Regular charity; and obey
God and His Apostle.
And God is well-acquainted
With all that ye do.