Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.
“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.”
After Allah mentioned the etiquette of speech, He mentions the etiquette of gatherings, and says: O those who have faith in Allah and act upon what Allah has legislated for them! When you are told: “Make space in gatherings”, then make space; Allah will create ease for you in your worldly lives and in the afterlife.
The plain meaning, from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
O you who have believed, when you are told, "Space yourselves" in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you. And when you are told, "Arise," then arise; Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is Aware of what you do.
What does Quran 58:11 mean?
The setting is smaller than the verse sounds. Allah has been teaching the manners of a gathering: when you are asked to make room, make room; when you are asked to get up so that others can sit, get up. The promise of being raised in degrees comes attached to that — as if the raising begins in the small, unwatched act of moving over. And note who is named: those who believe, and those who were given knowledge.
Written from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir