وَلَا تَطْرُدِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 52
Translations
And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His face [i.e., favor]. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account. So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers.
Transliteration
Wa lā tardi al-ladhīna yad'ūna rabbahum bi-al-ghadawati wa-al-'ashiyyi yurīdūna wajhahu, mā 'alayka min hisābihim min shay', wa mā min hisābika 'alayhim min shay', fa-tardi'hum fa-takūna min al-dhālimīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) not to drive away poor believers who worship Allah morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, even though the Meccan elite objected to their presence. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this was a rebuke to the Prophet's companions who attempted to exclude poor believers from gatherings to please the wealthy Quraysh. The ayah emphasizes that believers should not be judged by their worldly status, and that rejecting sincere worshippers constitutes oppression (dhulm).
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Meccan period when wealthy Quraysh merchants objected to the presence of poor converts like 'Ammār ibn Yāsir, Bilāl, and others in the Prophet's gatherings. Some companions began excluding these poor believers to appease the Quraysh, prompting this divine correction. The broader context of Surah Al-An'am emphasizes monotheism and rejecting false distinctions based on wealth or social status.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim where 'Ā'ishah reported that some companions wanted to exclude poor believers from gatherings, and the Prophet firmly rejected this. Additionally, the hadith in Tirmidhi where the Prophet said that the best people are those who benefit others, regardless of wealth, relates to the principle of valuing sincere faith over status.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must not allow worldly status or social pressure to compromise their commitment to including and respecting sincere worshippers in their community. True worth is measured by devotion to Allah, not by wealth or social standing, and excluding the faithful for material reasons constitutes grave injustice.