وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 68
Translations
And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people.
Transliteration
Wa-idha ra'ayta alladhina yakhuduna fi ayatina fa-a'rid 'anhum hatta yakhuduu fi hadith ghayrihi. Wa-imma yunsiyannak al-shaytan fa-la taq'ud ba'da al-dhikra ma'a al-qawm al-zalimin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) to turn away from those who engage in frivolous discourse and mockery of Allah's signs, until they cease and change the subject. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this teaches Muslims to avoid prolonged association with those who ridicule the Quran and Islamic teachings, and if Satan causes forgetfulness, one should immediately leave the company of transgressors. The ayah establishes both a principle of spiritual protection and a practical boundary for believers in their social interactions.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-An'am, which was revealed in Mecca and addresses polytheists and those who mocked the Quranic message. The specific context relates to the pagan Meccans who would deliberately ridicule Allah's revelations in the Prophet's presence, making this guidance essential for the early Muslim community's spiritual preservation during persecution.
Related Hadiths
The principle is supported by the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed companions not to sit with those who engage in futile talk and mockery of religion. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains traditions about the importance of avoiding gatherings where Allah's signs are mocked.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that protecting one's faith requires practical wisdom—sometimes this means removing ourselves from environments where religious truths are derided, and being vigilant against Satan's attempts to make us forget these boundaries. For modern Muslims, it emphasizes that maintaining strong conviction means being selective about the company we keep and the spaces where we spend our time.
Related Ayahs
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوٓا۟ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will gather them all together; then We will say to those who associated others with Allāh, "Where are your 'partners' that you used to claim [with Him]?"
وَلِتَصْغَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَفْـِٔدَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا۟ مَا هُم مُّقْتَرِفُونَ
And [it is] so the hearts of those who disbelieve in the Hereafter will incline toward it [i.e., deceptive speech] and that they will be satisfied with it and that they will commit that which they are committing.
قُلْ إِنِّى نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّآ أَتَّبِعُ أَهْوَآءَكُمْ ۙ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Say, "Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you invoke besides Allāh." Say, "I will not follow your desires, for I would then have gone astray, and I would not be of the [rightly] guided."
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّكُمْ وَأَرْسَلْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْهِم مِّدْرَارًا وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرَ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَنشَأْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا ءَاخَرِينَ
Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them which We had established upon the earth as We have not established you? And We sent [rain from] the sky upon them in showers and made rivers flow beneath them; then We destroyed them for their sins and brought forth after them a generation of others.