وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَبِهِۦ يَعْدِلُونَ 181
Translations
And among those We created is a community which guides by truth and thereby establishes justice.
Transliteration
Wa mimman khalaqna ummatan yahdoona bil-haqqi wa bihi ya'diloona
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that among the creation of Allah, there exists a community (ummah) that guides by truth and establishes justice based on it. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as referring to the scholars and righteous believers of the Muslim ummah who are committed to spreading divine truth and ruling with equity. The ayah emphasizes that guidance (hidayah) and justice ('adl) are inseparable virtues rooted in adherence to divine revelation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-A'raf, a Meccan chapter focused on fundamental Islamic principles and divine guidance. It occurs within a broader passage (7:176-181) discussing those who receive signs and knowledge, distinguishing between those who follow guidance and those who turn away. The context emphasizes the responsibility of those blessed with knowledge to use it for spreading truth and justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), reflecting the concept of guiding by truth mentioned in this ayah. Additionally, the hadith 'Whosoever guides to goodness has a reward similar to that of its doer' (Sahih Muslim 1893) relates to the theme of those who lead others to truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that possessing knowledge of truth carries with it the sacred duty to guide others with integrity and to uphold justice in all affairs. It calls modern Muslims to recognize that true guidance is incomplete without accompanying it with fairness, equity, and honest application in daily life.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا ٱلْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُۥ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allāh said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allāh."
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
And to Allāh belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِى ضَلَـٰلَةٌ وَلَـٰكِنِّى رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
[Noah] said, "O my people, there is not error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.
فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ
But those who wronged among them changed [the words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them. So We sent upon them a punishment from the sky for the wrong that they were doing.