إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لَوْلَآ أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا 42
Translations
He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way.
Transliteration
In kadda layuḍillunā 'an ālihatinā lawlā an sabarnā 'alayhā; wa sawfa ya'lamūn ḥīn yarawn al-'adhāba man aḍallu sabīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers confess that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nearly turned them away from their idols, and they attribute their persistence in idol-worship solely to their steadfastness in clinging to it. Allah responds that when they face the punishment on the Day of Judgment, they will then truly know who followed the most misguided path. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah demonstrates the inner conviction of the disbelievers regarding the Prophet's message, even as they stubbornly rejected it, and serves as a warning of their ultimate reckoning.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Furqan (Meccan period) which addresses the arguments and objections of Meccan disbelievers. The context discusses various criticisms leveled against the Prophet; this particular verse responds to the polytheists' admission of the persuasive power of the Quranic message while highlighting their obstinate rejection rooted in ancestral tradition and worldly attachment.
Related Hadiths
Hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said: 'The most misguided of people is he whose misguidance leads others astray' (related to the theme of following wrong paths). Also relevant: Hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the stubbornness of disbelievers in clinging to falsehood despite recognizing truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that rejecting truth due to stubbornness, tradition, or worldly attachment—despite inwardly recognizing its validity—is a grave spiritual disease with eternal consequences. We should reflect on whether we truly follow guidance with conviction or merely cling to inherited beliefs without sincere examination of truth.