وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا 28
Translations
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face [i.e., acceptance]. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
Transliteration
Wa'sbir nafsaka ma'a alladhina yad'una rabbahum bil-ghudawati wa'l-'asha'i yureeduna wajhahu wa la ta'du 'aynayka 'anhum tureed zeenat al-hayat al-dunya wa la tu'i man aghlalna qalbahu 'an dhikrina wa'ttaba'a hawahu wa kana amruhu furtaa
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to keep company with the believers who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face and pleasure, while avoiding those whose hearts have been sealed from the remembrance of Allah and who pursue their desires. The ayah emphasizes that the Prophet should not turn his gaze away from sincere believers toward the worldly status and wealth of the heedless, as this would compromise his spiritual mission. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this as guidance for maintaining righteous companionship and rejecting worldly temptations that distract from the remembrance of Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Makkah during a period when the Quraysh were pressuring the Prophet to distance himself from poor believers and associate instead with wealthy leaders to gain acceptance. The verse comes within the Surah Al-Kahf's broader theme of patience, faith, and the contrast between believers and disbelievers, teaching that true honor lies in proximity to the righteous, not in worldly wealth or status.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Jami' at-Tirmidhi describes the Prophet's companionship with believers: 'The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of a perfume seller and a blacksmith's bellows.' Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the importance of keeping company with the righteous: 'A person is on the religion of his closest friend.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must prioritize spiritual companionship with those devoted to Allah over social advancement with the heedless, and should not allow worldly distractions to divert them from sincere worship. The practice of remembering Allah in early morning and evening hours is presented as a hallmark of true believers, serving as a practical guide for structuring one's day around divine consciousness.
Related Ayahs
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا
Wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.
وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا
And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return."
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَيَلْبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضْرًا مِّن سُندُسٍ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٍ مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ ۚ نِعْمَ ٱلثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا
Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water, and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."