سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّـٰلُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ ۚ فَإِن جَآءُوكَ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُمْ أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَن يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ 42
Translations
[They are] avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of [what is] unlawful. So if they come to you, [O Muḥammad], judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them - never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.
Transliteration
Sammā'ūn lil-kadhbi akklūn lil-suḥt. Fa-in jā'ūka faḥkum baynahum aw a'riḍ 'anhum. Wa-in tu'riḍ 'anhum falan yaḍurrūka shay'ā. Wa-in ḥakamta faḥkum baynahum bil-qisṭ. Inna Allāha yuḥibbu al-muqsiṭīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding Jewish groups who were prone to deception and illicit gain, giving him discretion to either judge between them according to Islamic law or abstain from their disputes. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this verse grants judicial discretion while emphasizing that if judgment is rendered, it must be with perfect justice ('al-qisṭ'). The verse culminates with a fundamental principle: Allah loves those who establish justice, making equity a divine attribute and a requirement of Islamic governance.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period during the Prophet's engagement with various Jewish communities and hypocrites in Madinah. The context reflects disputes brought before the Prophet by Jews and others seeking his adjudication, setting guidelines for Islamic judicial practice that balance mercy with mandatory justice when the Prophet (or Islamic authority) chooses to intervene.
Related Hadiths
Sunan Ibn Majah and other collections record that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The judges are of three types: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. A judge who knows the truth and judges according to it goes to Paradise; a judge who knows the truth but judges contrary to it goes to Hell; and a judge who judges between people in ignorance goes to Hell.' This emphasizes the grave responsibility of judicial office addressed in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that justice is not merely a legal requirement but a divine virtue that Allah loves, making integrity in judgment a sacred trust whether in formal courts or in resolving everyday disputes. It reminds leaders and arbiters that impartiality and truthfulness are essential, and that one may decline involvement in matters of deception while remaining obligated to pursue justice when engaged.
Related Ayahs
۞ لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ ٱلنَّاسِ عَدَٰوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۖ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allāh; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.
فَإِنْ عُثِرَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنَّهُمَا ٱسْتَحَقَّآ إِثْمًا فَـَٔاخَرَانِ يَقُومَانِ مَقَامَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَوْلَيَـٰنِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِٱللَّهِ لَشَهَـٰدَتُنَآ أَحَقُّ مِن شَهَـٰدَتِهِمَا وَمَا ٱعْتَدَيْنَآ إِنَّآ إِذًا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
But if it is found that those two were guilty of sin [i.e., perjury], let two others stand in their place [who are] foremost [in claim] from those who have a lawful right. And let them swear by Allāh, "Our testimony is truer than their testimony, and we have not transgressed. Indeed, we would then be of the wrongdoers."
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs - those are the companions of Hellfire.
مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٍ وَلَا سَآئِبَةٍ وَلَا وَصِيلَةٍ وَلَا حَامٍ ۙ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۖ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Allāh has not appointed [such innovations as] baḥīrah or sā’ibah or waṣīlah or ḥām. But those who disbelieve invent falsehood about Allāh, and most of them do not reason.