وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ 58
Translations
And when you call to prayer, they take it in ridicule and amusement. That is because they are a people who do not use reason.
Transliteration
Wa-idha nadaytum ila al-salati ittakhaduha huzuwan wa la'iba. Dhalika bi-annahum qawmun la ya'qilun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who mock and ridicule the call to prayer (adhan) and treat it as a subject of jest and amusement. According to classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir, this refers primarily to the hypocrites (munafiqun) and disbelievers of Madinah who would deliberately mock the adhan when the Muslims called people to Salah. The ayah emphasizes that such behavior stems from a lack of intellect and understanding of the gravity of worship and obedience to Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Madinah and addresses the attitude of hypocrites and disbelievers toward Islamic worship practices. It reflects the historical context of early Muslim community in Madinah where some groups openly mocked Islamic rituals, particularly the call to prayer which was a public and distinctive practice of Muslims.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The closest that a servant gets to his Lord is during prostration, so increase in supplication during it' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet warned against those who mock religious practices and worship.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that mocking or treating Islamic practices with contempt—whether the call to prayer, Salah itself, or other sacred rituals—is a sign of spiritual blindness and intellectual deficiency. Modern believers should reflect on whether they treat their religious obligations with reverence and seriousness, and avoid associating with those who diminish the sanctity of worship through jest or indifference.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
But those who disbelieved and denied Our signs - they are the companions of Hellfire.
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ ۚ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا۟ بِمَا قَالُوا۟ ۘ بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَـٰنًا وَكُفْرًا ۚ وَأَلْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُوا۟ نَارًا لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
And the Jews say, "The hand of Allāh is chained." Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills. And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. And We have cast among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindled the fire of war [against you], Allāh extinguished it. And they strive throughout the land [causing] corruption, and Allāh does not like corrupters.
لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.
كَانُوا۟ لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ
They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing.