وَلَوِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ بَلْ أَتَيْنَـٰهُم بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ 71
Translations
But if the Truth [i.e., Allāh] had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away.
Transliteration
Wa law ittaba'a al-haqqu ahwaa'ahum lafasadat al-samawatu wa-al-ardu wa man feehinna bal ataynahum bi dhikrihim fa hum 'an dhikrihim mu'ridun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes that if the truth (al-haqq) were to follow the desires and whims (ahwaa') of people, the entire cosmic and terrestrial order would be corrupted and destroyed. Instead, Allah has granted them the Qur'an (al-Dhikr) as guidance, yet they turn away from it in rejection. Ibn Kathir explains that this demonstrates the impossibility and inconceivability of truth conforming to human desires, as it would contradict divine justice and the fundamental laws governing creation. Al-Qurtubi notes that this refutation of following desires is central to Islamic theology, as the Qur'an is the objective standard against which human inclinations must be measured, not vice versa.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Mu'minun, revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islam when the Quraysh were rejecting the Prophet's message based on their ancestral traditions and personal desires. The broader context of this surah addresses the characteristics of true believers and their contrast with those who reject divine guidance, making this ayah a direct response to the Meccan polytheists' refusal to accept the Qur'an as superior to their inherited customs.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, 'Whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me' (Sahih Bukhari 5063), emphasizing the obligation to follow divine guidance over personal desire.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that submitting to Allah's revelation requires surrendering personal desires and whims to objective divine truth. In our modern age of individualism and subjectivism, the ayah serves as a powerful corrective, teaching us that true guidance comes not from following our inclinations, but from aligning ourselves with the eternal wisdom of the Qur'an and Sunnah.