وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ لَنَآ أَعْمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلُكُمْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِى ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ 55
Translations
And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant."
Transliteration
Wa-idha sami'u al-laghwa a'radhu 'anhu wa-qalu lana a'maluna wa-lakum a'malukum salamun 'alaykum la nabtghi al-jahileen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the noble character of the believers who, when encountering vain speech or foolish discourse, turn away from it with dignity and respond with wisdom and peace. They establish a clear boundary between themselves and those engaged in falsehood, saying 'to us our deeds and to you your deeds,' demonstrating the Islamic principle of maintaining moral distance from ignorance without animosity. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi note that this represents the mature believer's response to provocation—neither engaging in vain argument nor responding with harshness, but with dignified disengagement and a greeting of peace ('Assalamu alaikum').
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qasas (a Meccan surah) and relates to the broader context of how believers should respond to the mockery, opposition, and vain discourse of the disbelievers during the Meccan period. It exemplifies the patience and moral superiority of the Muslim community in the face of Quranic ridicule and foolish arguments from the polytheists of Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by strength, but the one who controls himself when angry' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the Quran states in 25:63 that the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk on earth humbly and when the ignorant address them, they say 'Peace' (Salaam).
Themes
Key Lesson
Modern believers should emulate this balanced approach: when confronted with vain or provocative speech, maintain dignity by disengaging rather than retaliating, recognizing that each person is responsible for their own deeds. This teaches us that true strength lies not in winning arguments but in controlling our responses and preserving peace while remaining firm in our principles.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِكِتَـٰبٍ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ
Say, "Then bring a scripture from Allāh which is more guiding than either of them that I may follow it, if you should be truthful."
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ
But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allāh is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient."
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَحْذَرُونَ
And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Hāmān and their soldiers through them that which they had feared.
فَجَآءَتْهُ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا تَمْشِى عَلَى ٱسْتِحْيَآءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِى يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا ۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ ۖ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people."