وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا 28
Translations
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
Transliteration
Wa mā lahum bihī min 'ilmin ۖ In yattabi'ūna illā aẓ-ẓanna ۖ Wa inna aẓ-ẓanna lā yughni mina al-ḥaqqi shay'ān
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the polytheists' claims about their idols and false beliefs, emphasizing that they possess no knowledge whatsoever regarding their assertions—they merely follow conjecture and unfounded assumptions. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that mere speculation and opinion (ẓann) can never substitute for or diminish the truth (al-ḥaqq), highlighting the fundamental difference between knowledge-based belief and baseless supposition. The ayah serves as a powerful epistemological critique, establishing that certainty of faith must be rooted in divine revelation, not human whimsy.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53), a Meccan surah that addresses the pagan Arabs' false claims about angels being daughters of Allah and their polytheistic practices. The broader context of the surah refutes their idolatrous beliefs and emphasizes Allah's oneness, making this ayah part of the Qur'an's systematic dismantling of pre-Islamic Arabian polytheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 'The best speech is the Qur'an and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad,' (Sahih Muslim 867), underscoring the superiority of certain knowledge from revelation over mere conjecture. Additionally, the hadith in Sunan An-Nasa'i warns against relying on suspicion: 'Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech' (Iyyākum wa al-ẓann).
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims should anchor their faith and beliefs in revealed knowledge from the Qur'an and Sunnah rather than cultural traditions, personal assumptions, or societal pressures. In our modern age of misinformation and opinion-based discourse, this ayah reminds us that conjecture—no matter how widespread or popular—can never replace objective truth, and we must constantly verify our beliefs against authentic Islamic sources.
Related Ayahs
قُل لِّمَن مَّا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ قُل لِّلَّهِ ۚ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Say, "To whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and earth?" Say, "To Allāh." He has decreed upon Himself mercy. He will surely assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. Those who will lose themselves [that Day] do not believe.
وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses; not for them was the choice. Exalted is Allāh and high above what they associate with Him.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ
Say, "Have you considered: if Allāh should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allāh could bring them [back] to you?" Look how We diversify the verses; then they [still] turn away.
وَلَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ ٱلدِّينُ وَاصِبًا ۚ أَفَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ تَتَّقُونَ
And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and to Him is [due] worship constantly. Then is it other than Allāh that you fear?