وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا 140
Translations
And it has already come down to you in the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] that when you hear the verses of Allāh [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed, Allāh will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together -
Transliteration
Wa qad nazzala 'alaikum fil-kitābi an idhā sami'tum āyāti-Allāhi yukfaru bihā wa yustahza'u bihā falā taq'udū ma'ahum hattā yakhūdū fī hadīthin ghayrihi. Innakum idhān misluhum. Inna-Allāha jāmi'u-l-munāfiqīna wa-l-kāfirīna fī jahannama jamī'ā.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to avoid sitting with those who mock or disbelieve in the signs of Allah until they change the subject of conversation. The verse establishes that remaining in such gatherings and listening to mockery of Allah's signs makes one spiritually complicit with the mockers. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this directive aims to preserve the dignity of divine revelation and prevent believers from becoming desensitized to kufr, warning that those who negligently associate with mockers will be gathered with the hypocrites and disbelievers on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
Revealed in the Medinan period when the Muslim community faced active mockery and ridicule of Islamic teachings from both disbelievers and hypocrites within Medina. The broader context of Surah An-Nisa addresses community conduct and moral boundaries, emphasizing the believer's responsibility to maintain spiritual integrity by distancing themselves from environments of kufr and mockery.
Related Hadiths
Abu Daud reported in his Sunan (4758) that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever hears mockery of the Quran and does not reject it has participated in the sin.' Additionally, Jami' at-Tirmidhi (2968) records guidance about avoiding gatherings of disobedience and sinful talk.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must actively protect their faith by consciously withdrawing from environments where Allah's signs are mocked or disbelieved in, as silent presence constitutes passive participation in disbelief. This ayah teaches that faith requires not merely internal conviction but also external behavioral choices that reflect our commitment to Allah's honor and majesty.