وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ مُحْدَثٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضِينَ 5
Translations
And no mention [i.e., revelation] comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.
Transliteration
Wa mā yā'tīhim min dhikrin mina ar-rahmāni muhdasin illā kānū 'anhu mu'ridīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the disbelievers' persistent rejection of every new revelation (dhikr) from Allah (the Most Merciful), turning away from the Qur'an as it was being revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this reflects the Meccan pagans' stubborn refusal to listen to the divine message, regardless of how many signs and revelations were presented to them, highlighting their willful blindness and heedlessness to guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that addresses the opposition and mockery the Prophet faced from the Quraysh during the early Meccan period. The surah emphasizes that previous nations also rejected their prophets, drawing parallels to the contemporary rejection of Muhammad's message. This ayah specifically illustrates the theme of mankind's characteristic ingratitude and aversion to divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to Hadith Qudsi where Allah says: 'I am as My slave expects Me to be' (Sahih Bukhari 7405), emphasizing personal choice in accepting or rejecting guidance. Also relevant is the hadith: 'The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), contrasting those who embrace versus reject the dhikr.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that possession of divine guidance is not sufficient—receptiveness, humility, and willingness to listen are essential prerequisites for spiritual growth. In our contemporary context, we must examine our own hearts to ensure we are not turning away from reminders and guidance, whether from the Qur'an or authentic Islamic knowledge.
Related Ayahs
لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
By your life, [O Muḥammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
Do you not consider, [O Muḥammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allāh that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing.
وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِندَ ٱلْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ۚ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
And their prayer at the House [i.e., the Kaʿbah] was not except whistling and handclapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved [i.e., practiced of deviations].
إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۖ وَمَآ أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ
To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not [at all] discerning.