فَٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَيْنِهِمْ ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ 65
Translations
But the denominations from among them differed [and separated], so woe to those who have wronged from the punishment of a painful Day.
Transliteration
Fakhtalafu al-ahzabu min baynihim, fa-waylun lilladhina dhalamoo min adhabi yawmin aleem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the different groups (ahzab) among the followers of Jesus disputed and disagreed among themselves after his message, fragmenting into various sects and differing interpretations. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this division led to the corruption of Jesus's original message, and the ayah warns that those who committed this injustice (dhulm) through their false innovations and rejection of truth will face a painful punishment on the Day of Judgment. The verse emphasizes that deliberate distortion of divine guidance and the creation of baseless divisions in religion constitute grave sins worthy of severe divine retribution.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a passage in Surah Az-Zukhruf that discusses Jesus ('Isa) and his message, contrasting the true message with the later divisions that arose among his followers. The context addresses how successive religious communities have historically fragmented into conflicting sects, a pattern the Quran identifies as a consequence of human desires and the influence of Satan. This thematic context is central to the surah's warning against sectarian divisions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'My Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Hellfire except one.' (Tirmidhi 2641) This hadith parallels the Quranic warning about divisions and their consequences, emphasizing the danger of sectarian splitting.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to guard against sectarian divisions and baseless disagreements that contradict the original message of Islam, recognizing that unity upon truth is a religious obligation. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that those who knowingly distort religious teachings or sow discord among believers face accountability before Allah, urging sincere adherence to authentic Islamic knowledge and respectful unity.