أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ أَنَّىٰ يُصْرَفُونَ 69
Translations
Do you not consider those who dispute concerning the signs of Allāh - how are they averted?
Transliteration
Alam tara ilal-ladhina yujadilun fi ayatillah anna yusrafun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah questions the disbelievers who dispute and argue against the signs (ayat) of Allah, expressing astonishment at how they turn away from the truth despite its clarity. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that this rebuke addresses those who stubbornly reject Allah's clear proofs and signs, emphasizing that their deviation is inexplicable given the manifest nature of divine guidance. The ayah serves as a rhetorical challenge, implying that only willful blindness and arrogance prevent them from accepting the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ghafir (Meccan), which deals with the consequences of rejecting divine guidance and the ultimate victory of believers. The broader context of this surah addresses the Meccan polytheists' rejection of the Prophet Muhammad's message and their baseless arguments against monotheism, reflecting the intense opposition the early Muslim community faced.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said regarding those who reject signs: 'The example of the one who recites the Quran and the one who does not recite it is like the example of the living and the dead.' (Sahih Muslim) This relates to the theme of turning away from divine guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that truth is evident to those with sincere hearts, and that rejection of divine signs often stems from arrogance and willful ignorance rather than intellectual deficiency. For modern readers, it encourages seeking truth with an open heart while warning against the dangers of dogmatic adherence to falsehood.
Related Ayahs
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًا
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance - they will never be guided, then - ever.
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَـٰٓـُٔوا۟ ٱلسُّوٓأَىٰٓ أَن كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَانُوا۟ بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
Then the end of those who did evil was the worst [consequence] because they denied the signs of Allāh and used to ridicule them.
قَدْ كَانَتْ ءَايَـٰتِى تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَـٰبِكُمْ تَنكِصُونَ
My verses had already been recited to you, but you were turning back on your heels.
سَآءَ مَثَلًا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَأَنفُسَهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ
How evil an example [is that of] the people who denied Our signs and used to wrong themselves.