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.