ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ 24
Translations
See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent.
Transliteration
Unzur kayfa kadhaboo 'ala anfusihim wa dalla 'anhum ma kanoo yaftaroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) to observe how the disbelievers have lied against themselves by denying the truth and fabricating false gods and attributes. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, their invented falsehoods have led them astray from the path of guidance, and these fabrications have become a barrier between them and the truth they once recognized in their hearts. The ayah emphasizes that self-deception and deliberate rejection of truth ultimately harms the rejector, not Allah or His message.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the broader context of Surah Al-An'am (a Meccan chapter), which extensively addresses Meccan polytheists' rejection of monotheism and their invention of false deities alongside Allah. The ayah is part of a passage refuting their arguments and highlighting the contradiction between their natural inclination toward tawheed (monotheism) and their stubborn adherence to idolatry.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Everyone is born on the fitrah (natural disposition toward monotheism), but his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian' (Sahih Bukhari 1385). This hadith complements the ayah's theme of how people deviate from innate truth through false teachings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those who consciously reject divine truth and persist in falsehood ultimately deceive only themselves, for their lies cannot harm Allah's message but rather seal their own hearts from guidance. It serves as a reminder that intellectual dishonesty and deliberate rejection of clear signs have spiritual consequences that isolate one from truth.