وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِندَ ٱلْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ۚ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ 35
Translations
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].
Transliteration
Wa mā kāna salātuhum ʿinda al-bayt illā mukāʾan wa tasdiyah. Fadhūqū al-ʿadhāb bimā kuntum takfurūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the pre-Islamic polytheists of Makkah who performed rituals at the Kaʿbah that were mere mockery—whistling, clapping, and false gestures—rather than sincere worship of Allah. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that their actions at the Sacred House were devoid of true devotion and Islamic submission, and they are warned to taste the punishment of the Hereafter due to their disbelief and rejection of Allah's signs.
Revelation Context
Revealed in the Medinan period during Surah Al-Anfal, which addresses the early Muslim community after the Battle of Badr. This ayah describes the spiritual state of the Makkan polytheists who outwardly performed rituals but lacked sincere faith, contrasting their empty practices with true Islamic worship.
Related Hadiths
The hadith reported by Imam Ahmad and others describes how the polytheists would circumambulate the Kaʿbah while clapping and whistling, mocking the believers' proper worship. Additionally, Surah Al-Hajj (22:27) is thematically related, describing their rejection of proper pilgrimage and worship at the Sacred House.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that ritualistic actions performed without sincere belief and submission to Allah are merely empty gestures that incur divine displeasure; true worship requires both outward practice and inward sincerity, and those who deliberately mock or distort faith face severe consequences.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَإِن جَنَحُوا۟ لِلسَّلْمِ فَٱجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allāh. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.
ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّـٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
That is for what your hands have put forth [of evil] and because Allāh is not ever unjust to [His] servants."
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهَاجَرُوا۟ وَجَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاوَوا۟ وَّنَصَرُوٓا۟ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَلَمْ يُهَاجِرُوا۟ مَا لَكُم مِّن وَلَـٰيَتِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰ يُهَاجِرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِنِ ٱسْتَنصَرُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلنَّصْرُ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Indeed, those who have believed and emigrated and fought with their wealth and lives in the cause of Allāh and those who gave shelter and aided - they are allies of one another. But those who believed and did not emigrate - for you there is no support of them until they emigrate. And if they seek help of you for the religion, then you must help, except against a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty. And Allāh is Seeing of what you do.
وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ كُلُّهُۥ لِلَّهِ ۚ فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
And fight against them until there is no fitnah and [until] the religion [i.e., worship], all of it, is for Allāh. And if they cease - then indeed, Allāh is Seeing of what they do.