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
۞ إِنَّ شَرَّ ٱلدَّوَآبِّ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلْبُكْمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allāh are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason [i.e., the disbelievers].
وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَإِنِّى جَارٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ ٱلْفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّنكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, "No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector." But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed, I fear Allāh. And Allāh is severe in penalty."
لِيُحِقَّ ٱلْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
That He should establish the truth and abolish falsehood, even if the criminals disliked it.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَبَقُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يُعْجِزُونَ
And let not those who disbelieve think they will escape. Indeed, they will not cause failure [to Allāh].