وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَـٰبٍ مُّنِيرٍ 8
Translations
And of the people is he who disputes about Allāh without knowledge or guidance or an enlightening book [from Him],
Transliteration
Wa mina an-nasi man yujadilu fi-llahi bi-ghayri ilmin wa la hudan wa la kitabin munir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who dispute about Allah and His religion without possessing knowledge, guidance, or any illuminating scripture to support their claims. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the polytheists and disbelievers who engaged in futile arguments against the Qur'an and Islamic monotheism while being devoid of rational proof or divine revelation. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that such disputation is not only baseless but spiritually harmful, as it represents arrogance and obstinacy rather than genuine intellectual inquiry.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan surah Al-Hajj during a period when the Muslim community faced considerable opposition from the Quraysh and other groups who rejected Islamic teachings through mere conjecture and inherited beliefs. The broader context of Surah Al-Hajj addresses the pillars of faith and the irrationality of shirk (associating partners with Allah), making this ayah part of the Qur'anic refutation of baseless theological claims.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of people are those of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them' (Sahih Bukhari 3651). This relates to the importance of following those with knowledge rather than engaging in unfounded disputations. Additionally, 'Whoever acquires knowledge of things by which Allah's Boundaries are violated, Allah will not increase him in anything but destruction' (Ibn Majah) emphasizes the danger of argumentation without proper guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to approach religious and theological discussions with humility, genuine knowledge, and reliance on the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah rather than empty rhetoric or inherited customs. For modern believers, it serves as a warning against social media debates and arguments conducted without proper understanding, encouraging instead a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to matters of faith.
Related Ayahs
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Their meat will not reach Allāh, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allāh for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.
وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ
And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - and that Allāh will resurrect those in the graves.
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ ءَاذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ
So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
Say, "O people, I am only to you a clear warner."