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.