وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَأَنسَىٰهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ 19
Translations
And be not like those who forgot Allāh, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.
Transliteration
Wa laa takoonoo kalladheen nasoo Allah fa ansaahum anfusahum. Ulaa'ika hum al-fasiqoon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns believers not to resemble those who forgot Allah (became heedless of His commands and remembrance), and consequently Allah caused them to forget themselves—their own spiritual welfare, dignity, and accountability. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this is a principle of divine justice: whoever abandons the remembrance and obedience of Allah will lose their sense of self-awareness and moral conscience, becoming among the 'fasiqun' (those who transgress and break the covenant with Allah).
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59) was revealed in the Medinan period regarding the expulsion of Banu Nadir, a Jewish tribe that violated their treaty with the Prophet. This ayah falls within a broader section cautioning believers against the spiritual complacency and heedlessness that characterized those who rejected Allah's guidance, serving as a moral lesson extracted from historical events.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever remembers his Lord and whoever forgets his Lord are not alike' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith: 'The best of you are those who remember Allah the most' (Tirmidhi) emphasizes the opposite virtue—that remembrance of Allah preserves one's spiritual consciousness and moral integrity.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that consistent remembrance of Allah (dhikr) is essential to maintaining moral consciousness and spiritual health; neglecting our relationship with Allah inevitably leads to spiritual blindness and loss of personal integrity. For modern believers, it underscores the importance of regular Quranic recitation, prayer, and conscious awareness of Allah in daily life to prevent moral and spiritual decline.