وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًا 36
Translations
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
Transliteration
Wa lā taqfu mā laysa laka bihī 'ilmun. Inna al-sama'a wa-al-basara wa-al-fu'āda kulla ulā'ika kāna 'anhu mas'ūlā.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits following or speaking about matters without knowledge, emphasizing that one will be held accountable for what they hear, see, and know in their heart. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir explain that this addresses the danger of spreading false information and unverified claims, as all faculties of perception—hearing, sight, and intellect—entail responsibility before Allah. The verse establishes a principle of epistemic integrity in Islam, warning against conjecture and baseless statements.
Revelation Context
Revealed in the Meccan period, this ayah appears in Surah Al-Isra which discusses the Night Journey and emphasizes moral and spiritual principles. It falls within a broader context of commandments regarding righteous conduct (17:22-39), where this particular verse addresses the misuse of knowledge and perception, a prevalent problem in pre-Islamic Arabia where people spread rumors and unverified reports.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'It is enough of a lie for a man to speak of everything he hears' (Sahih Muslim 5). Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent' (Sahih Bukhari) echoes this principle of accountability for speech.
Themes
Key Lesson
In an age of information overload, this ayah reminds believers to verify information before spreading it and to take responsibility for what they claim to know. We should cultivate intellectual humility, recognizing that hasty judgment about matters without proper knowledge is not only prohibited but also a form of accountability we will face before Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
And they ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair [i.e., concern] of my Lord. And you [i.e., mankind] have not been given of knowledge except a little."
قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَـٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا
[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
مَّنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا
Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.