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
وَقَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ يَنۢبُوعًا
And they say, "We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring
وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا
And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَـٰبًا نَّقْرَؤُهُۥ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا
Or you have a house of ornament [i.e., gold] or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا۟ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا
Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way.