ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا۟ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا 48
Translations
Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way.
Transliteration
Unzur kayfa darabu laka al-amthal fa-dallū fa-lā yastaṭīʿūn sabīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to observe how the disbelievers have fabricated false comparisons and arguments against him, yet through their own misguidance, they have lost the way to truth and can find no sound path forward. Ibn Kathir explains that the Quraysh's attempts to ridicule the Prophet through analogies and false claims only demonstrate their own spiritual blindness and inability to comprehend the message. Al-Qurtubi notes this ayah emphasizes how those who reject clear signs inevitably become confused and unable to find guidance, as their rejection itself becomes a barrier to understanding.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Isra, which addresses the miraculous night journey and discusses the responses of disbelievers to the Prophet's message. The broader context of this passage deals with the mocking and arguments of the Meccan pagans against Islamic monotheism, particularly their use of false analogies and comparisons to discredit the message.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (2/101) regarding the mockery of disbelievers is relevant: 'And [mention, O Muhammad], when those who disbelieve say to those who believe, 'Follow our way, and let us bear your sins'—but they will not bear anything of their sins.' This reflects the broader theme of how rejectors employ flawed arguments.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of truth leads to spiritual confusion and the inability to find the right path, while encouraging believers that despite worldly ridicule, Allah's message remains clear and those who mock it will ultimately find themselves lost. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that stubbornness in denial doesn't strengthen one's position but rather weakens it, and that intellectual honesty in seeking truth is essential for spiritual guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـٰقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْـًٔا كَبِيرًا
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.
۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He said, "Should I prostrate to one You created from clay?"
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـٰمًا وَرُفَـٰتًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقًا جَدِيدًا
That is their recompense because they disbelieved in Our verses and said, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected [in] a new creation?"