وَقُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا 81
Translations
And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."
Transliteration
Wa qul jaa'a al-haqqu wa zahaqal-batil, inna al-batila kana zuhuuqa.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah declares the triumph of truth over falsehood, with the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded to proclaim that truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this refers specifically to the advent of Islam and the Qur'an as the ultimate truth, while falsehood—whether idolatry, false doctrines, or satanic deceptions—inevitably perishes. The repetition of the root word (zahaqal-batil, kana zuhuuqa) emphasizes both the immediate reality and the inherent nature of falsehood as something destined to disappear.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet and the early Muslim community, this ayah served as divine reassurance that despite persecution and rejection, the message of Islam would ultimately prevail. The surah's context of the Night Journey emphasizes spiritual victory and the establishment of divine truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The best jihad is a word of justice before a tyrannical ruler' (Sunan Ibn Majah and Sunan At-Tirmidhi), reflecting the principle of speaking truth against falsehood. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari records: 'Truth has come and falsehood has perished; indeed falsehood is ever bound to perish' (referencing this very ayah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that despite worldly challenges and the apparent strength of falsehood, truth ultimately prevails through divine will—encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their faith and principles. For modern readers, it serves as a timeless reminder that speaking and standing for truth, even when opposed, aligns with the natural order of creation and divine justice.
Related Ayahs
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
If you do not aid him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] - Allāh has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allāh is with us." And Allāh sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers [i.e., angels] you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allāh - that is the highest. And Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
قُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِئُ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ
Say, "The truth has come, and falsehood can neither begin [anything] nor repeat [it]."