ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ فَٱتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 18
Translations
Then We put you, [O Muḥammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.
Transliteration
Thumma ja'alnaka 'alaa sharī'atin min al-amr fattabi'hā wa lā tattabi' ahwā' alladhīna lā ya'lamūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad (and by extension, the believers) to follow the Sharīah (divine law and way) that was established for him, rejecting the desires and opinions of the ignorant masses who lack true knowledge of divine guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah establishes the obligation to adhere strictly to the divinely-revealed path and to reject all whims and baseless customs of those who follow their desires without knowledge. Al-Qurtubi notes that 'ahwā' (desires) here refers specifically to religious innovations and deviations from the straight path.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Jathiyah, a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the Prophet's message in favor of their inherited customs and desires. The surah's context involves refuting those who deny the resurrection and cling to their fathers' religion without understanding, making this ayah a direct command to prioritize divine revelation over popular opinion and ignorance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said, 'Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected' (Sahih Muslim 1718). Additionally, 'The best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad' (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578), emphasizing adherence to the established divine path.
Themes
Key Lesson
In an age of conflicting ideologies and societal pressures, believers must ground their decisions and beliefs in divine revelation rather than popular opinion or personal desires, recognizing that true wisdom comes from Allah's guidance, not from the uninformed masses. This ayah calls for intellectual courage and conviction to stand firm against social pressure when it contradicts the divine path.