وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا 28
Translations
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face [i.e., acceptance]. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
Transliteration
Wa'sbir nafsaka ma'a alladhina yad'una rabbahum bil-ghudawati wa'l-'asha'i yureeduna wajhahu wa la ta'du 'aynayka 'anhum tureed zeenat al-hayat al-dunya wa la tu'i man aghlalna qalbahu 'an dhikrina wa'ttaba'a hawahu wa kana amruhu furtaa
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to keep company with the believers who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face and pleasure, while avoiding those whose hearts have been sealed from the remembrance of Allah and who pursue their desires. The ayah emphasizes that the Prophet should not turn his gaze away from sincere believers toward the worldly status and wealth of the heedless, as this would compromise his spiritual mission. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this as guidance for maintaining righteous companionship and rejecting worldly temptations that distract from the remembrance of Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Makkah during a period when the Quraysh were pressuring the Prophet to distance himself from poor believers and associate instead with wealthy leaders to gain acceptance. The verse comes within the Surah Al-Kahf's broader theme of patience, faith, and the contrast between believers and disbelievers, teaching that true honor lies in proximity to the righteous, not in worldly wealth or status.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Jami' at-Tirmidhi describes the Prophet's companionship with believers: 'The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of a perfume seller and a blacksmith's bellows.' Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the importance of keeping company with the righteous: 'A person is on the religion of his closest friend.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must prioritize spiritual companionship with those devoted to Allah over social advancement with the heedless, and should not allow worldly distractions to divert them from sincere worship. The practice of remembering Allah in early morning and evening hours is presented as a hallmark of true believers, serving as a practical guide for structuring one's day around divine consciousness.
Related Ayahs
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا
And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son".
سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءً ظَـٰهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا
They [i.e., people] will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone."
كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا
Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope.