وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ 58
Translations
And when you call to prayer, they take it in ridicule and amusement. That is because they are a people who do not use reason.
Transliteration
Wa-idha nadaytum ila al-salati ittakhaduha huzuwan wa la'iba. Dhalika bi-annahum qawmun la ya'qilun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who mock and ridicule the call to prayer (adhan) and treat it as a subject of jest and amusement. According to classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir, this refers primarily to the hypocrites (munafiqun) and disbelievers of Madinah who would deliberately mock the adhan when the Muslims called people to Salah. The ayah emphasizes that such behavior stems from a lack of intellect and understanding of the gravity of worship and obedience to Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Madinah and addresses the attitude of hypocrites and disbelievers toward Islamic worship practices. It reflects the historical context of early Muslim community in Madinah where some groups openly mocked Islamic rituals, particularly the call to prayer which was a public and distinctive practice of Muslims.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The closest that a servant gets to his Lord is during prostration, so increase in supplication during it' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet warned against those who mock religious practices and worship.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that mocking or treating Islamic practices with contempt—whether the call to prayer, Salah itself, or other sacred rituals—is a sign of spiritual blindness and intellectual deficiency. Modern believers should reflect on whether they treat their religious obligations with reverence and seriousness, and avoid associating with those who diminish the sanctity of worship through jest or indifference.
Related Ayahs
أَفَحُكْمَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allāh in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].
وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ
And eat of what Allāh has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allāh, in whom you are believers.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلصَّـٰبِـُٔونَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Indeed, those who have believed [in Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] and those [before him (ﷺ)] who were Jews or Sabeans or Christians - those [among them] who believed in Allāh and the Last Day and did righteousness - no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.
فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُۥ نَفْسُهُۥ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُۥ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
And his soul permitted to him the murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the losers.