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.