وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ 45
Translations
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
Transliteration
Wa kunna nakhooḍu maʿa al-khāʾiḍīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The deniers of the Day of Judgment admit that they used to engage in futile discourse and mockery alongside those who mocked the message of Allah and His messenger. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement represents the confession of the disbelievers in the Hereafter, acknowledging their complicity in rejecting the truth through vain conversation and ridicule. This ayah emphasizes how following the crowd in falsehood becomes a source of regret and testimony against oneself on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the latter portion of Surah Al-Muddaththir, which describes the scenes of the Day of Judgment and the regret of those who rejected faith. The surah contextualizes how the disbelievers will attempt to make excuses before Allah, admitting their participation in mocking the believers and the message of Islam during their worldly life.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'A person is upon the religion of his closest friend, so let each of you be careful about who your friend is' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4833). This hadith relates to the theme of following companions in sin and falsehood as mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers against participating in mockery of Islam or spreading falsehood simply to fit in with one's social circle; choosing righteous companions and maintaining moral integrity, even if unpopular, is essential to avoiding the deep regret experienced by those who follow the crowd into sin.