وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ لَنَآ أَعْمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلُكُمْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِى ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ 55
Translations
And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant."
Transliteration
Wa-idha sami'u al-laghwa a'radhu 'anhu wa-qalu lana a'maluna wa-lakum a'malukum salamun 'alaykum la nabtghi al-jahileen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the noble character of the believers who, when encountering vain speech or foolish discourse, turn away from it with dignity and respond with wisdom and peace. They establish a clear boundary between themselves and those engaged in falsehood, saying 'to us our deeds and to you your deeds,' demonstrating the Islamic principle of maintaining moral distance from ignorance without animosity. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi note that this represents the mature believer's response to provocation—neither engaging in vain argument nor responding with harshness, but with dignified disengagement and a greeting of peace ('Assalamu alaikum').
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qasas (a Meccan surah) and relates to the broader context of how believers should respond to the mockery, opposition, and vain discourse of the disbelievers during the Meccan period. It exemplifies the patience and moral superiority of the Muslim community in the face of Quranic ridicule and foolish arguments from the polytheists of Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by strength, but the one who controls himself when angry' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the Quran states in 25:63 that the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk on earth humbly and when the ignorant address them, they say 'Peace' (Salaam).
Themes
Key Lesson
Modern believers should emulate this balanced approach: when confronted with vain or provocative speech, maintain dignity by disengaging rather than retaliating, recognizing that each person is responsible for their own deeds. This teaches us that true strength lies not in winning arguments but in controlling our responses and preserving peace while remaining firm in our principles.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِى فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ
Indeed, [O Muḥammad], He who imposed upon you the Qur’ān will take you back to a place of return. Say, "My Lord is most knowing of who brings guidance and who is in clear error."
وَقَالَتْ لِأُخْتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِ ۖ فَبَصُرَتْ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
And she said to his sister, "Follow him"; so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not.
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَـٰكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and [because] they avert evil through good, and from what We have provided them they spend.