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
فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
So We took him and his soldiers and threw them into the sea. So see how was the end of the wrongdoers.
إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.
وَمَا كُنتَ تَرْجُوٓا۟ أَن يُلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And you were not expecting that the Book would be conveyed to you, but [it is] a mercy from your Lord. So do not be an assistant to the disbelievers.
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [warn of] the Day He will call them and say, "Where are My 'partners' which you used to claim?"