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
وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا۟ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ
And when he came to the water [i.e., well] of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women holding back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."
قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَـٰنًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا ۚ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكُمَا ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ
[Allāh] said, "We will strengthen your arm through your brother and grant you both supremacy so they will not reach you. [It will be] through Our signs; you and those who follow you will be the predominant."
فَخَسَفْنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ مِن فِئَةٍ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُنتَصِرِينَ
And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves.