وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُۥ ۗ وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ 101
Translations
And how could you disbelieve while to you are being recited the verses of Allāh and among you is His Messenger? And whoever holds firmly to Allāh has [indeed] been guided to a straight path.
Transliteration
Wa-kayfa takfuroon wa-antum tutla `alaykum ayatu Allahi wa-fīkum rasooluh. Wa-man ya`tasim billahi faqad hudiya ila siratin mustaqīm.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who reject faith (kufr) despite being in the presence of Allah's clear signs (the Qur'an) and His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ). Ibn Kathir explains this as a rhetorical question expressing astonishment at their disbelief given such clear guidance, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that rejection of truth despite its clarity is a grave sin. The ayah concludes with the promise that whoever holds fast to Allah (ya`tasim billahi) will be guided to the Straight Path, offering believers a solution to misguidance through steadfast adherence to Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran (Chapter 3), a Medinan surah revealed during the Prophet's time in Madinah. The broader context addresses the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and those who reject faith despite having access to Allah's revelations. This particular ayah speaks to the condition of those in Madinah who witnessed the Prophet directly yet still chose disbelief.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim: The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best form of holding fast to the rope of Allah is to believe in tawhid (Allah's oneness).' Also relevant is Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet ﷺ stated: 'Whoever holds firmly to the Qur'an and the Sunnah will never go astray.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejection of faith in the face of clear signs is inexcusable and illogical, while steadfast attachment to Allah and His guidance guarantees protection from misguidance. For contemporary believers, it emphasizes that access to the Qur'an and authentic Islamic knowledge places a responsibility upon us to act upon it, lest we fall into the same category of those who knew but rejected the truth.
Related Ayahs
فَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوٓءٌ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ
So they returned with favor from Allāh and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allāh, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَتِ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةُ وَٱلْإِنجِيلُ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Then will you not reason?
هُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ
They are [varying] degrees in the sight of Allāh, and Allāh is Seeing of whatever they do.
ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوٓا۟ إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
They have been put under humiliation [by Allāh] wherever they are overtaken, except for a rope [i.e., covenant] from Allāh and a rope [i.e., treaty] from the people [i.e., the Muslims]. And they have drawn upon themselves anger from Allāh and have been put under destitution. That is because they disbelieved in [i.e., rejected] the verses of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That is because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.