هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ حَـٰجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ 66
Translations
Here you are - those who have argued about that of which you have [some] knowledge, but why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allāh knows, while you know not.
Transliteration
Ha antum haula'i hajajtum fima lakum bihi 'ilm, falima tuhaajjun fima laysa lakum bihi 'ilm, wa-Allahu ya'lamu wa-antum la ta'lamun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who argue about matters within their knowledge while simultaneously disputing things about which they have no knowledge, particularly regarding the nature of 'Isa (Jesus) and his relationship to Allah. Classical exegetes like Ibn Kathir note this was revealed in response to the Christians and Jews of Medina who disputed the true status of 'Isa despite lacking proper understanding, while simultaneously the Quran itself provides clear knowledge on matters within human comprehension. The ayah concludes with a powerful reminder that Allah possesses complete knowledge while human knowledge is fundamentally limited.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader passage (3:61-66) addressing disputes between Muslims and the People of the Book—specifically Christians from Najran who came to Medina to debate the nature of 'Isa. The context involves their rejection of 'Isa as a messenger and their theological claims about him, demonstrating the irrationality of disputing what has been made clear while claiming knowledge they do not possess.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of the delegation of Najran (recorded in Sahih Muslim and other collections) documents the actual dispute that prompted this revelation, where the Christian delegation came to debate the Prophet Muhammad about the nature of 'Isa and the Trinity. Additionally, relevant is the hadith: 'The best of knowledge is to know Allah and not to associate anything with Him' (attributed to various sources in Islamic tradition).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us the importance of intellectual humility and distinguishing between matters we can know with certainty and those beyond our comprehension, encouraging Muslims to avoid fruitless arguments on subjects outside their knowledge while grounding their positions on verified understanding. It serves as a timeless reminder that the strength of faith lies not in endless debate but in acknowledging the limits of human knowledge before the infinite wisdom of Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allāh took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allāh] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.
فَمَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
And whoever invents about Allāh untruth after that - then those are [truly] the wrongdoers.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
That is because they say, "Never will the Fire touch us except for [a few] numbered days," and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing.