إِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِى ٱلْكَذِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ 105
Translations
They only invent falsehood who do not believe in the verses of Allāh, and it is those who are the liars.
Transliteration
Innama yaftari al-kadhiba alladhina la yu'minuna bi-ayati Allah wa-ula'ika hum al-kadhibun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that only those who reject the signs of Allah resort to fabricating lies and falsehoods. Ibn Kathir explains that disbelief in Allah's revelations is the root cause that drives people to invent lies, as their hearts are sealed from truth. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that such liars are characterized as 'al-kadhibun' (the greatest of liars), indicating that their entire existence is defined by falsehood when they reject divine truth.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islamic preaching, this ayah addresses the Meccan polytheists who fabricated accusations against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and rejected the Quranic verses. The context reflects the broader struggle between belief and disbelief in Surah An-Nahl, which discusses signs of Allah in creation and the consequences of denying them.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest lie is when a man lies about his dream' (Sahih Bukhari 7:62:157). Additionally, the hadith emphasizing truthfulness as a characteristic of faith relates to this ayah's condemnation of fabrication as a trait of disbelievers (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1971).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that honesty and truthfulness are inseparable from faith in Allah and His signs, while falsehood stems from a hardened heart that rejects divine guidance. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that integrity in speech and action is a manifestation of genuine belief, and that deliberate deception is characteristic of those who have turned away from truth.
Related Ayahs
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَتُصْبِحُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مُخْضَرَّةً ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ
Do you not see that Allāh has sent down rain from the sky and the earth becomes green? Indeed, Allāh is Subtle and Aware.
وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَـٰٓؤٌا۟ مُّبِينٌ
And We gave them of signs that in which there was a clear trial.
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَـٰهَا
And the messenger of Allāh [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allāh or [prevent her from] her drink."
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيْنِ ۖ فَمَحَوْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَصَّلْنَـٰهُ تَفْصِيلًا
And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.