وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا ۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا وَاقٍ 37
Translations
And thus We have revealed it as an Arabic legislation. And if you should follow their inclinations after what has come to you of knowledge, you would not have against Allāh any ally or any protector.
Transliteration
Wa-kadhalika anzalnahu hukman arabiyyan wa-la-in ittaba'ta ahwaa'ahum ba'da ma jaa'aka min al-'ilm ma laka min Allahi min waliyy wa-la waqin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah revealed the Qur'an as a judgment (constitution/law) in the Arabic language, making it clear and comprehensible to its primary audience. The second part is a stern warning to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that if he were to follow the desires and opinions of the disbelievers despite receiving divine knowledge, he would have no protector or defender from Allah's punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a warning against abandoning revelation for human whims, though the Prophet's infallibility in matters of religion is established elsewhere in Islamic theology.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan section of Surah Ar-Ra'd, which addresses the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of the Qur'an and their attempts to turn the Prophet away from his message. The broader context involves refutations of polytheism and affirmations of monotheism, with this particular verse reinforcing that the Qur'an's clarity in Arabic should leave no excuse for rejection, and warning against compromising the message.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of Jibril (in Sahih Muslim) where the Angel Gabriel asks the Prophet about Islam, Iman, and Ihsan relates thematically to the concept of 'ilm (knowledge) mentioned here. Additionally, hadith regarding the protection of the Qur'an's message (Sahih Bukhari 4701) where the Prophet warned against innovations in religion connects to the warning against following desires.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that possessing divine knowledge carries immense responsibility—we cannot claim ignorance when truth has been made clear to us, and following personal desires or societal pressures over established Islamic knowledge severs us from Allah's protection and support. It remains a timeless reminder that conviction must translate into consistent action aligned with revelation, not compromise for worldly acceptance.
Related Ayahs
ٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَىٰ وَمَا تَغِيضُ ٱلْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ ۖ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ عِندَهُۥ بِمِقْدَارٍ
Allāh knows what every female carries and what the wombs lose [prematurely] or exceed. And everything with Him is by due measure.
لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُۥ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ
For those who have responded to their Lord is the best [reward], but those who did not respond to Him - if they had all that is in the earth entirely and the like of it with it, they would [attempt to] ransom themselves thereby. Those will have the worst account, and their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place.
يَمْحُوا۟ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِندَهُۥٓ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
Allāh eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.
وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
And those who are patient, seeking the face [i.e., acceptance] of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home -