بَلِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۖ فَمَن يَهْدِى مَنْ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ 29
Translations
But those who wrong follow their [own] desires without knowledge. Then who can guide one whom Allāh has sent astray? And for them there are no helpers.
Transliteration
Bal ittaba'a alladhīna ẓalamū ahwāʾahum bighayri ʿilmin famman yahdī man aḍalla allāhu wamā lahum min nāṣirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who follow their desires and whims without knowledge, emphasizing that such deviation is a consequence of their own wrongdoing. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the ayah teaches that once Allah allows someone to go astray due to their rejection of truth and pursuit of falsehood, no one can guide them back—highlighting the severe consequences of willful ignorance and stubbornness in rejecting divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ar-Rum's discussion of the straight path (fitrah) upon which Allah has created all creation. The surah addresses the Meccan polytheists who abandoned the natural inclination toward monotheism in favor of their ancestral customs and desires. This ayah specifically rebukes those who prioritize personal whims over revealed knowledge.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his chest to Islam; and whoever He wishes to leave astray, He makes his chest tight and constricted' (Sahih Muslim 2644). Also related is the hadith about following desires: 'Do not follow desires, for it will lead you astray from the path of Allah' (Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that mere desire and emotion, without grounding in knowledge and truth, lead to spiritual ruin and abandonment by Allah. It emphasizes the critical importance of seeking knowledge ('ilm) and submitting to divine guidance rather than following one's passions, as the latter path offers no protection or salvation.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَآءُوهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا۟ ۖ وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And We have already sent messengers before you to their peoples, and they came to them with clear evidences; then We took retribution from those who committed crimes, and incumbent upon Us was support of the believers.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Do they not see that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
۞ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفًا وَشَيْبَةً ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْقَدِيرُ
Allāh is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent.
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allāh upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allāh. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.