وَلَقَدْ ضَلَّ قَبْلَهُمْ أَكْثَرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ 71
Translations
And there had already strayed before them most of the former peoples,
Transliteration
Wa-laqad dalla qablahum aktharu al-awwalīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that the majority of the earlier nations before the Quraysh went astray and rejected the signs of Allah, following their desires and the ways of their forefathers. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse serves as a reminder that misguidance is not unique to the contemporary disbelievers, but rather a pattern throughout human history when people reject divine guidance. The ayah emphasizes that following the majority does not guarantee truth, as most of the ancients chose falsehood over the message of their prophets.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Saffat, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca and their rejection of the Prophet Muhammad's message. The surah presents historical narratives of previous prophets and their peoples, establishing a pattern of human rejection of divine guidance. This particular verse contextualizes the Quraysh's disbelief within the broader historical experience of humanity, suggesting that their rejection is not unprecedented but part of a recurring pattern of human straying from the truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said, 'The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them,' illustrating the decline in faith and guidance across generations (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the hadith 'The majority will be in the Hellfire' (Tirmidhi) relates to the theme that most people throughout history have chosen misguidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers not to be swayed by popular opinion or the majority when it contradicts divine truth, and to recognize that human tendency toward misguidance is a recurring historical pattern that requires constant vigilance and adherence to revelation. It encourages critical thinking and personal responsibility in matters of faith rather than blind conformity.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلْعِزَّةُ بِٱلْإِثْمِ ۚ فَحَسْبُهُۥ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ
And when it is said to him, "Fear Allāh," pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allāh has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers." Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?
أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way.
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ
And take for yourselves constructions [i.e., palaces and fortresses] that you might abide eternally?