أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ 9
Translations
Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.
Transliteration
Amman huwa qānitun ānāal-laili sājidan wa-qāiman yahdharu al-ākhirata wa-yarjū rahmata rabbihi. Qul hal yastawie alladhīna yaʿlamūna wa-alladhīna lā yaʿlamūn. Innamā yatadhakar ūlū al-albāb.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah contrasts the devoted servant of Allah who spends the night in prayer and worship with fear of the Hereafter and hope in His mercy, asking rhetorically whether such a person can be equal to those who are negligent. The ayah then shifts to emphasize that knowledge and ignorance are not equivalent, and only those possessing sound intellect (al-albāb) truly benefit from this understanding. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this passage specifically addresses those who reject the Quran and divine guidance, establishing that spiritual devotion and knowledge of truth cannot be equated with indifference and ignorance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zumar, a Meccan surah that addresses the polytheists of Mecca. The broader context discusses the comparison between believers and disbelievers, with this specific verse responding to those who denied the Quran. It appears to be responding to the Meccan rejection of the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) message and the superiority of faith-based life over one of ignorance and negligence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will ease for him a path to Paradise' (Sahih Muslim 2699) relates to the theme of seeking knowledge and understanding.
Themes
Key Lesson
The ayah teaches that true distinction between people lies not in worldly status but in their devotion to Allah, pursuit of knowledge, and preparation for the Hereafter. For modern readers, this emphasizes that intellectual development and spiritual practice are interconnected, and that meaningful knowledge must be coupled with sincere worship and moral consciousness.
Related Ayahs
خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَزْوَٰجٍ ۚ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتٍ ثَلَـٰثٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُصْرَفُونَ
He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate, and He produced for you from the grazing livestock eight mates. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allāh, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted?
تَنزِيلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ
The revelation of the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] is from Allāh, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
وَتَرَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ حَآفِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ ٱلْعَرْشِ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ وَقِيلَ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne, exalting [Allāh] with praise of their Lord. And it will be judged between them in truth, and it will be said, "[All] praise to Allāh, Lord of the worlds."
ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.