وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَسْمَعُوا۟ لِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَٱلْغَوْا۟ فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ 26
Translations
And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Qur’ān and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome."
Transliteration
Wa qala alladhina kafaru la tasma'u li-hadha al-Qur'ani wa-alghaw fihi la'allakum taghlebun
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers commanded one another not to listen to the Qur'an and to make noise and disruption during its recitation, hoping thereby to drown it out and overcome its message. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this reflects the desperate tactics of the Meccan polytheists who resorted to creating tumult and distraction as a strategy to prevent people from hearing and being influenced by the Qur'an's clear signs. This ayah demonstrates their obstinate rejection and their awareness of the Qur'an's persuasive power, even as they fought against it.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Fussilat, a Meccan surah that emphasizes the clarity and eloquence of the Qur'an. The specific context describes the actual tactics employed by Quraysh and other disbelievers during the early Islamic period in Mecca, when they would attempt to prevent others from hearing the Prophet's (ﷺ) recitation of the Qur'an through noise and disruption.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari records that the disbelievers would indeed make noise during the Qur'an's recitation. Related to this is the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the virtue of listening to the Qur'an, emphasizing that sincere listening is a means of guidance (hidayah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that resistance to truth often stems not from inability to understand but from willful denial and arrogance; it also reminds believers that the power of the Qur'an is recognized even by those who reject it, and that our role is to convey the message clearly while leaving the choice to others.