وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ 18
Translations
And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allāh does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.
Transliteration
Wa lā tuṣaʿ'ir khaddaka li-l-nāsi wa lā tamshi fī l-arḍi marahan inna -llāha lā yuḥibbu kulla mukhtālin fakhūr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits arrogance and pride in dealings with people and in one's conduct, specifically warning against turning one's cheek away from people in scorn and walking on earth with pride and conceit. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a comprehensive prohibition against all forms of arrogance and haughtiness, emphasizing that Allah despises those who combine arrogance (ikhtiyāl) with boastfulness (fakhr). The ayah teaches humility and dignified conduct as essential Islamic virtues, regardless of one's status or wealth.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Luqman's moral counsel to his son, a section of Surah Luqman (31:12-19) that deals with essential ethical teachings. While there is no specific asbab al-nuzul (occasion of revelation) recorded for this particular verse, it occurs within the broader Meccan context of the surah, which emphasizes moral and spiritual guidance during the early Islamic period when believers were often subjected to persecution and social pressure.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallā -llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said: 'Whoever has arrogance in his heart equal to the weight of an atom will not enter Paradise' (Sahih Muslim 91). Additionally, 'The best of you are those who have the best manners' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3662) relates to the conduct encouraged in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims are called to cultivate genuine humility in their interactions with others and in their walk of life, recognizing that arrogance and boastfulness are deeply displeasing to Allah regardless of one's accomplishments or status. This teaching encourages balanced self-respect combined with modesty—neither degrading oneself nor elevating oneself above others through pride.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers." Even if Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze?
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ وَٱخْشَوْا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا يَجْزِى وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِۦ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْغَرُورُ
O mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allāh by the Deceiver [i.e., Satan].
مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ
Your creation and your resurrection will not be but as that of a single soul. Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Seeing.
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُۥ ظَـٰهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً ۗ وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَـٰبٍ مُّنِيرٍ
Do you not see that Allāh has made subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and unapparent? But of the people is he who disputes about Allāh without knowledge or guidance or an enlightening Book [from Him].