وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِى لَهْوَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ 6
Translations
And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allāh without knowledge and who takes it [i.e., His way] in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.
Transliteration
Wa min an-nasi man yashtari lahwa al-hadith li-yudilla 'an sabili Allah bi-ghayri 'ilm wa yattakhidhaha huzuwa. Ula'ika lahum 'adhab muheen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who purchase or pursue idle and frivolous speech (lahw al-hadith) as a means to mislead others from the path of Allah without knowledge, treating the signs of Allah mockingly. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, 'lahw al-hadith' refers to vain discourse, music, poetry, or entertainment used to distract from truth and lead people astray, and such individuals deserve a humiliating punishment in the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Luqman, which is primarily a Meccan surah containing moral and ethical teachings through the parable of Luqman. The broader context addresses various types of sinful behavior and attitudes that turn people away from monotheism and divine guidance during the early period of Islam when pagans employed various tactics to distract believers from the message of Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual relations, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments as lawful' (Sahih Bukhari 5590). Additionally, the Prophet warned against idle talk and vain speech as a sign of weak faith (Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must guard themselves and their families against entertainment and speech designed to distract from Allah's guidance, recognizing that deliberate spreading of falsehood and mockery of faith carries severe consequences; in modern context, this extends to media, social platforms, and discourse that prioritizes amusement over truth.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُن فِى صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَوْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ
[And Luqmān said], "O my son, indeed if it [i.e., a wrong] should be the weight of a mustard seed and should be within a rock or [anywhere] in the heavens or in the earth, Allāh will bring it forth. Indeed, Allāh is Subtle and Aware.
هَـٰذَا خَلْقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ
This is the creation of Allāh. So show Me what those other than Him have created. Rather, the wrongdoers are in clear error.
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ
He created the heavens without pillars that you see and has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with you, and dispersed therein from every creature. And We sent down rain from the sky and made grow therein [plants] of every noble kind.
وَإِذَا غَشِيَهُم مَّوْجٌ كَٱلظُّلَلِ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ فَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ ۚ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَّارٍ كَفُورٍ
And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion [i.e., faith]. But when He delivers them to the land, there are [some] of them who are moderate [in faith]. And none rejects Our signs except everyone treacherous and ungrateful.