وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَيَقْذِفُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ مِن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍ 53
Translations
And they had already disbelieved in it before and would assault the unseen from a place far away.
Transliteration
Wa qad kafarū bihi min qablu wa yaqdhifūna bil-ghaybi min makānin ba'īd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the disbelievers who rejected the Qur'an before even hearing its full message, and who make unfounded accusations and claims about it from a distance without true knowledge or understanding. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'throwing at the unseen from a far place' refers to their baseless criticisms and false attributions made without genuine comprehension of the Qur'an's message, reflecting their stubborn refusal to accept guidance despite its clarity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Saba's discussion of the disbelievers' rejection of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah addresses the Meccan polytheists who consistently rejected the message despite its eloquence and truth, making unfounded objections from ignorance rather than rational inquiry.
Related Hadiths
The thematic concept relates to Sahih Bukhari's hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that those who speak about Allah without knowledge are among the most despicable, as they reject the clear message due to arrogance and ignorance rather than legitimate intellectual grounds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns against rejecting truth based on prejudice or inherited beliefs rather than genuine examination, and reminds us that baseless criticism of divine guidance often stems from ignorance and distance from the source of knowledge. For modern readers, it is a call to approach religious and truthful messages with openness, sincerity, and proper understanding rather than dismissive attitudes.
Related Ayahs
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And when a messenger from Allāh came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allāh [i.e., the Torah] behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].
ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent.
لِّيُنذِرَ مَن كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
To warn whoever is alive and justify the word [i.e., decree] against the disbelievers.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِۦ فَـَٔامَنَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Say, "Have you considered: if it [i.e., the Qur’ān] was from Allāh, and you disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you were arrogant...?" Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.