بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا۟ بِعِلْمِهِۦ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِهِمْ تَأْوِيلُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 39
Translations
Rather, they have denied that which they encompass not in knowledge and whose interpretation has not yet come to them. Thus did those before them deny. Then observe how was the end of the wrongdoers.
Transliteration
Bal kadhdhabo bima lam yuhitoo bi'ilmihi wa lamma ya'tihim ta'weeluhu; kadhalika kadhdhaba alladhina min qablihim; fanthur kayfa kana 'aqibatu adh-dhalimeen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah criticizes the disbelievers for rejecting the Qur'an without understanding it, denying what they have not yet comprehended fully. Ibn Kathir explains that the disbelievers rejected the Message hastily before witnessing its fulfillment and consequences, following the same pattern of those nations before them who denied their prophets. The ayah emphasizes that rejecting divine guidance based on ignorance leads to inevitable punishment, as demonstrated throughout history.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah of Yunus, which addresses the stubbornness of the Quraysh in rejecting the Qur'an despite its clear signs and miracles. The context reflects the early Meccan period when the disbelievers dismissed the Qur'an's teachings without proper reflection or knowledge, and it serves as a general warning applicable to all who reject truth without understanding.
Related Hadiths
Tirmidhi (2519): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.' This relates to the importance of understanding (not just rejecting) divine revelation. Additionally, the principle of rejecting without knowledge contradicts the Qur'anic injunction in 17:36 about not following what one has no knowledge of, as emphasized in numerous ahadith on the prohibition of spreading ignorance.
Themes
Key Lesson
Before rejecting any truth—especially divine guidance—one must first seek knowledge and understanding rather than acting on prejudice or incomplete information. The inevitable punishment of those who deny truth should serve as a sobering reminder that denying divine messages out of ignorance does not exempt one from accountability.