Tafsir Surah Al-Isra ayah 38 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Do not speak without Knowledge

Allah says;

وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلۡمٌ إِنَّ السَّمۡعَ وَالۡبَصَرَ وَالۡفُوَادَ

And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of,

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said:

""(This means) do not say (anything of which you have no knowledge).""

Al-Awfi said:

""Do not accuse anyone of that of which you have no knowledge.""

Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah said:

""It means bearing false witness.""

Qatadah said:

""Do not say,

`I have seen', when you did not see anything, or

`I have heard', when you did not hear anything, or

`I know', when you do not know,

for Allah will ask you about all of that.""

In conclusion, what they said means that Allah forbids speaking without knowledge and only on the basis of suspicion, which is mere imagination and illusions. As Allah says:

اجۡتَنِبُواۡ كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ إِثۡمٌ

Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. (49:12)

According to a Hadith:

إِيَّاكُمۡ وَالظَّنَّنَفَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكۡذَبُ الۡحَدِيث

Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech.

The following Hadith is found in Sunan Abu Dawud:

بِيۡسَ مَطِيَّةُ الرَّجُلِ زَعَمُوا

What an evil habit it is for a man to say, `They claimed...'

According to another Hadith:

إِنَّ أَفۡرَى الۡفِرَى أَنۡ يُرِيَ الرَّجُلُ عَيۡنَيۡهِ مَا لَمۡ تَرَيَا

The worst of lies is for a man to claim to have seen something that he has not seen.

In the Sahih it says:

مَنۡ تَحَلَّمَ حُلۡمًا كُلِّفَ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ أَنۡ يَعۡقِدَ بَيۡنَ شَعِيرَتَيۡنِ وَلَيۡسَ بِفَاعِل

Whoever claims to have seen a dream (when he has not seen) will be told on the Day of Resurrection to make a knot between two barley grains, and he will not be able to do it.

كُلُّ أُولـيِكَ

each of those ones,

means these faculties, hearing, sight and the heart,

كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡوُولاً

will be questioned.

means, the person will be asked about them on the Day of Resurrection, and they will be asked about him and what he did with them

Condemnation of strutting

Allah forbids His servants to strut and walk in a boastful manner:

وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِي الَارۡضِ مَرَحًا

And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance.

meaning, walking in boastful manner and acting proud, like those who are arrogant oppressors.

إِنَّكَ لَن تَخۡرِقَ الَارۡضَ

Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth,

means, you cannot penetrate the earth with your walking.

This was the opinion of Ibn Jarir.

وَلَن تَبۡلُغَ الۡجِبَالَ طُولاً

nor can you attain a stature like the mountains in height.

كُلُّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ سَيٍّيُهُ عِنۡدَ رَبِّكَ مَكۡرُوهًا

All the bad aspects of these (the above mentioned things) are hateful to your Lord

Everything previously mentioned is Revelation and Wisdom

Allah says:

ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَوۡحَى إِلَيۡكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الۡحِكۡمَةِ

This is (part) of Al-Hikmah (wisdom) which your Lord has revealed to you.

Allah says, `What We have commanded you to do is part of good manners, and what We have forbidden you are evil qualities. We have revealed this to you, O Muhammad, so that you may command the people likewise.'

وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ فَتُلۡقَى فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا

And set not up with Allah any other god lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy,

meaning, your own self will blame you, as will Allah and His creation.

مَّدۡحُورًا

rejected,

means far removed from everything good.

Ibn Abbas and Qatadah said:

""(It means) cast out.""

This is an address to the Ummah via the Messenger, for he is infallible."

Al-Isra: 38

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Al-Isra: 38