Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 36

(Ayah 36) ➊ {وَ مَا يَتَّبِعُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ اِلَّا ظَنًّا …:} The word "Zann" (assumption) is sometimes used for certainty as well, as He said: «{الَّذِيْنَ يَظُنُّوْنَ اَنَّهُمْ مُّلٰقُوْا رَبِّهِمْ }» [ البقرۃ : ۴۶ ] "Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord." Sometimes it is also used in the meaning of predominant assumption, which is a correct assumption, even though there is a very weak possibility of error in it. Where these meanings are intended, there is also an indication and evidence for it. In this sense, all worldly affairs run on Zann, and as long as its error is not proven by any evidence, acting upon it is obligatory. All news received through letters, telephone, or messages are based on assumption, because there is a weak possibility of error or forgery in them, but everyone acts upon them, conducts business through them, and also acts upon Shariah rulings, not caring about the possibility of error. Some people call a single report or hadith "assumptive" in this sense, although in itself it is not correct to say that the ahadith of the Messenger (peace be upon him) are assumptive; rather, the authentic ahadith of the Messenger (peace be upon him) are definitive and certain, especially all the ahadith of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim and the sanad-authentic ahadith of other books are all certain and definitive, and acting upon them is obligatory. However, the meaning generally intended by Zann is such a suspicion, assumption, or thought which has no basis. In the Quran and Hadith, this word is mostly used in this blameworthy meaning, and at such instances, there is also an indication of its condemnation, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيْثِ ] [بخاری، النکاح، باب لا یخطب علی خطبۃ أخیہ… : ۵۱۴۳ ] "Beware of Zann (assumption), for Zann (assumption) is the most false of speech." By this Zann is meant that baseless thing which is merely based on someone's imitation or suspicion and has no rational or textual evidence. Allah Almighty has mentioned in several places in the Quran regarding the polytheists that these people are merely following Zann, that is, baseless suspicion and assumption, which has neither any reality nor evidence, as He said regarding the worshippers of Lat, Uzza, and Manat: «{ اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ مَا تَهْوَى الْاَنْفُسُ }» [ النجم : ۲۳ ] "They follow nothing but assumption and what their souls desire." And regarding the polytheists who gave the angels feminine names, who used to call the angels the daughters of Allah Almighty, He said: «{ وَ مَا لَهُمْ بِهٖ مِنْ عِلْمٍ اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ اِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِيْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا }» [ النجم : ۲۸ ] "While they have no knowledge about it, they follow nothing but assumption, and indeed assumption avails nothing against the truth." Here too, Zann has the same meaning, because it has come in opposition to the truth, and it is clear that those who associate partners with Allah are completely devoid of knowledge and are absolutely empty-handed of any rational or textual evidence, and such suspicions and assumptions are of no use against the truth. To support this meaning, see also verse (66) of this Surah, the summary of which is that those who call upon anyone besides Allah, in reality, there is no such partner whom they call upon, rather they are running after imaginary figures created by their own minds.

➋ Here is a question that in this verse Allah Almighty said that most of them follow nothing but assumption, whereas in reality all polytheists are following nothing but assumption. The commentators have solved this in two ways: one is that by "most" all are meant, and such speech is common in Arabic that "most" is said but all are meant. The second is that the majority of them are indeed like this, that they neither know nor understand, but there are some who know that Allah Almighty is the only true deity, but due to stubbornness and enmity, they do not believe in the Prophet (peace be upon him) and persist in polytheism, as He said: «{فَلَا تَجْعَلُوْا لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا وَّ اَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ }» [ البقرۃ :۲۲] "So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know (that He has no partner)."

➌ { اِلَّا ظَنًّا:} Zann is kept indefinite, meaning that most of them are following one or another assumption; someone has some assumption about someone, another has a different assumption about someone else. Even in determining their partners and their authorities, they do not agree; each has his own separate assumption.

➍ { اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِمَا يَفْعَلُوْنَ :} This is a warning from Allah Almighty that whatever they are doing, Allah Almighty certainly knows it well, He Himself will deal with them.

36. 1. But the fact is that people merely follow conjectural notions, even though they know that in comparison to evidence, illusions, thoughts, and assumptions have no value. In the Qur'an, ظن is used in both meanings of certainty and assumption; here, the second meaning is intended.

36. 2. That is, He will punish them for this stubbornness, that despite not having any evidence, they merely followed false notions and madness, and did not use reason or understanding at all.

36. (The reality is that) most of them follow nothing but conjecture [51], whereas conjecture is of no avail against the truth. Surely, Allah knows well what they do.

[51]
The Foundation of Man-Made Laws of Life is Based on Assumption:

That is, those who laid the foundation of polytheistic beliefs and religions, or those who formulated laws of life for mankind, none of these things are based on knowledge, but merely on conjecture and illusions. This is why their results keep turning out to be wrong, and mankind constantly feels the need to amend and change them. And those who follow such religious or worldly leaders also do so based on assumption and guesswork, thinking that if prominent people say this, or if our forefathers have been saying or doing this, and the majority of people are following them, then these things must surely be correct. They too have no scholarly basis. Then how can wild guesses be of any use in the discussion of truth and reality? Remember, here "truth" refers to such definitive proofs that are present in the Book and the Sunnah.