سُوْرَةُ لُقْمَانَ
Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 19
وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the asses."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱقْصِدْ
wa-iq'ṣid
And be moderate
فِى
fī
in
مَشْيِكَ
mashyika
your pace
وَٱغْضُضْ
wa-ugh'ḍuḍ
and lower
مِن
min
[of]
صَوْتِكَ ۚ
ṣawtika
your voice
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
أَنكَرَ
ankara
(the) harshest
ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ
l-aṣwāti
(of all) sounds
لَصَوْتُ
laṣawtu
(is) surely (the) voice
ٱلْحَمِيرِ
l-ḥamīri
(of) the donkeys
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And be moderate in your walk, and lower your voice. Indeed, the most unpleasant of voices is the braying of a donkey.
[25]
Raising the Voice Out of Necessity is Not Blameworthy, Only When Done to Intimidate is it Condemned:
Sometimes, due to necessity, a person has to call out in a loud voice. For example, if a few people are sitting nearby, a low voice suffices. But if the intention is to make more people hear, or if someone is delivering a speech, or when giving the adhan, a person needs to raise his voice, as a low voice would not suffice. In such situations, speaking or addressing in a loud voice is by no means blameworthy. Similarly, sometimes a teacher needs to admonish or scold his student; at that time, if he keeps his voice low and his tone soft, it will have no effect on the student whatsoever. What is blameworthy is when a person, out of arrogance, deliberately raises his voice or shouts to intimidate others and to humiliate or overawe them. When someone shouts for this purpose, often the voice becomes harsh and discordant. The point Allah Almighty makes is that if this were something praiseworthy, then donkeys could do this better than you. Yet everyone detests their voice.
[25]
Raising the Voice Out of Necessity is Not Blameworthy, Only When Done to Intimidate is it Condemned:
Sometimes, due to necessity, a person has to call out in a loud voice. For example, if a few people are sitting nearby, a low voice suffices. But if the intention is to make more people hear, or if someone is delivering a speech, or when giving the adhan, a person needs to raise his voice, as a low voice would not suffice. In such situations, speaking or addressing in a loud voice is by no means blameworthy. Similarly, sometimes a teacher needs to admonish or scold his student; at that time, if he keeps his voice low and his tone soft, it will have no effect on the student whatsoever. What is blameworthy is when a person, out of arrogance, deliberately raises his voice or shouts to intimidate others and to humiliate or overawe them. When someone shouts for this purpose, often the voice becomes harsh and discordant. The point Allah Almighty makes is that if this were something praiseworthy, then donkeys could do this better than you. Yet everyone detests their voice.
