سُوْرَةُ لُقْمَانَ
Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 6
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِى لَهْوَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allâh without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allâh, or the Verses of the Qur’ân) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمِنَ
wamina
And of
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
the mankind
مَن
man
(is he) who
يَشْتَرِى
yashtarī
purchases
لَهْوَ
lahwa
idle tales
ٱلْحَدِيثِ
l-ḥadīthi
idle tales
لِيُضِلَّ
liyuḍilla
to mislead
عَن
ʿan
from
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) path
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without
عِلْمٍۢ
ʿil'min
knowledge
وَيَتَّخِذَهَا
wayattakhidhahā
and takes it
هُزُوًا ۚ
huzuwan
(in) ridicule
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
عَذَابٌۭ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
مُّهِينٌۭ
muhīnun
humiliating
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.
6. And among the people is he who buys idle tales [4] to mislead others from Allah’s path without knowledge [5], and to make a mockery of it [6]. For such people there is a humiliating punishment [7].
[4]
What is Meant by ﴿لهو الحديث﴾? Disapproval of Singing, Music, and Instruments:
﴿لهو الحديث﴾ refers to anything, occupation, game, or entertainment that makes a person heedless of the remembrance of Allah or keeps him heedless. Whether this occupation is singing and music, interesting novels and dramas, club entertainments, television activities, dramas and cinema watching, etc. In short, ﴿لهو الحديث﴾ generally applies to blameworthy occupations. Now, observe the explanation of this word in the light of the following hadiths and traditions:
(1) Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ used to swear that the word ﴿لهو الحديث﴾ in the Quran refers to singing and music. He also used to say that singing and music create hypocrisy in the heart just as water makes grass and greenery grow. [فتاويٰ ابن باز۔ اردو ترجمه ج 1 ص 313]
(2) Hazrat Abu Umamah says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah Almighty has sent me as a mercy to the worlds, and my Lord, the Exalted, has commanded me to eradicate musical instruments, strings, idols, crosses, and the practices of ignorance." [احمد بحواله مشكوة۔ كتاب الحدود۔ باب بيان الخمرو وعيد شاربها فصل ثالث]
(3) The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not sell, buy, or teach them this art, and their wages are unlawful." [ترمذی۔ ابواب البیوع۔ باب کراہیۃ المغنیات]
(4) Abu Malik Ash'ari says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that there will be people in my ummah who will make adultery, silk, wine, and ma'azif (i.e., musical instruments and singing) lawful. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاشربہ باب ما جاء فیمن یستحل الخمرو يسمیہ بغير اسمہ]
That is, they will make these things lawful by giving them other names.
The Role of Nadr bin Harith in Preventing Islam:
And the reason for the revelation of these verses is stated that among those who were determined to render the call of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ineffective was Nadr bin Harith. His method was completely different from that of Abu Lahab. Once, he said to the chiefs of Quraysh: "O Quraysh! Muhammad ﷺ was the most beloved among you, the most truthful, and the most trustworthy. Now, if he has come with Allah's message, you sometimes call him a poet, sometimes a soothsayer, sometimes mad, and sometimes a magician. Whereas he is neither a poet, nor a soothsayer, nor mad, nor a magician, because we know such people well. O people of Quraysh! Think! What calamity has befallen you?" Then the solution that Nadr bin Harith thought of for this calamity was that he himself went to al-Hirah, learned the stories of kings and the tales of Rustam and Isfandiyar. Wherever the Prophet ﷺ went to deliver his message, Nadr bin Harith, like Abu Lahab, would also go there and narrate these stories, then ask the people, "On what basis is Muhammad's ﷺ speech better than mine?" In addition, he had also bought some slave girls. Whenever someone inclined towards the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would set a slave girl upon him so that she would feed and entertain him and divert his thoughts. In this context, this verse was revealed. [ابن هشام۔ 21: 271]
[5] The attribution without knowledge can be towards the path of Allah or towards ﴿لهو الحديث﴾. The first case is clear from the translation, i.e., his misleading from the path of Allah is based solely on malice, stubbornness, and opposition. He has no practical evidence for it. In the second case, it would mean that he is so ignorant that in exchange for the precious thing like Allah's straight path and guidance, he is buying a destructive thing.
[6]
The Culture of Ignorance:
That is, such a person wants to keep people away from the verses of Allah and mock those verses through cultural activities like singing, music, storytelling, and dance and revelry.
[7] The appropriateness between his crime and his punishment is that since he wants to disgrace the verses of Allah and His Messenger, he will be given a humiliating punishment.
[4]
What is Meant by ﴿لهو الحديث﴾? Disapproval of Singing, Music, and Instruments:
﴿لهو الحديث﴾ refers to anything, occupation, game, or entertainment that makes a person heedless of the remembrance of Allah or keeps him heedless. Whether this occupation is singing and music, interesting novels and dramas, club entertainments, television activities, dramas and cinema watching, etc. In short, ﴿لهو الحديث﴾ generally applies to blameworthy occupations. Now, observe the explanation of this word in the light of the following hadiths and traditions:
(1) Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ used to swear that the word ﴿لهو الحديث﴾ in the Quran refers to singing and music. He also used to say that singing and music create hypocrisy in the heart just as water makes grass and greenery grow. [فتاويٰ ابن باز۔ اردو ترجمه ج 1 ص 313]
(2) Hazrat Abu Umamah says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah Almighty has sent me as a mercy to the worlds, and my Lord, the Exalted, has commanded me to eradicate musical instruments, strings, idols, crosses, and the practices of ignorance." [احمد بحواله مشكوة۔ كتاب الحدود۔ باب بيان الخمرو وعيد شاربها فصل ثالث]
(3) The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not sell, buy, or teach them this art, and their wages are unlawful." [ترمذی۔ ابواب البیوع۔ باب کراہیۃ المغنیات]
(4) Abu Malik Ash'ari says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that there will be people in my ummah who will make adultery, silk, wine, and ma'azif (i.e., musical instruments and singing) lawful. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاشربہ باب ما جاء فیمن یستحل الخمرو يسمیہ بغير اسمہ]
That is, they will make these things lawful by giving them other names.
The Role of Nadr bin Harith in Preventing Islam:
And the reason for the revelation of these verses is stated that among those who were determined to render the call of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ineffective was Nadr bin Harith. His method was completely different from that of Abu Lahab. Once, he said to the chiefs of Quraysh: "O Quraysh! Muhammad ﷺ was the most beloved among you, the most truthful, and the most trustworthy. Now, if he has come with Allah's message, you sometimes call him a poet, sometimes a soothsayer, sometimes mad, and sometimes a magician. Whereas he is neither a poet, nor a soothsayer, nor mad, nor a magician, because we know such people well. O people of Quraysh! Think! What calamity has befallen you?" Then the solution that Nadr bin Harith thought of for this calamity was that he himself went to al-Hirah, learned the stories of kings and the tales of Rustam and Isfandiyar. Wherever the Prophet ﷺ went to deliver his message, Nadr bin Harith, like Abu Lahab, would also go there and narrate these stories, then ask the people, "On what basis is Muhammad's ﷺ speech better than mine?" In addition, he had also bought some slave girls. Whenever someone inclined towards the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would set a slave girl upon him so that she would feed and entertain him and divert his thoughts. In this context, this verse was revealed. [ابن هشام۔ 21: 271]
[5] The attribution without knowledge can be towards the path of Allah or towards ﴿لهو الحديث﴾. The first case is clear from the translation, i.e., his misleading from the path of Allah is based solely on malice, stubbornness, and opposition. He has no practical evidence for it. In the second case, it would mean that he is so ignorant that in exchange for the precious thing like Allah's straight path and guidance, he is buying a destructive thing.
[6]
The Culture of Ignorance:
That is, such a person wants to keep people away from the verses of Allah and mock those verses through cultural activities like singing, music, storytelling, and dance and revelry.
[7] The appropriateness between his crime and his punishment is that since he wants to disgrace the verses of Allah and His Messenger, he will be given a humiliating punishment.
