وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌۭ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
Wa maa kaanan naasu illaaa ummmatanw waahidatan fakh talafoo; wa law laa kalimatun sabaqat mir Rabbika laqudiya bainahum fee maa feehi yakhtalifoon
And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ.
Tafsir
Scholars offer complementary perspectives
Mankind was but one community following one religion that is submission to the One God from the time of Adam to the time of Noah; but it is also said that this was the case from the time of Abraham to that of ‘Amr b. Luhayy; then they differed some of them remaining firmly upon belief in One God while others disbelieved. And had it not been for a word that had already preceded from your Lord to the effect that requital would be deferred until the Day of Resurrection it would have been decided between them that is between mankind in this life regarding that over which they differed in religion by the disbelievers being punished.
Related Hadiths
I heard a man reciting a verse (of the Holy Qur'an) but I had heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting it differently.
So, I caught hold of the man by the hand and took him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Both of you are
right." Shu`ba, the sub-narrator said, "I think he said to them, "Don't differ, for the nations before you
differed and perished (because of their differences). "
That he heard a man reciting a Quranic Verse which he had heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting in a different way. So he took that man to the Prophet (and told him the story). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Both of you are reciting in a correct way, so carry on reciting." The Prophet (ﷺ) further added, "The nations which were before you were destroyed (by Allah) because they differed."
I heard a person reciting a (Qur'anic) Verse in a certain way, and I had heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting the
same Verse in a different way. So I took him to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him of that but I noticed the
sign of disapproval on his face, and then he said, "Both of you are correct, so don't differ, for the
nations before you differed, so they were destroyed."
Related Topics
Related Ayahs
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous -
ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًۭا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءًۭ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۖ بَل لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّۭ لَّهُۥ قَٰنِتُونَ
They say, "Allah has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him,
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
Common Words
82 total71 unique6 repeated
ٱلله4x
من4x
فى3x
ٱلذى2x
لكم2x
له2x
بسم1x
ٱلرحمن1x
ٱلرحيم1x
يأيها1x
ٱلناس1x
ٱعبدوا1x
ربكم1x
خلقكم1x
وٱلذين1x
قبلكم1x
لعلكم1x
تتقون1x
جعل1x
ٱلأرض1x