53:29

فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا

FaaAArid AAan man tawalla AAan thikrina walam yurid illa alhayata alddunya

So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires not except the worldly life.

Word by word
  1. فَأَعۡرِضۡSo turn away
  2. عَنfrom
  3. مَّن(him) who
  4. تَوَلَّىٰturns away
  5. عَنfrom
  6. ذِكۡرِنَاOur Reminder
  7. وَلَمۡand not
  8. يُرِدۡhe desires
  9. إِلَّاexcept
  10. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَthe life
  11. ٱلدُّنۡيَا(of) the world
An-Najm · 53:29Makkah

Turn from the one who wants only this world.

When someone has turned their back on the Reminder


The one described
turns awayfrom Our Reminder
wants onlythe life of this world
so
turn awaydo not chase him
Where to put your energy
argue foreverwith the unwilling
step backand keep your own heart

The Prophet ﷺ was told to withdraw from the one who turns away from the Reminder. Ibn Kathir describes such a person as one whose aim and knowledge are concentrated on this life alone.

You spend hours in comment threads arguing with someone who has no interest in listening. Your evening is gone, your heart is heavier. Some conversations are a signal to step back.

I must win every argument about faith.

When someone has turned away, I can step back and guard my own heart.

Try this

Leave one pointless argument today, online or off, without a last word.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 53:27)

Verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter, name the angels with female names (27)But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the truth (28)Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder and desires nothing but the life of this world (29)That is what they could reach of knowledge. Verily, your Lord is He, Who knows best him who goes astray from His path, and He knows best him who receives guidance (30)

Refuting the Claim of the Idolators that the Angels are Allah's Daughters

Allah the Exalted admonishes the idolators for calling the angels female names and claiming that they are Allah's daughters. Allah is far removed from what they ascribe to Him. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

وَجَعَلُوا الْمَلَائِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ إِنَاثًا ۚ أَشَهِدُوا خَلْقَهُمْ ۚ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ وَيُسْأَلُونَ

(And they make females the angels, who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!)(43:19) Allah's statement here,

وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ 

(But they have no knowledge thereof.) meaning, they have no correct knowledge testifying to their statements. What they say is all lies, falsehood, fake and utter atheism,

إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

(They follow but conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the truth.) meaning, conjecture is of no benefit and never takes the place of truth. In a Hadith recorded in the Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ

(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most lying speech.)

The Necessity of turning away from the People of Misguidance

Allah's statement,

فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا

(Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder), means, stay away from those who turn away from the Truth and shun them,

وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

(and desires nothing but the life of this world.) meaning, whose aim and knowledge are concentrated on this life; this is the goal of those who have no goodness in them,

ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۚ 

(That is what they could reach of knowledge.) meaning, seeking this life and striving hard in its affairs is the best knowledge they have acquired.

There is also the reported supplication:

اللّٰهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا

(O Allah! Make not this life the greatest of our concerns nor the best knowledge that we can attain.) Allah's statement,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ

(Verily, your Lord is He, Who knows best him who goes astray from His path, and He knows best him who receives guidance.) meaning, He is the Creator of all creatures and He knows whatever benefits His servants. Allah is the One Who guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills, and all of this indicates His power, knowledge and wisdom. Certainly, He is Just and never legislates or decrees unjustly.