الَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا أُولَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ بَعِيدٍ ﴿۳﴾ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿۴﴾ وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ ﴿۵﴾

﴾3﴿ Allazeena yastahibboo nal hayaatad dunyaa 'alal aakhirati wa yasuddoona 'ansabeelil laahi wa yabghoonahaa 'iwajaa; ulaaa 'ika fee dalaalin ba'eed
﴾4﴿ Wa maaa arsalnaa mir Rasoolin illaa bilisaani qawmihee liyubaiyina lahum fa yudillul laahu mai yashaaa'u wa yahdee mai yashaaa'; wa Huwal 'Azeezul Hakeem
﴾5﴿ Wa laqad arsalnaa Moosaa bi Aayaatinaa an akhrij qawmaka minaz zulumaati ilan noori wa zak kirhum bi ayyaamil laah; inna fee zaalika la aayaatil likulli sabbaarin shakoor

﴾3﴿ These are the ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and hinder (others) from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked. These people are in deep misguidance
﴾4﴿ And We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people so that he might make (the message) clear to them. Then Allah misguides whom He wills and guides whom He wills, and He is the Almighty, the Wise
﴾5﴿ And indeed, We sent Moses (peace be upon him) with Our signs, (saying): Bring your people out of darkness into light, and remind them of the days of Allah. Indeed, in this are signs for every patient and grateful person

[3] In this verse, the disgraceful traits of the deniers are mentioned as a form of warning and rebuke. These qualities are the causes of darkness (ظلمات)—spiritual and intellectual deviation.
The word “يَسْتَحِبُّونَ” indicates a stronger and more deliberate preference than “يُحِبُّونَ”. It implies: Openly showing love for the world Prioritizing the worldly life over the Hereafter These meanings are not necessarily implied in the simpler form “يُحِبُّونَ”.
The word “عِوَجًا” refers to: Doubts and misconceptions (شبهات و شک‌ها) Twisting religion to fit one’s own desires and motives
These qualities reflect a corruption of the heart, leading people away from guidance and into misguidance and spiritual darkness.
[4] In this verse, there is an emphasis on the central claim of the surah, which is that Messengers are sent in the language of their own people so that they can clearly convey the message, and thus lead people from darkness to light.
Note: The verse specifically mentions "qawm" (people/tribe) and not "ummah" (nation), indicating that each prophet was sent to his own people in their language. Likewise, our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace) was sent in the language of his own people, i.e., Arabic, and his people were the Arabs. However, his ummah includes all of humanity and jinn, across all times and places.
The phrase “فَيُضِلُّ” highlights that the duty of the prophets is only to invite; as for guidance or misguidance, it is entirely in Allah’s control.
The name “الْعَزِيزُ” (The Almighty) relates to “يَهْدِي” (He guides) — indicating that His guidance prevails over all obstacles. The name “الْحَكِيمُ” (The Wise) connects with “يُضِلُّ” (He misguides) — showing that any misguidance He allows is based on wisdom, not injustice.
[5] This verse presents a scriptural (naqli) proof from the story of Musa (peace be upon him), to emphasize the main message of the surah. It highlights two methods of leading people from darkness into light: 1. Divine signs, such as the Tawrah (Torah). 2. Reminding them of the Days of Allah (بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ) — referring to the significant events sent by Allah upon past nations, including both blessings and punishments.
This verse is also evidence that admonishing (wa‘ẓ) is a valid and important practice — as long as it:
Softens hearts Leads to certainty in faith Is free of innovations (bid‘ah) And is pure from misguidance and doubts This understanding is also affirmed in Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī.
Note: Some people cite “ذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ” to justify celebrating the Prophet’s birthday (mawlid) or death anniversaries (urs).
But the response is: This reasoning is invalid, because the Prophet, his Companions, and the righteous predecessors (salaf sālihīn) never used this verse to justify such innovations, nor did they practice them. In the principles of tafsīr, any interpretation not transmitted from the Prophet, his Companions, or the early generations is considered distortion (taḥrīf). Merely honoring the day of his birth or passing has no real benefit; true benefit lies in consistently remembering his guidance and following his example in everyday life.
The terms “صَبَّارٍ” and “شَكُورٍ” are intensive forms ( صيغه مبالغه ), indicating that the one being described is a true believer, because even disbelievers may sometimes show patience or gratitude, but not to the level or consistency of a true believer.