فَأَعرِض عَن مَن تَوَلّىٰ عَن ذِكرِنا وَلَم يُرِد إِلَّا الحَياةَ الدُّنيا

So avoid those who turn away from Our remembrance and desire nothing but the life of the world.

EXEGESIS

Aʿriḍ (avoid) is an imperative command directed at Prophet Muhammad (s). The word comes from the root ʿarḍ, meaning width. When used with the preposition ʿan it means to turn away and show one’s back.^{‎[1]Raghib, p. 559.} In this sense, the command to turn away can be understood as avoiding someone, because by turning away from them one is avoiding association and companionship, or debate and argumentation.

Tawallā (turn away) means to turn to face something, as in, turn your face (walli) towards the Holy Mosque (2:144). When used with the preposition ʿan it means the same as iʿrāḍ – to abandon closeness to something.^{‎[2]Raghib, p. 886.}

We may observe that the command to the Prophet to avoid is linked to those who turn away from him, and he is not commanded to turn away from everyone.

Dhikr (remembrance) could here mean either reminder or remembrance, and hence has a wide meaning in this verse. It may include things such as the remembrance of God, or His reminders such as the Quran, the Prophet, or His signs that surround us.^{‎[3]Muhit, 10/19; Nemuneh, 22/532.}

EXPOSITION

The address changes now to Prophet Muhammad (s), and via extension to his followers, and he is commanded to avoid those who turn away from Our remembrance. The word So denotes that the command to avoid the idolaters comes as a consequence of what was said in the previous verse, i.e. they only follow conjecture. As we explained in verse 23, this is because it is futile to argue with people who do not follow reason and who desire nothing but the life of the world.

The Prophet had been commanded to Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and if they rejected him with their false beliefs, he was to dispute with them in a manner that is best (16:125). If after all his efforts they still stubbornly held onto their views he was to avoid them, as they followed nothing but their desires and a lust for this world.^{‎[4]Razi, 28/260.}

Rāzī compares the Holy Prophet to a doctor, only he is a doctor of the soul. A doctor will first try to treat the patient with soft means, starting with nutrition and dietary changes. If that does not work, he will give the patient medicine, starting with the mildest and only then moving onto stronger ones. Finally, if all else fails, the physician will resort to iron and fire. The Prophet also begins by nourishing the soul through the remembrance of God (dhikr). If this is insufficient he will bring forth arguments. If this does not help, the threats of hell and punishment are presented. Finally, when all else fails the command comes to turn away and abandon.^{‎[5]Razi, 28/260-261.}

It should be noted that the command to turn away from the idolaters is not in contradiction to the duty of the prophets to invite people to God, as this invitation does not equate to insistently wasting energy on someone who has no hope of guidance. Of course this instruction is a general one as well and is meant for all Muslims, so that they should not divert and waste their resources on futility.^{‎[6]Nemuneh, 22/532-533.} When there is no hope for a positive effect on such people, the only result will be a negative one on the one doing the inviting.^{‎[7]Mudarrisi, 14/169.}

Finally, the command to avoid is also a reminder that the believers should never be swayed by the faithless simply because they might be in possession of worldly goods.^{‎[8]Mudarrisi, 14/170.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some, such as Qurṭubī, have claimed that this verse is abrogated by the ‘sword verses’,^{‎[9]Qurtubi, 17/105. The ‘sword verses’ refer to verses that command the Muslims to fight against the idolaters.} however this is certainly incorrect, because firstly, those verses are talking about completely different contexts and situations; and secondly, because the command to turn away and avoid is not in contradiction to fighting an aggressor.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.^{‎[10]Psalms 1:1.}

[1] Raghib, p. 559.
[2] Raghib, p. 886.
[3] Muhit, 10/19; Nemuneh, 22/532.
[4] Razi, 28/260.
[5] Razi, 28/260-261.
[6] Nemuneh, 22/532-533.
[7] Mudarrisi, 14/169.
[8] Mudarrisi, 14/170.
[9] Qurtubi, 17/105. The ‘sword verses’ refer to verses that command the Muslims to fight against the idolaters.
[10] Psalms 1:1.