فَذَرهُم يَخوضوا وَيَلعَبوا حَتّىٰ يُلاقوا يَومَهُمُ الَّذي يوعَدونَ

So leave them to gossip and play until they encounter their day which they are promised.

EXEGESIS

Yakhūḍū (gossip) comes from the root khawḍ. According to Ibn Fāris, this root indicates immersion or entering into something.^{‎[1]Maqayis, 2/229.} According to Ibn ʿĀshūr, khawḍ means walking into deep water. Metaphorically, it is used for excessive involvement in talk and reports, and for occupying oneself with them exclusively.^{‎[2]Ibn Ashur, 25/298.} Muṣṭafawī is of the view that the root meaning of this lexeme is immersion into something that contains corruption. Evil and corruption are intrinsic implications of the concept of khawḍ, and this meaning represents a more intense degree than mere arrival or entry. He then compares all the usages of the verb in the Quran and concludes: ‘Khawḍ in all of these usages refers to entering into evil, plunging into that which brings about harm and corruption, and occupying oneself with what produces confusion, misguidance, and destruction.’^{‎[3]Tahqiq, 3/158-159.}

Based on this, translators have differed over how to render this verb in English. Mir Ahmed Ali translates it as ‘vain discoursing’, Yusuf Ali translates it as ‘to babble’, Nasr translates it as ‘idle talk’, and Shakir translates it as ‘false discourses’. It is noteworthy that the Quran consistently uses this verb in a negative sense.

Some exegetes rely on the literal meaning of khawḍ, which is to plunge into water, and deduce that the occurrence of the expression play (yalʿabū) following ‘to plunge’ (yakhūḍū) indicates that the deep engagement of the polytheists in worldly life is, in reality, nothing but sinking into the depths of emptiness and futility. Their achievements – however impressive they may appear on the surface – are, in truth, nothing more than play.^{‎[4]Rahnama, 17/111.}

The imperfect verb yūʿadūn (promised) indicates continuity and repetition. As such, culmination of the worldly order in the hereafter and the Day of Resurrection is a repeatedly affirmed divine promise to creation.^{‎[5]Rahnama, 17/111.}

EXPOSITION

This verse presents a general warning to the polytheists by telling the Prophet to ignore them and let them indulge in their activities until the Day of Judgement, which is the day they are promised to receive the recompense for their deeds. As such, this verse is similar in purport to verse 66, Do they await anything but that the hour should overtake them suddenly, while they are unaware?^{‎[6]Mizan, 18/126.} The wordings of this verse are identically repeated in 70:42 as well. The Day of Judgement is also referred to as the Promised Day (al-yawm al-mawʿūd) in 85:2.^{‎[7]Amthal, 16/104.}

The command to leave the polytheists in their frivolous activities is found in several other places in the Quran, such as, When you see those who gossip impiously about Our signs, avoid them until they engage in some other discourse (6:68), Then leave them to play around in their impious gossip (6:91).^{‎[8]Furqan, 26/372.}

Some exegetes understand this verse as describing a causal relationship with the previous verse which glorified God from the ascriptions of the polytheists. In view of the connection between the two verses, it can be inferred that those devoted to play and futility are incapable of describing God as He ought to be described. In this case, the description gossip and play may be indicative of a causal relationship – namely, that their immersion in futility is the very reason for their inability to describe Him correctly.^{‎[9]Rahnama, 17/111.}

This expression also indicates that their belief in ascribing a son to God is not based on rational thought or evidence, but rather stems from delving into falsehood they have inherited. This is because they are preoccupied with amusement and play, and are not people of contemplation and reflection. Their false belief does not arise from a misunderstanding, but from their being engrossed in amusement and play, neglecting to exert effort in knowing the truth concerning what they ascribe to God.^{‎[10] Hadi, 3/272.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes suggest that promised encounter refers to the time of death.^{‎[11] Alusi, 13/105.}

It has been attributed to ʿIkramah that the promised encounter refers to the day of the Battle of Badr in which the polytheists suffered a heavy defeat against the Muslims.^{‎[12] Alusi, 13/105.}

Some exegetes opine that both the Day of Judgement as well as the day of Badr are intended in the verse. The latter specifically applies to the leaders of disbelief who took it upon themselves to dispute with the Prophet, argue with him, and cause trouble for him, such as Abū Jahl, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Walīd ibn ʿUtbah, al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, and Naḍr ibn ʿAbd al-Dār – all of whom were killed in the Battle of Badr.^{‎[13] Ibn Ashur, 25/298.}

Some exegetes opine that this verse has been abrogated by 9:5, which declares war against the polytheists.^{‎[14] Alusi, 13/105; Andulusi, 5/66.} Other exegetes respond to this by arguing that the command in the present verse to leave them is not literally intended as a command to not confront the polytheists at all, but rather a rhetorical means of belittling and scorning them, as if they have no value.^{‎[15] Hadi, 3/272.}

As was indicated in the Exegesis, the meaning of the verb khawḍ is contested. Whilst most exegetes agree that it is related to discourse and conversations, some exegetes opine that it means to be engulfed in false beliefs.^{‎[16] Atyab, 12/62.}

[1] Maqayis, 2/229.
[2] Ibn Ashur, 25/298.
[3] Tahqiq, 3/158-159.
[4] Rahnama, 17/111.
[5] Rahnama, 17/111.
[6] Mizan, 18/126.
[7] Amthal, 16/104.
[8] Furqan, 26/372.
[9] Rahnama, 17/111.
[10] Hadi, 3/272.
[11] Alusi, 13/105.
[12] Alusi, 13/105.
[13] Ibn Ashur, 25/298.
[14] Alusi, 13/105; Andulusi, 5/66.
[15] Hadi, 3/272.
[16] Atyab, 12/62.