Those who listen to the Word and then follow the best it contains, are the ones who have been guided by God, and are men of wisdom.
Those who heed attentively and follow the best from it; it is these whom Allah has guided, and it is these who have intelligence.
who give ear to the Word and follow the fairest of it. Those are they whom God has guided; those -- they are men possessed of minds.
who listen [closely] to all that is said, and follow the best of it: [for] it is they whom God has graced with His guidance, and it is they who are [truly] endowed with insight!
Who hearken Unto the word and follow that which is the exceLlent there of. These are they whom Allah hath guided, and those are men of understanding.
Those who listen to the Word [good advice La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) and Islamic Monotheism, etc.] and follow the best thereof (i.e. worship Allah Alone, repent to Him and avoid Taghut, etc.) those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding (like Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail, Salman Al-Farisi and Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari). [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, Vol. 12, P. 244]
Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best of it. These are they whom God has guided. These are they who possess intellect.
to those who pay heed to what is said and follow the best of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided to the Right Way; they are the ones endowed with understanding.
Those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof, those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding.
Who hear advice and follow the best thereof. Such are those whom Allah guideth, and such are men of understanding.
who listen to the word [of Allah] and follow the best [interpretation] of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided, and it is they who possess intellect.
who listen to the Words and follow what is finest of it. These are they whom Allah has guided. They are those of understanding.
Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.
(Muhammad), give the glad news to those of Our servants who listen to the words and only follow the best ones. Tell them that they are those whom God has guided. They are the people of understanding.
Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is who are the men of understanding.
Alla<u>th</u>eena yastamiAAoona alqawla fayattabiAAoona a<u>h</u>sanahu ol<u>a</u>ika alla<u>th</u>eena had<u>a</u>humu All<u>a</u>hu waol<u>a</u>ika hum oloo alalb<u>a</u>b<b>i</b>
who listen to what is said and follow what is best in it. These are the ones God has guided; these are the people endowed with understanding.
Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُۥٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ
Those who listen to what is said, distinguish between good and evil, and follow the best speech because of the benefit it contains. Those who possess these attributes are the ones whom Allah has given guidance and they are the ones who have sound intellect.
Those who listen to what is said, distinguish between good and evil, and follow the best speech because of the benefit it contains. Those who possess these attributes are the ones whom Allah has given guidance and they are the ones who have sound intellect.
<p>Commentary</p><p>In the Tafsir of verses 17 and 18: فَبَشِّرْ‌ عِبَادِ ﴿17﴾ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (So, give the good news to My servants who listen to what is said, then, follow the best of it. Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones who possess understanding), there are several views expressed by learned commentators. One of these is what Ibn Kathir has opted for. Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi has also gone by it. According to this view, the word: القول (al-qawl:what is said) used here means Qur'an, the Word of Allah, or it means the Qur'an inclusive of the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ - and all of it is but the best. Therefore, the obvious dictate of the occasion was to say: يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ (who listen to what is said, then, follow it). But, that is not how it was said, instead, the word: أَحْسَنَ (ahsan) was added which indicates that these people did not follow the Qur'an and the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ with any lack of discernment as is the way of some common people who hear something from someone and start following it without any inquiry, deliberation or insight. In fact, these are believers who have followed the Word of Allah and the teachings of His Rasul after having found it true and best. As a result, towards the end of the verse, they have been praised as being: أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (ulu-l-al-bab) that is, the people of understanding, (the wise, the farsighted, and the discerning ones). Another example of this appears in the Qur'an itself when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) is being addressed about the Torah in the following words:	فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ‌ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا (So hold it firm, and ask your people to hold on to the best things in it - Al-A` raf, 7:145). Here too, the word: اَحسَن (ahsan) means the entire Torah and its injunctions. Similarly, in the verses cited above, 'listening to the word' means 'listening to the Qur'an' and 'following the best' means 'following the entire Qur'an' which has been referred to as: أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ	(ahsan al-Hadith: the best thing said). In connection with this very Tafsir - that 'al-qawl' should be taken to mean the Qur'an particularly - some elders have also said that in the Qur'an as well there are many injunctions that have degrees of 	(hasan: good) and حَسَن (ahsan: better, best). For example, retaliation and pardon are both permissible, but pardon is better and more graceful: وَأَن تَصْبِرُ‌وا خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ (and that you be patient is better for you - An-Nis' - 4:25). There are many things in which the Qur'an gives one the choice to take to what one likes without any apprehension of sin, but, on occasions, it has also pinpointed one of these as being the best and most graceful thing to do, for example: وَأَن تَعْفُوا أَقْرَ‌بُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ (And it is closer to taqwa that you forgive - Al-Baqarah, 2:237). There are many things in which concession has been granted, but opting for the way of courage and determination has still been called better and more graceful. Thus, the verse comes to mean that these people listen to the injunctions of the Qur'an - those relating to concession (rukhsah) as well as those relating to the courageous determination (` azimah) - but elect to follow the course of determination instead of concession. And in everything where they have a choice between two things, one being good and the other, better, then, invariably they elect to do what is better.</p><p>Then, there are many commentators who take 'al-qawl' at this place to mean what is said by common people that includes things about tauhid, shirk, kufr, Islam, haqq and batil, even about the refinements of truth as good, better, weightier and outweighed. If we were to follow this Tafsir, the verse would mean that, as far as listening is concerned, these people do listen to what everyone has to say - be they disbelievers or believer, be it truth or falsehood, good or bad, everything - but, when it comes to following, they follow only that which is the best. Thus, they follow tauhid, not shirk; haqq (truth), not batil (falsehood), and if they have to choose between the degrees of haqq, they follow that which is better and weightier. Therefore, these people were credited with two attributes: (1) Firstly, by virtue of: ھَدٰبھُمُ اللہُ (Allah has guided them - 39:18), therefore, they do not go astray after having listened to so many different things. (2) Secondly, by the compliment of: وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (and they are the ones who possess understanding - 39:18), that is, they are sensible people, and their good sense, insight and discernment helps them draw the line between good and bad, true and false. Thus, when such people have the ability to distinguish between good and better and when it comes to opting for one of the two, they would opt for the better.</p><p>Therefore, it has been said that this verse was revealed about Sayyidna Zayd Ibn ` Amr Ibn Nufayl, Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi ؓ . Sayyidna Zayd Ibn ` Amru Ibn Nufayl ؓ used to hate shirk and idol worship even during the days of Jahiliyyah. The other two Sahabah, Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi ؓ listened to people of different religions, to the mushriks, the Jews and the Christians, and saw their ways of life, and it was only then that they embraced Islam and, finding the teachings of the Qur'an as the best, they preferred them. (Qurtubi)</p>
CommentaryIn the Tafsir of verses 17 and 18: فَبَشِّرْ‌ عِبَادِ ﴿17﴾ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (So, give the good news to My servants who listen to what is said, then, follow the best of it. Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones who possess understanding), there are several views expressed by learned commentators. One of these is what Ibn Kathir has opted for. Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi has also gone by it. According to this view, the word: القول (al-qawl:what is said) used here means Qur'an, the Word of Allah, or it means the Qur'an inclusive of the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ - and all of it is but the best. Therefore, the obvious dictate of the occasion was to say: يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ (who listen to what is said, then, follow it). But, that is not how it was said, instead, the word: أَحْسَنَ (ahsan) was added which indicates that these people did not follow the Qur'an and the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ with any lack of discernment as is the way of some common people who hear something from someone and start following it without any inquiry, deliberation or insight. In fact, these are believers who have followed the Word of Allah and the teachings of His Rasul after having found it true and best. As a result, towards the end of the verse, they have been praised as being: أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (ulu-l-al-bab) that is, the people of understanding, (the wise, the farsighted, and the discerning ones). Another example of this appears in the Qur'an itself when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) is being addressed about the Torah in the following words:	فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ‌ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا (So hold it firm, and ask your people to hold on to the best things in it - Al-A` raf, 7:145). Here too, the word: اَحسَن (ahsan) means the entire Torah and its injunctions. Similarly, in the verses cited above, 'listening to the word' means 'listening to the Qur'an' and 'following the best' means 'following the entire Qur'an' which has been referred to as: أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ	(ahsan al-Hadith: the best thing said). In connection with this very Tafsir - that 'al-qawl' should be taken to mean the Qur'an particularly - some elders have also said that in the Qur'an as well there are many injunctions that have degrees of 	(hasan: good) and حَسَن (ahsan: better, best). For example, retaliation and pardon are both permissible, but pardon is better and more graceful: وَأَن تَصْبِرُ‌وا خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ (and that you be patient is better for you - An-Nis' - 4:25). There are many things in which the Qur'an gives one the choice to take to what one likes without any apprehension of sin, but, on occasions, it has also pinpointed one of these as being the best and most graceful thing to do, for example: وَأَن تَعْفُوا أَقْرَ‌بُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ (And it is closer to taqwa that you forgive - Al-Baqarah, 2:237). There are many things in which concession has been granted, but opting for the way of courage and determination has still been called better and more graceful. Thus, the verse comes to mean that these people listen to the injunctions of the Qur'an - those relating to concession (rukhsah) as well as those relating to the courageous determination (` azimah) - but elect to follow the course of determination instead of concession. And in everything where they have a choice between two things, one being good and the other, better, then, invariably they elect to do what is better.Then, there are many commentators who take 'al-qawl' at this place to mean what is said by common people that includes things about tauhid, shirk, kufr, Islam, haqq and batil, even about the refinements of truth as good, better, weightier and outweighed. If we were to follow this Tafsir, the verse would mean that, as far as listening is concerned, these people do listen to what everyone has to say - be they disbelievers or believer, be it truth or falsehood, good or bad, everything - but, when it comes to following, they follow only that which is the best. Thus, they follow tauhid, not shirk; haqq (truth), not batil (falsehood), and if they have to choose between the degrees of haqq, they follow that which is better and weightier. Therefore, these people were credited with two attributes: (1) Firstly, by virtue of: ھَدٰبھُمُ اللہُ (Allah has guided them - 39:18), therefore, they do not go astray after having listened to so many different things. (2) Secondly, by the compliment of: وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (and they are the ones who possess understanding - 39:18), that is, they are sensible people, and their good sense, insight and discernment helps them draw the line between good and bad, true and false. Thus, when such people have the ability to distinguish between good and better and when it comes to opting for one of the two, they would opt for the better.Therefore, it has been said that this verse was revealed about Sayyidna Zayd Ibn ` Amr Ibn Nufayl, Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi ؓ . Sayyidna Zayd Ibn ` Amru Ibn Nufayl ؓ used to hate shirk and idol worship even during the days of Jahiliyyah. The other two Sahabah, Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi ؓ listened to people of different religions, to the mushriks, the Jews and the Christians, and saw their ways of life, and it was only then that they embraced Islam and, finding the teachings of the Qur'an as the best, they preferred them. (Qurtubi)