Quranic theme
Conjecture
الظن
13 verses
When constructing historical narratives or defending long-held traditions, human beings frequently substitute speculation for knowledge. The Quran explicitly challenges this reliance on conjecture, framing it as a flimsy and dangerous foundation for belief. Regarding the historical claim that Jesus was killed and crucified, the text reveals that it was merely made to appear that way to them, and that those who disagreed about him were "full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition" (4:157). This identical reliance on unverified assumptions led others to utter a terrible slander against Mary (4:156). By exposing the guesswork behind major historical and religious falsehoods, the text demands certainty over assumed narratives.
Why does following the majority lead to speculation?
A common justification for a belief system is its sheer popularity. However, the Quran warns that numerical superiority does not equate to factual accuracy. If a person were to blindly obey most of those on earth, "they would lead you away from the path of God" because their collective worldview is built entirely on guessing (6:116). Abu Bakr al-Jazairi notes (Aysar al-Tafasir, 2/472) that people who worship idols possess no certainty that their deities deserve worship; they follow mere assumption, and supposition can never suffice for actual knowledge. Most people merely follow these assumptions, yet "assumptions can be of no value at all against the Truth" (10:36).
How are false gods and religious excuses invented?
Polytheism is repeatedly described as an exercise in human imagination rather than divine instruction. Those who call upon partner-gods besides God are not actually following real deities; they are simply following assumptions and telling lies (10:66). When confronted with their idolatry, they invent theological excuses, claiming, "If the Lord of Mercy had willed it, we would not have worshipped them" (43:20). The Quran dismisses this fatalistic defense, pointing out that they have no knowledge of such a decree and are only guessing (6:148). The deities they worship are "nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers," backed by no authority from God, and driven entirely by guesswork and the whims of their souls (53:23).
How is conjecture used to deny the Hereafter?
Materialist arguments against life after death are similarly categorized as baseless speculation. When presented with the reality of the Hour, those who are arrogant and persist in wicked deeds dismiss it, saying, "We know nothing of the Hour. This is only conjecture in our opinion. We are not convinced" (45:31-32). They instead confidently assert that there is only the life of this world—living, dying, and being destroyed by nothing but time (45:24). The Quran immediately undercuts this worldview by stating that they possess no actual knowledge of this earthly finality; they are only following guesswork as their only argument.
God possesses absolute knowledge of what people do, stripping away the comfort of untested theories and inherited myths. The insistence on replacing divine revelation with personal supposition ultimately leads to ruin, prompting the severe warning against those who fabricate falsehoods: "Perish the liars" (51:10). In the end, no matter how fiercely a society argues for its invented realities or materialist philosophies, assumptions can be of no value at all against the Truth (10:36).
Verses
All 13 verses, in mushaf order.
وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـٰنًا عَظِيمًا
and because they disbelieved and uttered a terrible slander against Mary,
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
and said, ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ (They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him-
وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would lead you away from the path of God. They follow nothing but speculation; they are merely guessing.
سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ
The idolaters will say, ‘If God had willed, we would not have ascribed partners to Him- nor would our fathers- or have declared anything forbidden.’ In the same way, those before them continually denied [the truth] until they tasted Our punishment. Say, ‘Have you any knowledge that you can show us? You follow only supposition and tell only lies.’
وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلَّا ظَنًّا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
Most of them follow nothing but assumptions, but assumptions can be of no value at all against the Truth: God is well aware of what they do.
أَلَآ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
indeed, all who are in the heavens and on the earth belong to Him. Those who call upon others beside God are not really following partner-gods; they are only following assumptions and telling lies.
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَـٰهُم ۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
They say, ‘If the Lord of Mercy had willed it, we would not have worshipped them,’ but they do not know that- they are only guessing-
وَقَالُوا۟ مَا هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَآ إِلَّا ٱلدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
They say, ‘There is only our life in this world: we die, we live, nothing but time destroys us.’ They have no knowledge of this; they only follow guesswork. Their only argument,
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَفَلَمْ تَكُنْ ءَايَـٰتِى تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ
but those who disbelieved [will be asked]: ‘When My revelations were recited to you, were you not arrogant and persistent in wicked deeds?
وَإِذَا قِيلَ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا قُلْتُم مَّا نَدْرِى مَا ٱلسَّاعَةُ إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنًّا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ
When it was said to you, “God’s promise is true: there is no doubt about the Hour,” did you not reply, “We know nothing of the Hour. This is only conjecture in our opinion. We are not convinced”?’
قُتِلَ ٱلْخَرَّٰصُونَ
Perish the liars,
إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ
these are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. God has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا
They have no knowledge to base this on: they merely follow guesswork. Guesswork is of no value against the Truth.