Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 28

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Keep yourself content with those who call their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, and let not your eyes overlook them, seeking the splendor of the worldly life. And do not obey the one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who has followed his desire and whose behavior has exceeded the limits.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And patiently stick with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure.[[ lit., seeking His Face.]] Do not let your eyes look beyond them, desiring the luxuries of this worldly life. And do not obey those whose hearts We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follow ˹only˺ their desires and whose state is ˹total˺ loss.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Be patient with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. Do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the adornments of the life of this world. And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his desires and whose affair is at loss.

A. J. Arberry

And restrain thyself with those who call upon their Lord at morning and evening, desiring His countenance, and let not thine eyes turn away from them, desiring the adornment of the present life; and obey not him whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance so that he follows his own lust, and his affair has become all excess.

Abdul Haleem

Content yourself with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His approval, and do not let your eyes turn away from them out of desire for the attractions of this worldly life: do not yield to those whose hearts We have made heedless of Our Quran, those who follow their own low desires, those whose ways are unbridled.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And endure thy self in the company of those who call upon their Lord in the morning and evening seeking His and let not thine eyes countenance rove from them seeking the adornment of the life of this world, and obey thou not him whose heart We have made to neglect Our remembrance, and who followeth his lust, and whose affair is exceeding the bound.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.

Abul Ala Maududi

Keep yourself content with those who call upon their Lord, morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, and do not let your eyes pass beyond them. Do you seek the pomp and glitter of the world? Do not follow him whose heart We have caused to be heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his desires, and whose attitude is of excess.

Ahmed Ali

Persevere with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His magnificence. Do not turn your eyes away from them, seeking the splendours of this world, and do not follow him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance, who follows his own lust and exceeds the bound.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And restrain yourself along with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and may not your sight fall on anything besides them; would you desire the adornment of the life of this world? And do not follow him whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance – the one who has followed his own desires and his matter has crossed the limits.

Ali Quli Qarai

Content yourself with the company of those who supplicate their Lord morning and evening, desiring His Face, and do not lose sight of them, desiring the glitter of the life of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance, and who follows his own desires, and whose conduct is [mere] profligacy.

Ali Ünal

And keep yourself patient, along with those who invoke their Lord morning and evening, seeking His "Face" (His eternal, good pleasure and the meeting with Him in the Hereafter); and do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the beauties of the life of this world (by the participation of those of leading positions among people in your assemblies). And pay no heed to (the desires of) him whose heart We have made unmindful of Our remembrance, who follows his lusts and fancies, and whose affair exceeds all bounds (of right and decency).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And keep yourself attached to those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, constantly seeking His pleasure, and do not let your eyes turn away from them to pursue the glamour of the present life and do not follow him whose heart We have declared unmindful of Our remembrance; who follows his evil inclinations, and whose affair exceeds all legitimate limits.

English Literal

And be patient your self with those who call their Lord at early mornings/between dawn and sunrise and (during) the evening/first darkness/dinnertime, they want His face/direction , and do not pass your two eyes from them, you want the life the present`s/worldly life`s decoration/beauty , and do not obey whom We ig nored/neglected/disregarded his heart/mind from mentioning/remembering Us , and he followed his self attraction for desire , and his matter/affair was wasteful/excessive of the limit.

Faridul Haque

And restrain yourself along with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and may not your sight fall on anything besides them; would you desire the adornment of the life of this world? And do not follow him whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance – the one who has followed his own desires and his matter has crossed the limits.

Hamid S. Aziz

So, recite that which has been revealed (or inspired) unto you of the Book from your Lord. There is no changing (or none can change) His words; nor shall you ever find a refuge beside Him.

Hilali & Khan

And keep yourself (O Muhammad SAW) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord. There is none who can alter His words. And thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world's life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful to Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which due bounds are exceeded.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Restrain thyself along with those who cry unto their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own lust and whose case hath been abandoned.

Muhammad Sarwar

Be patient with those who worship their Lord in the mornings and evenings to seek His pleasure. Do not overlook them to seek the worldly pleasures. Do not obey those whom We have caused to neglect Us and instead follow their own desires beyond all limits.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And be patient with those who call to their Lord in the morning and evening, desiring His Face. And do not turn your eyes away from them desiring the good things of this life, nor obey he whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance; so that he follows his own lust, and his affair has become excessive.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And keep yourself (O Muhammad) patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has been lost.

Wahiduddin Khan

Keep yourself attached to those who call on their Lord, morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and do not let your eyes turn away from them, desiring the attraction of worldly life; and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, one who pursues his own whims and becomes dissolute.

Talal Itani

And content yourself with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, desiring His Presence. And do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the glitter of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance—so he follows his own desires—and his priorities are confused.

Tafsir jalalayn

And restrain yourself, detain [yourself], along with those who call upon their Lord at morning and evening, desiring, through their worship, His Countenance, exalted be He, and not any of the transient things of this world -- and these are the poor; and do not let your eyes overlook, turn away [from], them -- these [the eyes] are being used to refer to the person [addressed] -- desiring the glitter of the life of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance, that is, [to] the Qur'n -- this was `Uyayna b. Hisn and his companions -- and who follows his own whim, by attributing partners [to God], and whose conduct is [mere] prodigality, excess.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ

And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face;

meaning, sit with those who remember Allah, who say "La Ilaha Illallah", who praise Him, glorify Him, declare His greatness and call on Him, morning and evening, all the servants of Allah, whether rich or poor, strong or weak.

It was said that this was revealed about the nobles of Quraysh when they asked the Prophet to sit with them on his own, and not to bring his weak Companions with him, such as Bilal, `Ammar, Suhayb, Khabbab and Ibn Mas`ud. They wanted him to sit with them on his own, but Allah forbade him from doing that, and said,

وَلَا تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ

And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon. (6;52)

Allah commanded him to patiently content himself with sitting with those people (the weak believers), and said;

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ


And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon...

Imam Muslim recorded in his Sahih that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas who said;

"There was a group of six of us with the Prophet. The idolators said, `Tell these people to leave so they will not offend us.'

There was myself, Ibn Mas`ud, a man from Hudayl, Bilal and two other men whose names I have forgotten.

Allah's Messenger thought to himself about whatever Allah willed he should think about, then Allah revealed;

وَلَا تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ

And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon seeking His Face). (6;52)

Only Muslim reported this; excluding Al-Bukhari.

وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world;

Ibn Abbas said,

`(this means) do not favor others over them, meaning do not seek the people of nobility and wealth instead of them.'

وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا

and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance,

means, those who are distracted by this world from being committed to the religion and from worshipping their Lord.

وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ

and who follows his own lusts,

وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا



and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.

means, his actions and deeds are a foolish waste of time. Do not obey him or admire his way or envy what he has.

As Allah says elsewhere;

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَجاً مِّنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى

And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. (20;131