Quran 2:13 - The Arrogance of Ignorance: When People Call Wisdom 'Foolishness'

Arabic Text and Translation

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Transliteration: Wa idhā qīla lahum āminū kamā āmanan-nāsu qālū a-nu'minu kamā āmanas-sufahā', alā innahum humus-sufahāu wa lākin lā ya'lamūn
Easy Translation: "And when it is said to them, 'Believe as the people have believed,' they say, 'Should we believe as the foolish have believed?' Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they do not know."

Easy Word-by-Word Meaning

This verse exposes the arrogance of the hypocrites. They look down upon the true believers, but Allah reverses their insult back onto them.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ (Wa idhā qīla lahum āminū kamā āmanan-nāsu): "And when it is said to them, 'Believe as the people have believed...'"
- Here, "the people" refers to the sincere, humble believers (the Companions of the Prophet).
قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ (qālū a-nu'minu kamā āmanas-sufahā'): "...they say, 'Should we believe as the foolish have believed?'"
- "Sufahā" means the foolish, the stupid, or those with weak minds.
- The hypocrites, who were often wealthy and influential, saw the early Muslims—who included poor people, slaves, and youth—as beneath them. They considered their sincere faith to be foolishness.
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ (alā innahum humus-sufahāu): "Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish..."
- This is Allah's direct response, flipping their insult back on them. The same strong emphasis (innahum hum) is used as in the previous verse.
- Allah defines who the real fools are. The real fool is the one who trades eternal Paradise for a small worldly gain, not the one who sacrifices the world for Allah.
وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ (wa lākin lā ya'lamūn): "...but they do not know."
- Their arrogance has blinded them to true knowledge and wisdom. They are ignorant of what true success really is.

Relevance in the Past, Present, and Future

1. Past Relevance: The Arrogance of the Elite in Mecca and Medina

The leaders of Quraysh in Mecca and the hypocrites in Medina, like Abdullah ibn Ubayy, were proud of their social status.

They mocked the early Muslims like Bilal (a freed slave), Ammar (from a simple background), and young believers like Usama. They couldn't understand why these "lowly" people had embraced Islam and why they should follow them.
This verse was a divine defense of the sincere believers. It was a comfort to them, assuring them that their humility was a strength, and the arrogance of their mockers was a sign of their own foolishness in Allah's eyes.

2. Present Relevance: A Warning Against Spiritual Arrogance

This verse is extremely relevant in our age of materialism and intellectual pride.

Modern "Sufahā" (Fools): Today, people might look down on practicing Muslims and call them:
- "Backward" or "old-fashioned" for following Islamic teachings.
- "Extremists" for simply praying five times a day or wearing hijab.
- "Foolish" for giving up interest-based loans or haram income.
The Real Foolishness: From an Islamic perspective, the real fools are those who:
- Work their whole life to buy a bigger house or car, but neglect the prayer that connects them to the Owner of the universe.
- Follow every new trend and desire but ignore the eternal guidance of the Quran.
- Believe this short life is all there is, with no accountability in the Hereafter.
A Personal Check: This verse forces us to check our own hearts. Do we, even subtly, look down upon other Muslims who are more practicing or who come from a different social or educational background? This is a sign of the same arrogance the hypocrites had.

3. Future Relevance: The Eternal Definition of Success

This verse points to the ultimate reversal of fortunes on the Day of Judgment.

The Final Verdict: On the Day of Judgment, the "foolish" believers will be honored in Paradise, while the "wise" disbelievers and hypocrites will be humiliated in Hellfire. The standards of this world will be completely overturned.
True Wisdom vs. False Wisdom: The Quran defines true wisdom (Hikmah) as fearing Allah and obeying Him. Any "wisdom" that leads a person away from Allah is, in reality, the greatest foolishness.
A Promise for the Believers: For those who are mocked for their faith, this verse is a promise that Allah sees their struggle and will reward them immensely, while their mockers will be the ones exposed as the true fools.

Conclusion

Quran 2:13 redefines foolishness and wisdom from a divine perspective.

It teaches us that:

Arrogance is a barrier to faith. Looking down on believers is a sign of a diseased heart.
True intelligence is measured by one's obedience to Allah, not by worldly status, wealth, or education.
Allah defends the honor of the humble believers and exposes the false pride of those who mock them.

This verse is a powerful reminder to value people for their Taqwa (God-consciousness), not for their worldly status, and to always seek the type of knowledge that brings us closer to Allah, not the arrogance that pushes us away.