Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:18
Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ (They are those whom Allah has guided) means — the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: those who listen to the word and follow the best of it, they are those whom Allah has guided. He says: Allah has granted them success unto righteousness and unto hitting upon what is correct, not those who turn away from listening to the truth and who worship that which neither harms nor benefits. And His statement أُولَئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الألْبَابِ (They are those who possess understanding) means: those who possess understanding and discernment.
It has been mentioned that this verse was revealed concerning a well-known group of people who acknowledged the oneness of Allah and freed themselves from the worship of all besides Allah, before the Prophet of Allah was sent. Then Allah revealed this verse to His Prophet in praise of them.
* Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا ... (And those who avoided the ṭāghūt, that they should worship it ...) — the two verses — : my father related to me that these two verses were revealed concerning three men who, in the time of ignorance (al-jāhiliyya), said: "There is no god but Allah", namely Zayd ibn ʿAmr, Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī and Salmān al-Fārisī. Concerning them was revealed: وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا (And those who avoided the ṭāghūt, that they should worship it) in their time of ignorance, وَأَنَابُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ (and turned to Allah — for them is the glad tiding. So give the glad tiding to My servants, who listen to the word and follow the best of it), namely "There is no god but Allah". They are those whom Allah has guided, without a book and without a prophet, وَأُولَئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الألْبَابِ (and they are those who possess understanding).
