بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Allāh says:
وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ يُكَفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً مِّثْلُهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ وَالْكَـفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعاً
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’ān) that when you hear the Verses of Allāh being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allāh will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell. (Al-Nisā:140)
The tafsīr of Ibn ‘Abbās
Ibn ‘Abbās said: (Those that) are included in this āyah are every innovator in the religion, and every person of innovation until the Day of Judgement (Mawsū al-Tafsīr Al-Ma’thūr 7/187)
The tafsīr of Hasan al-Basrī
Al-Hasan said: It is not permissible to sit with them even if they engage in a different conversation, according to what Allāh said [Al-An’ām:68]:
وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ فَلَا تَقۡعُدۡ بَعۡدَ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٦٨
And if Shaitān (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Dhālimūn (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.). (Mawsū al-Tafsīr Al-Ma’thūr 7/186)
The tafsīr of Ibrāhīm al-Nakha’ī
Abū Wā’il said: Indeed, a man speaks in a gathering with a lying word, he makes those sitting laugh, and Allāh is displeased with them all.
This was mentioned to Ibrāhīm Al-Nakha’ī and he said: Abū Wā’il spoke the truth, isn’t this found in the Book of Allāh:
فَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ
then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that (Mawsū al-Tafsīr Al-Ma’thūr 7/187)
The tafsīr of al-Makkī
Al-Makkī said, regarding the verse in al-Nisā:140:
This verse is a proof for avoiding the people of sin if they make apparent their evil, and avoiding the people of falsehood of every kind; from the innovators, the Qadariyyah, and others who engage in fisq (i.e. sin, immorality, disobedience). (Hidāyah Ilā al-Bulūgh al-Nihāyah 2/985)
The tafsīr of al-Tabarī
Commenting on Al-Nisā:140, al-Tabarī says:
This verse clearly shows the prohibition of sitting with people of falsehood of all kinds, including the innovators and immoral/sinful people, when they engage in their falsehood. (Jāmi’ al-Bayān 7/660)
The tafsīr of Ibn ‘Atiyyah
Ibn ‘Atiyyah said:
This verse contains strong evidence on the obligation to avoid the people of innovation and people of sin, and to not sit with them.
It was narrated on the authority of ‘Umar ibn’ Abdul-‘Azīz that he took some people who were drinking khamr (intoxicants), and it was said to him about one of those present: verily he is fasting, so he carried out the punishment upon him and then recited this verse: {In that case you would be like them}. (Muharar al-Wajīz 3/344)
The tafsīr of al-Qurtubī
… In that case you would be like them, this shows the obligation to avoid the people of sin who make apparent their evil, because whoever does not avoid them is pleased with their actions, and being pleased with disbelief is disbelief.
Allāh The Mighty and Majestic said: In that case you would be like them. So whoever sits in a gathering of sin and does not rebuke them will be equal to them in sin, and it is necessary to rebuke them if they speak of (what contains) sin or commit sin. If he is not able to rebuke them, then he should get up and leave them so that he will not be among the people (included in) this verse. (Jāmi’ al-Ahkām 3/635)
The tafsīr of Ibn Kathīr
Ibn Kathīr says:
What has already been revealed in the Book — as the Āyah says — is the Āyah in Sūrah al-An’ām:68 which was revealed in Makkah;
﴿وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ﴾
And when you see those who engage in false conversation about Our verses (of the Qur’ān) by mocking at them, stay away from them.
The Āyah means, if you still commit this prohibition after it reaches you, and you are satisfied to sit with them in the place where the verses of Allāh are rejected, mocked and disparaged, and you approve of them in that, then you have participated with them in what they are doing.
That is why Allāh said, But if you stayed with them certainly in that case you would be like them, in sin. As comes in the hadīth:
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فلا يجلس على مائدة يدار عليها الخمر
Whoever believes in Allāh and the Last Day should not sit at a table where khamr (intoxicant) is served. (Slightly adapted, ‘Umdatul-Tafsīr 1/588)
The tafsīr of al-Sa’dī
Al Sa’dī says:
Allāh says, when you hear the verses of Allāh being denied and mocked at, meaning, the noble and sacred verses of Allāh are being disparaged.
It is obligatory on every accountable person to believe in Allāh’s noble verses, and respect and revere them. It is for this purpose that Allāh sent them down and for which He has created this entire creation.
The opposite of belief in them is kufr, i.e. to reject them.
The opposite of respecting and revering them is degrading and mocking them.
This mockery and rejection also includes the argumentation by the disbelievers and the hypocrites against the verses of Allāh and their support of disbelief.
Equally, included in this are all types of innovators in the religion. Their argumentation for their falsehood implies mocking/disrespecting the noble verses of Allāh; Allāh’s noble verses attest to nothing but the truth and are a confirmation of the truth and nothing else.
Allāh says, do not sit with them until they engage in a talk other than that, that is, until they stop uttering insulting words and degrading remarks toward Allāh’s verses, certainly in that case, if you continue to sit with them in the state described in this noble verse, you would be like them. This is because you expressed your approval of their mocking and disbelief. Being content with an evil or sin is similar to committing that evil or sin. (Slightly abridged, Tafsīr al-Sa’dī 1/447)
Related:
Sh. Fawzān and Sh. Rabī’ on sitting with the people of sin and innovation:
fawaaids.com 