When the Verse:-- 'Those who believe and mix not their belief with wrong.' was revealed, the Muslims felt it very hard on them and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who amongst us does not do wrong to himself?" He replied, "The Verse does not mean this. But that (wrong) means to associate others in worship to Allah: Don't you listen to what Luqman said to his son when he was advising him," O my son! Join not others in worship with Allah. Verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong indeed." (31.13)
Exposition of Sahih al-Bukhari 3429
This narration from the Book of Prophets in Sahih al-Bukhari addresses the companions' misunderstanding of Quranic verse 6:82, demonstrating the Prophet's role as teacher and clarifier of divine revelation.
Context and Revelation
When Allah revealed "Those who believe and mix not their belief with wrong" (Surah al-An'am, 82), the companions were troubled, understanding 'wrong' (zulm) in its general sense encompassing all sins.
Their concern reflects their spiritual sensitivity - they recognized that even the righteous among them commit minor wrongs through human imperfection.
Prophetic Clarification
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ clarified that 'wrong' here specifically means shirk - associating partners with Allah in worship. This demonstrates the principle of tafsir bil-ma'thur (interpretation through transmitted tradition).
He supported this by citing Luqman's advice to his son (Surah Luqman, 13), establishing that the greatest wrong is shirk, while other wrongs vary in severity.
Scholarly Insights
Classical scholars note that while all sins constitute wrong against oneself, shirk is the ultimate injustice as it violates the fundamental right of Allah to exclusive worship.
This hadith teaches us to seek clarification from authentic sources when confused about religious texts, and emphasizes the gravity of shirk while providing relief regarding minor human shortcomings.