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Ayah
Word by Word
لَوۡلَا
Why (do) not
يَنۡهَىٰهُمُ
forbid them
ٱلرَّبَّـٰنِيُّونَ
the Rabbis
وَٱلۡأَحۡبَارُ
and the religious scholars
عَن
from
قَوۡلِهِمُ
their saying
ٱلۡإِثۡمَ
the sinful
وَأَكۡلِهِمُ
and their eating
ٱلسُّحۡتَۚ
(of) the forbidden
لَبِئۡسَ
Surely evil
مَا
(is) what
كَانُواْ
they used to
يَصۡنَعُونَ
do
لَوۡلَا
Why (do) not
يَنۡهَىٰهُمُ
forbid them
ٱلرَّبَّـٰنِيُّونَ
the Rabbis
وَٱلۡأَحۡبَارُ
and the religious scholars
عَن
from
قَوۡلِهِمُ
their saying
ٱلۡإِثۡمَ
the sinful
وَأَكۡلِهِمُ
and their eating
ٱلسُّحۡتَۚ
(of) the forbidden
لَبِئۡسَ
Surely evil
مَا
(is) what
كَانُواْ
they used to
يَصۡنَعُونَ
do
Translation
Why do not the rabbis and the doctors of Law forbid them from their (habit of) uttering sinful words and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed are their works.
Tafsir
Why do the rabbis and the priests, among them, not forbid them from uttering sin, calumny, and consuming unlawful gain? Evil is what they have been doing, in refraining from forbidding them.
"The People of the Book are Enraged at the Believers Because of their Faith in Allah
Allah says;
قُلۡ يَا أَهۡلَ الۡكِتَابِ
Say:”O People of the Scripture!
Allah commands:Say, O Muhammad, to those who mock and jest about your religion from among the People of the Scriptures.
هَلۡ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلاَّ أَنۡ امَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلُ
Do you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and in what has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us),
Do you have any criticism or cause of blame for us, other than this This, by no means, is cause of blame or criticism.
Allah said in other Ayat,
وَمَا نَقَمُواۡ مِنۡهُمۡ إِلاَّ أَن يُوۡمِنُواۡ بِاللَّهِ الۡعَزِيزِ الۡحَمِيدِ
And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise! (85:8)
and,
وَمَا نَقَمُواۡ إِلَا أَنۡ أَغۡنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِ
and they could not find any cause to do so except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty. (9:74)
In an agreed upon Hadith, the Prophet said,
مَا يَنۡقِمُ ابۡنُ جَمِيلٍ إِلاَّ أَنۡ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَأَغۡنَاهُ الله
What caused Ibn Jamil to Yanqim (refuse to give Zakah), although he was poor and Allah made him rich!
Allah's statement,
وَأَنَّ أَكۡثَرَكُمۡ فَاسِقُونَ
and that most of you are rebellious...
is connected to
أَنۡ امَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلُ
(that we believe in Allah, and in that which has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us)). Therefore, the meaning of this part of the Ayah is:we also believe that most of you are rebellious and deviated from the straight path.
The People of the Scriptures Deserve the Worst Torment on the Day of Resurrection
Allah said next""
""قُلۡ هَلۡ أُنَبِّيُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ اللّهِ
Say:”Shall I inform you of something worse than that, regarding the recompense from Allah!”
The Ayah commands the Prophet to say:Shall I inform you about a worse people with Allah on the Day of Resurrection than what you think of us!
They are you, with these characteristics,
مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللّهُ
those who incurred the curse of Allah,
were expelled from His mercy,
وَغَضِبَ عَلَيۡهِ
and who incurred His wrath,
and anger, after which He will never be pleased with them,
وَجَعَلَ مِنۡهُمُ الۡقِرَدَةَ وَالۡخَنَازِيرَ
those of whom He transformed into monkeys and swine,
as we mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah and as we will mention in Surah Al-A`raf.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Ibn Mas`ud said,
“Allah's Messenger was asked if the current monkeys and swine were those whom Allah transformed. He said,
إنَّ اللهَ لَمۡ يُهۡلِكۡ قَوۡمًا أَوۡ لَمۡ يَمۡسَخۡ قَوۡمًا فَيَجۡعَلَ لَهُمۡ نَسۡلً وَلَا عَقِبًا وَإِنَّ الۡقِرَدَةَ وَالۡخَنَازِيرَ كَانَتۡ قَبۡلَ ذلِك
Allah never destroyed a people by transforming them and making offspring or descendants for them. The monkeys and swine existed before that.”
This was also recorded by Muslim.
Allah said,
وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ
Those who worshipped Taghut...,
and served them, becoming their servants.
The meaning of this Ayah is:
you, O People of the Scriptures, who mock our religion, which consists of Allah's Tawhid, and singling Him out in worship without others, how can you mock us while these are your characteristics!
This is why Allah said,
أُوۡلَـيِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً
such are worse in rank...,
than what you -- People of the Scriptures -- think of us Muslims,
وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ
and far more astray from the straight path.
`More' in the Ayah does not mean that the other party is `less' astray, but it means that the People of the Scriptures are far astray.
In another Ayah, Allah said,
أَصۡحَـبُ الۡجَنَّةِ يَوۡمَيِذٍ خَيۡرٌ مُّسۡتَقَرّاً وَأَحۡسَنُ مَقِيلً
The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose. (25:24)
The Hypocrites Pretend to be Believers but Hide their Kufr
Allah said""
""وَإِذَا جَأوُوكُمۡ قَالُوَاۡ امَنَّا وَقَد دَّخَلُواۡ بِالۡكُفۡرِ وَهُمۡ قَدۡ خَرَجُواۡ بِهِ
When they come to you, they say, “We believe.” But in fact they enter with (an intention of) disbelief and they go out with the same.
This is the description of the hypocrites, for they pretend to be believers while their hearts hide Kufr.
So Allah said;
وَقَد دَّخَلُواۡ
(But in fact they enter) on you, O Muhammad,
بِالۡكُفۡرِ
(with disbelief) in their hearts and they depart with Kufr, and this is why they do not benefit from the knowledge they hear from you, nor does the advice and reminder move them. So,
وَهُمۡ قَدۡ خَرَجُواۡ بِهِ
(and they go out with the same) meaning, they alone.
وَاللّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا كَانُواۡ يَكۡتُمُونَ
and Allah knows all that they were hiding.
Allah knows their secrets and what their hearts conceal, even if they pretend otherwise with His creatures, thus pretending to be what they are not.
Allah, Who has perfect knowledge of the seen and unseen, has more knowledge about the hypocrites than any of His creatures do and He will recompense them accordingly.
Allah's statement""
""وَتَرَى كَثِيرًا مِّنۡهُمۡ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الاِثۡمِ وَالۡعُدۡوَانِ وَأَكۡلِهِمُ السُّحۡتَ
And you see many of them (Jews) hurrying for sin and transgression, and eating illegal things.
They hurry to devour prohibited and illegal things, all the while transgressing against people, unjustly consuming their property through bribes and Riba,
لَبِيۡسَ مَا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ
Evil indeed is that which they have been doing.
Indeed, horrible is that which they used to do and the transgression that they committed.
Criticizing Rabbis and Learned Religious Men for Giving up on Forbidding Evil
Allah said""
""لَوۡلَا يَنۡهَاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالَاحۡبَارُ عَن قَوۡلِهِمُ الاِثۡمَ وَأَكۡلِهِمُ السُّحۡتَ
Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things.
meaning why don't the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from this evil!
The Rabbaniyyun are the scholars who are in positions of authority, while the Ahbar are the regular scholars.
لَبِيۡسَ مَا كَانُواۡ يَصۡنَعُونَ
Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas,
referring to the Rabbaniyyun, because they abandoned forbidding evil.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Abbas said,
“There is no Ayah in the Qur'an that has more severe admonition than this Ayah,
(Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing).”
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Yahya bin Ya`mar said,”
Ali bin Abi Talib once gave a speech, which he started by praising Allah and thanking Him.
He then said, `O people! Those who were before you were destroyed because they committed sins and the Rabbaniyyun and Ahbar did not forbid them from evil. When they persisted in sin, they were overcome by punishment. Therefore, enjoin righteousness and forbid evil before what they suffered also strikes you. Know that enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil does not reduce the provision or shorten the term of life.”
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَا مِنۡ قَوۡمٍ يَكُونُ بَيۡنَ أَظۡهُرِهِمۡ مَنۡ يَعۡمَلُ بِالۡمَعَاصِي هُمۡ أَعَزُّ مِنۡهُ وَأَمۡنَعُ وَلَمۡ يُغَيِّرُوا إِلاَّ أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ مِنۡهُ بِعَذَاب
There is no people among whom there are those who commit sins, while the rest are more powerful and mightier than the sinners, yet they do not stop them, but Allah will send a punishment upon them.
Ahmad was alone with this wording.
Abu Dawud recorded it, but in his narration Jarir said,
“I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,
مَا مِنۡ رَجُلٍ يَكُونُ فِي قَوۡمٍ يُعۡمَلُ فِيهِمۡ بِالۡمَعَاصِي يَقۡدِرُونَ أَنۡ يُغَيِّرُوا عَلَيۡهِ فَلَا يُغَيِّرُوا إِلاَّ أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ بِعِقَابٍ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ يَمُوتُوا
There is no one who resides among people committing evil among them, and they do not stop him though they are able to do so, but Allah will punish them (all) before they die.”
Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith."
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