Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: indeed you would do mischief in the land twice and you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَضَيْنَآwaqaḍaynāAnd We decreed
إِلَىٰilāfor
بَنِىٓbanī(the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla(of) Israel
فِىfīin
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābithe Book
لَتُفْسِدُنَّlatuf'sidunnaSurely you will cause corruption
فِىfīin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
مَرَّتَيْنِmarrataynitwice
وَلَتَعْلُنَّwalataʿlunnaand surely you will reach
عُلُوًّۭاʿuluwwanhaughtiness
كَبِيرًۭاkabīrangreat
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 4){وَقَضَيْنَاۤاِلٰىبَنِيْۤاِسْرَآءِيْلَفِيالْكِتٰبِ …: ’’ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ ‘‘} and {’’ لَتَعْلُنَّ ‘‘ } were originally { ’’ لَتُفْسِدُوْنَنَّ ‘‘ } and { ’’لَتَعْلُوُوْنَنَّ‘‘}. Allah’s knowledge is not limited like that of His servants, that He would only know past and present matters; rather, He has knowledge of everything that will happen at any time in the future, just as He has complete knowledge of the past and present, and every past or future event is determined according to His perfect knowledge and wisdom. As a result of this, due to Allah’s firm and strong planning and decree in the universe, no disorder or accident occurs. According to this decree, man has been given some choice and is being tested, and how he will use his choice, Allah already knows that as well. According to this knowledge, He informed the Children of Israel already in the Torah that you will cause corruption in the land twice and will commit great rebellion. Here, the question arises: what is the benefit of informing the Children of Israel beforehand and giving this news to our Ummah? The answer is that the purpose of informing them and giving us this news is to show that the result of corruption and rebellion is this, so that everyone strives fully to avoid it. By {’’ الْاَرْضِ ‘‘} is meant the land of Sham (Greater Syria), and the “lam” is for specification. In the previous exegetical verses, that is, in Surah Al-Anbiya (81), the {’’ الْاَرْضِالَّتِيْبٰرَكْنَافِيْهَا ‘‘} mentioned also refers to Sham, or it means the whole earth, and the corruption of the Jews and the punishment they received occurred both in Sham and in other regions.
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The tafsir of this ayah is included with the following verse(s).