سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ

Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 120

The Cattle · Meccan · Juz 8 · Page 143

وَذَرُوا۟ ظَـٰهِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ ٱلْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَقْتَرِفُونَ ﴿120﴾
Leave (O mankind, all kinds of) sin, open and secret. Verily, those who commit sin will get due recompense for that which they used to commit.
وَذَرُوا۟ wadharū Forsake
ظَـٰهِرَ ẓāhira open
ٱلْإِثْمِ l-ith'mi [the] sins
وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ ۚ wabāṭinahu and the secret
إِنَّ inna Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
يَكْسِبُونَ yaksibūna earn
ٱلْإِثْمَ l-ith'ma [the] sin
سَيُجْزَوْنَ sayuj'zawna they will be recompensed
بِمَا bimā for what
كَانُوا۟ kānū they used to
يَقْتَرِفُونَ yaqtarifūna commit

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 120) {وَ ذَرُوْا ظَاهِرَ الْاِثْمِ وَ بَاطِنَهٗ …… :} That is, lawful and unlawful are not limited only to food items, rather it is necessary to abstain from every apparent and hidden sin. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "That is, do not act upon the misguidance of the disbelievers outwardly, nor harbor any doubt in your heart." (Mawdhih) The scholars have written that apparent sins are those committed with the hands and feet, such as theft, adultery, etc., and hidden sins are those which one intends in the heart, or which are related to beliefs, such as disbelief, polytheism, and hypocrisy, etc., or those sins whose harm is obvious to the general public are called apparent sins, and those whose harm is known only to a few specific people and not to others are called hidden sins. (Al-Manar)

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 (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.

120. Leave both open sins [125] and those done in secret. Those who commit sins will soon be repaid for what they used to do.

[125]
What are outward sins and what are inward sins?

In terms of the context of the subject, the meaning of this phrase would be that you should neither act outwardly nor harbor any kind of doubt in your heart at the instigation of these polytheists. However, this command is general. Outward sins are those sins which other people can see, and inward sins are those which cannot be seen, such as the beliefs of disbelief and polytheism, envy, malice, miserliness, arrogance, etc., which are related to the heart.