سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 119
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا ﴿119﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allâh." And whoever takes Shaitân (Satan) as a Walî (protector or helper) instead of Allâh, has surely suffered a manifest loss.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ
wala-uḍillannahum
And I will surely mislead them
وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ
wala-umanniyannahum
and surely arouse desires in them
وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ
walaāmurannahum
and surely I will order them
فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ
falayubattikunna
so they will surely cut off
ءَاذَانَ
ādhāna
(the) ears
ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ
l-anʿāmi
(of) the cattle
وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ
walaāmurannahum
and surely I will order them
فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ
falayughayyirunna
so they will surely change
خَلْقَ
khalqa
(the) creation
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَتَّخِذِ
yattakhidhi
takes
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ
l-shayṭāna
the Shaitaan
وَلِيًّۭا
waliyyan
(as) a friend
مِّن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
فَقَدْ
faqad
then surely
خَسِرَ
khasira
he (has) lost
خُسْرَانًۭا
khus'rānan
a loss
مُّبِينًۭا
mubīnan
manifest
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.
119. 1 These are the false hopes that arise from the whispers and interference of Satan and become the cause of misguidance for humans.
119. 2 These are the signs and forms of the Bahira and Sa'iba animals. The polytheists would dedicate them in the names of idols, and for identification, they would slit their ears, etc.
119. 3 Several forms of taghyīr khalq Allāh (changing the creation of Allah) have been mentioned. One is the one just mentioned, i.e., cutting, slitting, or piercing the ears, etc. Besides these, there are other forms as well, for example, Allah Almighty created the moon, sun, stones, fire, etc., for various purposes, but the polytheists changed their purpose of creation and made them objects of worship. Or, the meaning of changing is to alter the natural disposition, or to change what is lawful and unlawful, etc. Included in this change is sterilizing men and, similarly, performing operations on women to deprive them of the ability to bear children. Under the name of makeup, plucking the eyebrows and thus disfiguring their faces, and washm (i.e., tattooing, etc.) are also included. All these are satanic acts from which it is necessary to abstain. However, castrating animals so that they may be more beneficial or their meat may become better, or for any other valid purpose, is permissible. This is also supported by the fact that the Noble Prophet ﷺ slaughtered castrated animals for sacrifice. If it were not permissible to castrate animals, he ﷺ would not have sacrificed them.
119. 2 These are the signs and forms of the Bahira and Sa'iba animals. The polytheists would dedicate them in the names of idols, and for identification, they would slit their ears, etc.
119. 3 Several forms of taghyīr khalq Allāh (changing the creation of Allah) have been mentioned. One is the one just mentioned, i.e., cutting, slitting, or piercing the ears, etc. Besides these, there are other forms as well, for example, Allah Almighty created the moon, sun, stones, fire, etc., for various purposes, but the polytheists changed their purpose of creation and made them objects of worship. Or, the meaning of changing is to alter the natural disposition, or to change what is lawful and unlawful, etc. Included in this change is sterilizing men and, similarly, performing operations on women to deprive them of the ability to bear children. Under the name of makeup, plucking the eyebrows and thus disfiguring their faces, and washm (i.e., tattooing, etc.) are also included. All these are satanic acts from which it is necessary to abstain. However, castrating animals so that they may be more beneficial or their meat may become better, or for any other valid purpose, is permissible. This is also supported by the fact that the Noble Prophet ﷺ slaughtered castrated animals for sacrifice. If it were not permissible to castrate animals, he ﷺ would not have sacrificed them.
