سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 41
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ ۛ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ ۛ سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ ۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِۦ ۖ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَـٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَٱحْذَرُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُۥ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿41﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)! Let not those who hurry to fall into disbelief grieve you, of such who say: "We believe" with their mouths but their hearts have no faith. And of the Jews are men who listen much and eagerly to lies - listen to others who have not come to you. They change the words from their places; they say, "If you are given this, take it, but if you are not given this, then beware!" And whomsoever Allâh wants to put in Al-Fitnah [error, because of his rejecting of Faith], you can do nothing for him against Allâh. Those are the ones whose hearts Allâh does not want to purify (from disbelief and hypocrisy); for them there is a disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلرَّسُولُ
l-rasūlu
Messenger
لَا
lā
Let not
يَحْزُنكَ
yaḥzunka
grieve you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يُسَـٰرِعُونَ
yusāriʿūna
hasten
فِى
fī
in (to)
ٱلْكُفْرِ
l-kuf'ri
[the] disbelief
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
said
ءَامَنَّا
āmannā
We believe
بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ
bi-afwāhihim
with their mouths
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
تُؤْمِن
tu'min
believe
قُلُوبُهُمْ ۛ
qulūbuhum
their hearts
وَمِنَ
wamina
and from
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
هَادُوا۟ ۛ
hādū
(are) Jews
سَمَّـٰعُونَ
sammāʿūna
They (are) listeners
لِلْكَذِبِ
lil'kadhibi
to falsehood
سَمَّـٰعُونَ
sammāʿūna
(and) listeners
لِقَوْمٍ
liqawmin
for people
ءَاخَرِينَ
ākharīna
other
لَمْ
lam
(who have) not
يَأْتُوكَ ۖ
yatūka
come to you
يُحَرِّفُونَ
yuḥarrifūna
They distort
ٱلْكَلِمَ
l-kalima
the words
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مَوَاضِعِهِۦ ۖ
mawāḍiʿihi
their context
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
saying
إِنْ
in
If
أُوتِيتُمْ
ūtītum
you are given
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
this
فَخُذُوهُ
fakhudhūhu
[so] take it
وَإِن
wa-in
but if
لَّمْ
lam
not
تُؤْتَوْهُ
tu'tawhu
you are given it
فَٱحْذَرُوا۟ ۚ
fa-iḥ'dharū
then beware
وَمَن
waman
And (for) whom
يُرِدِ
yuridi
intends
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
فِتْنَتَهُۥ
fit'natahu
his trial
فَلَن
falan
then never
تَمْلِكَ
tamlika
will you have power
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
مِنَ
mina
against
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
شَيْـًٔا ۚ
shayan
anything
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(are) the ones
لَمْ
lam
never
يُرِدِ
yuridi
will intend
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
أَن
an
that
يُطَهِّرَ
yuṭahhira
He purifies
قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ
qulūbahum
their hearts
لَهُمْ
lahum
For them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
the world
خِزْىٌۭ ۖ
khiz'yun
(is) disgrace
وَلَهُمْ
walahum
and for them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
l-ākhirati
the Hereafter
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
عَظِيمٌۭ
ʿaẓīmun
great
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.
41. 1. Allah Almighty is instructing His Prophet not to grieve excessively over the disbelievers and polytheists not believing and not adopting the path of guidance, so that in this regard you may be comforted that there will be no questioning of you about such people before Allah.
41. 2. In the context of the revelation of verses 41 to 44, two incidents are mentioned. One is about two married Jewish adulterers (a man and a woman). They had altered their book, the Torah, and in addition, did not act upon many of its teachings. Among these was the ruling of stoning (rajm), which was in their book for married adulterers and is still present, but since they wanted to avoid this punishment, they decided among themselves to go to Muhammad. If he gives the verdict of flogging and blackening the face according to their invented method, they would accept it, but if he gives the verdict of stoning, they would not accept it. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Jews came to the service of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ asked them, "What is there in the Torah regarding stoning?" They replied, "The punishment for adultery in the Torah is flogging and disgrace." Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You are lying; the command of stoning is present in the Torah. Go and bring the Torah." When they brought the Torah and began to read it, they placed their hand over the verse of stoning and read before and after it. Abdullah bin Salam said, "Remove your hand from here," and the verse was present there. Eventually, they had to admit it. Thus, both adulterers were stoned (Ibn Kathir).
Another incident is narrated as follows: A tribe among the Jews considered itself more honorable and respected than another Jewish tribe, and accordingly, they had set the blood money (diyah) for a murdered person from their tribe at one hundred wasq, and for a murdered person from the other tribe at fifty wasq. When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, the other Jewish tribe, whose blood money was half, gained some courage and refused to pay one hundred wasq as blood money. It was close to causing a fight between them over this issue, but their wise men agreed to have the Prophet ﷺ decide. On this occasion, these verses were revealed, among which one verse commands equality in retribution (qisas). Imam Ibn Kathir says it is possible that both reasons occurred at the same time and these verses were revealed for all of them. (Ibn Kathir)
41. 2. In the context of the revelation of verses 41 to 44, two incidents are mentioned. One is about two married Jewish adulterers (a man and a woman). They had altered their book, the Torah, and in addition, did not act upon many of its teachings. Among these was the ruling of stoning (rajm), which was in their book for married adulterers and is still present, but since they wanted to avoid this punishment, they decided among themselves to go to Muhammad. If he gives the verdict of flogging and blackening the face according to their invented method, they would accept it, but if he gives the verdict of stoning, they would not accept it. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Jews came to the service of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ asked them, "What is there in the Torah regarding stoning?" They replied, "The punishment for adultery in the Torah is flogging and disgrace." Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You are lying; the command of stoning is present in the Torah. Go and bring the Torah." When they brought the Torah and began to read it, they placed their hand over the verse of stoning and read before and after it. Abdullah bin Salam said, "Remove your hand from here," and the verse was present there. Eventually, they had to admit it. Thus, both adulterers were stoned (Ibn Kathir).
Another incident is narrated as follows: A tribe among the Jews considered itself more honorable and respected than another Jewish tribe, and accordingly, they had set the blood money (diyah) for a murdered person from their tribe at one hundred wasq, and for a murdered person from the other tribe at fifty wasq. When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, the other Jewish tribe, whose blood money was half, gained some courage and refused to pay one hundred wasq as blood money. It was close to causing a fight between them over this issue, but their wise men agreed to have the Prophet ﷺ decide. On this occasion, these verses were revealed, among which one verse commands equality in retribution (qisas). Imam Ibn Kathir says it is possible that both reasons occurred at the same time and these verses were revealed for all of them. (Ibn Kathir)
