سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 79
كَانُوا۟ لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿79﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَانُوا۟
kānū
They had been
لَا
lā
not
يَتَنَاهَوْنَ
yatanāhawna
forbidding each other
عَن
ʿan
from
مُّنكَرٍۢ
munkarin
wrongdoing
فَعَلُوهُ ۚ
faʿalūhu
they did [it]
لَبِئْسَ
labi'sa
Surely, evil
مَا
mā
(was) what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
يَفْعَلُونَ
yafʿalūna
doing
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.
79. 1. They did not forbid one another from wrongdoing, which in itself is a very great crime. Some commentators have considered this very abandonment of forbidding evil as disobedience and transgression, which became the cause of the curse. In any case, in both situations, seeing evil and not forbidding it is a very great crime and a cause of the curse and wrath of Allah. In hadith as well, very severe warnings have been stated regarding this crime. In one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said, "The very first deficiency that entered among the Children of Israel was that a man would see another man committing evil and would say, 'Fear Allah and leave this evil, it is not permissible for you.' But the next day, he would feel no shame or hesitation in eating, drinking, and sitting with him (i.e., he would become his companion in food, drink, and gatherings), whereas the demand of faith was to hate and cut off relations with him. Upon this, Allah placed enmity among them and they became deserving of the curse of Allah. Then he said, 'By Allah! You must certainly enjoin good and forbid evil, seize the hand of the oppressor' (otherwise the same will happen to you). In another narration, this warning is given for abandoning this duty that you will become deserving of the punishment of Allah. Then you will supplicate to Allah, but your prayers will not be accepted." (Musnad Ahmad, Volume 5, p. 388)
