سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 116
وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ ٱلْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَـٰلٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ ﴿116﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely: "This is lawful and this is forbidden," so as to invent lies against Allâh. Verily, those who invent lies against Allâh will never prosper.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَقُولُوا۟
taqūlū
say
لِمَا
limā
for that which
تَصِفُ
taṣifu
assert
أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ
alsinatukumu
your tongues
ٱلْكَذِبَ
l-kadhiba
the lie
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
حَلَـٰلٌۭ
ḥalālun
(is) lawful
وَهَـٰذَا
wahādhā
and this
حَرَامٌۭ
ḥarāmun
(is) forbidden
لِّتَفْتَرُوا۟
litaftarū
so that you invent
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
ٱلْكَذِبَ ۚ
l-kadhiba
the lie
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يَفْتَرُونَ
yaftarūna
invent
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
ٱلْكَذِبَ
l-kadhiba
the lie
لَا
lā
they will not succeed
يُفْلِحُونَ
yuf'liḥūna
they will not succeed
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.
(Ayah117,116){وَ لَا تَقُوْلُوْا لِمَا تَصِفُ …: ’’ اَلْسِنَةٌ ‘‘ ’’ لِسَانٌ ‘‘} “alsinah” is the plural of “lisan”, meaning when Allah Almighty has Himself made clear to you what is lawful and unlawful, then adhere to that, and do not dare to declare lawful what your tongues falsely declare as lawful, nor declare unlawful what your tongues declare as unlawful. If you do so, it will be fabricating a lie against Allah, and it is certain that those who fabricate lies against Allah never succeed. Even if they gain some benefit in this world in exchange for it, even if they gain the whole world, it is a very little provision, because this provision is bound to come to an end in any case. Then their eternal abode will be Hell. For examples of the polytheists making things lawful and unlawful from themselves, see Surah Al-Ma'idah (103, 104), Al-An'am (138 to 140), and Surah Yunus (59, 60).
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in this verse is included every person who invents any new thing (bid‘ah) in the religion for which there is no Shari‘ah evidence, or who, merely by his own intellect and opinion, gives a fatwa declaring something lawful which Allah has made unlawful, or unlawful which Allah has made lawful. The entire Ummah is agreed upon the authenticity (Sahih) of this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ] [Bukhari, Al-'Ilm, Bab Ithm man kadhaba 'ala an-Nabi ﷺ: 107; Muslim, Al-Muqaddimah: 3] Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his place in Hell (because this is in reality a lie against Allah).”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in this verse is included every person who invents any new thing (bid‘ah) in the religion for which there is no Shari‘ah evidence, or who, merely by his own intellect and opinion, gives a fatwa declaring something lawful which Allah has made unlawful, or unlawful which Allah has made lawful. The entire Ummah is agreed upon the authenticity (Sahih) of this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ] [Bukhari, Al-'Ilm, Bab Ithm man kadhaba 'ala an-Nabi ﷺ: 107; Muslim, Al-Muqaddimah: 3] Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his place in Hell (because this is in reality a lie against Allah).”
