سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 12
۞ وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ ٱثْنَىْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا ۖ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ إِنِّى مَعَكُمْ ۖ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَيْتُمُ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَءَامَنتُم بِرُسُلِى وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Indeed Allâh took the covenant from the Children of Israel (Jews), and We appointed twelve leaders among them. And Allâh said: "I am with you if you perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât ) and give Zakât and believe in My Messengers; honour and assist them, and lend a good loan to Allâh, verily, I will expiate your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you after this, disbelieved, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
أَخَذَ
akhadha
took
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مِيثَـٰقَ
mīthāqa
a Covenant
بَنِىٓ
banī
(from the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
(of) Israel
وَبَعَثْنَا
wabaʿathnā
and We appointed
مِنْهُمُ
min'humu
among them
ٱثْنَىْ
ith'nay
two
عَشَرَ
ʿashara
(and) ten
نَقِيبًۭا ۖ
naqīban
leaders
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I (am)
مَعَكُمْ ۖ
maʿakum
with you
لَئِنْ
la-in
if
أَقَمْتُمُ
aqamtumu
you establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَءَاتَيْتُمُ
waātaytumu
and give
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
l-zakata
the zakah
وَءَامَنتُم
waāmantum
and you believe
بِرُسُلِى
birusulī
in My Messengers
وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ
waʿazzartumūhum
and you assist them
وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ
wa-aqraḍtumu
and you loan
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(to) Allah
قَرْضًا
qarḍan
a loan
حَسَنًۭا
ḥasanan
goodly
لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ
la-ukaffiranna
surely I will remove
عَنكُمْ
ʿankum
from you
سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ
sayyiātikum
your evil deeds
وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ
wala-ud'khilannakum
and I will surely admit you
جَنَّـٰتٍۢ
jannātin
(to) gardens
تَجْرِى
tajrī
flow
مِن
min
from
تَحْتِهَا
taḥtihā
underneath them
ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ
l-anhāru
the rivers
فَمَن
faman
But whoever
كَفَرَ
kafara
disbelieved
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
مِنكُمْ
minkum
among you
فَقَدْ
faqad
then certainly
ضَلَّ
ḍalla
he strayed
سَوَآءَ
sawāa
(from) the way
ٱلسَّبِيلِ
l-sabīli
the right
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.
(Ayah 12) {وَ لَقَدْ اَخَذَ اللّٰهُ مِيْثَاقَ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ …… :} Earlier in Ayah (7) it was mentioned that O Muslims! Remember Allah’s favor upon you and your covenant when you made a firm pledge of hearing and obeying. Now it is stated that this covenant was not taken only from you, but a similar covenant was also taken from the Children of Israel before you, but they broke the covenant and became victims of humiliation and misery, so do not be like them. (Kabir) The Children of Israel had a total of twelve tribes; Allah Almighty appointed twelve chiefs from among them, so that they could oversee their affairs and keep reminding them to remain firm on their covenant. Some commentators have written that these chiefs were appointed to bring news about the Jabbarin (the mighty people), whose mention is coming in Ayahs (21 to 26). (Ibn Kathir) But from the apparent words, the first opinion seems Sahih. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also, on the night of Aqabah, when he took the pledge of hearing and obeying, appointed twelve chiefs over them. (Qurtubi)
