سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 101
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ عَنْ أَشْيَآءَ إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَنْهَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿101﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Qur’ân is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allâh has forgiven that, and Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَسْـَٔلُوا۟
tasalū
ask
عَنْ
ʿan
about
أَشْيَآءَ
ashyāa
things
إِن
in
if
تُبْدَ
tub'da
made clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
تَسُؤْكُمْ
tasu'kum
it may distress you
وَإِن
wa-in
and if
تَسْـَٔلُوا۟
tasalū
you ask
عَنْهَا
ʿanhā
about it
حِينَ
ḥīna
when
يُنَزَّلُ
yunazzalu
is being revealed
ٱلْقُرْءَانُ
l-qur'ānu
the Quran
تُبْدَ
tub'da
it would be made clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
عَفَا
ʿafā
has (been) pardoned
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(by) Allah
عَنْهَا ۗ
ʿanhā
[about] it
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
غَفُورٌ
ghafūrun
(is) Oft-Forgiving
حَلِيمٌۭ
ḥalīmun
All-Forbearing
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
101. O you who believe! Do not ask about things which, if made clear to you, may trouble [149] you. But if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made clear to you. Allah has pardoned what is past, and Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.
[149] That is, do not ask the Messenger of Allah such questions in which there is neither any religious benefit for you nor any worldly benefit, because unnecessary questioning only brings harm to a person or results in some restriction being imposed upon him, as is evident from the following hadiths.
1.
Prohibition of Excessive Questioning:
Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari says that once people asked you such things that you disliked it. When there were too many questions and answers, you became angry. You said, "Now ask whatever you wish." A man (Abdullah bin Hudhafah, whom people used to accuse) said: "Who is my father?" You said: "Your father is Hudhafah." Then another man (Sa'd bin Salim) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Who is my father?" You said: "Your father is Salim, the slave of Shaybah." When Sayyiduna Umar saw the anger on your blessed face, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! We repent to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." Then this verse was revealed. [بخاري۔ كتاب العلم۔ باب الغضب فى الموعظة والتعليم اذا راي مايكره]
2. And in another narration, a man asked: "Where is my father?" You said: "In Hell." [بخاري۔ كتاب الاعتصام۔ باب مايكره من كثرة السوال ]
3. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas says that you said: "The greatest sinner among the Muslims is the one who asks about a matter which is not forbidden, but because of his questioning, it becomes forbidden." [حواله ايضاً]
4. You forbade: useless talk, excessive questioning, wasting wealth and property, harming mothers, burying girls alive, and usurping the rights of others. [بحواله ايضاً]
5. A man (Aqra' bin Habis) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Is Hajj obligatory every year?" You remained silent. The questioner repeated the same question, so you said: "No. If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory upon you every year (and you would not have been able to bear it)." At that time, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse. [ترمذي۔ ابو اب التفسير]
6. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet said: "Whatever I leave (i.e., do not mention), you too leave it. Because the people before you were destroyed due to excessive questioning and differing with their prophets." [مسلم۔ كتاب الفضائل۔ باب توقيره و ترك اكثار سواله ممالا ضرورة اليه۔۔ الخ]
7. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah says that you said: "Whatever I forbid you from, abstain from it, and whatever I command you to do, do it as much as you can. Because the people before you were destroyed due to excessive questioning and differing with their prophets." [مسلم حواله ايضاً]
You said: "Allah has imposed some obligations upon you, do not neglect them (fulfill them properly), and He has made some things unlawful, do not go near them, and He has set some limits, do not transgress them, and He has remained silent about some things, not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek them out." [بيهقي بحواله الموافقات للشاطبي اردو ترجمه ج 1 ص 291]
[149] That is, do not ask the Messenger of Allah such questions in which there is neither any religious benefit for you nor any worldly benefit, because unnecessary questioning only brings harm to a person or results in some restriction being imposed upon him, as is evident from the following hadiths.
1.
Prohibition of Excessive Questioning:
Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari says that once people asked you such things that you disliked it. When there were too many questions and answers, you became angry. You said, "Now ask whatever you wish." A man (Abdullah bin Hudhafah, whom people used to accuse) said: "Who is my father?" You said: "Your father is Hudhafah." Then another man (Sa'd bin Salim) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Who is my father?" You said: "Your father is Salim, the slave of Shaybah." When Sayyiduna Umar saw the anger on your blessed face, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! We repent to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." Then this verse was revealed. [بخاري۔ كتاب العلم۔ باب الغضب فى الموعظة والتعليم اذا راي مايكره]
2. And in another narration, a man asked: "Where is my father?" You said: "In Hell." [بخاري۔ كتاب الاعتصام۔ باب مايكره من كثرة السوال ]
3. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas says that you said: "The greatest sinner among the Muslims is the one who asks about a matter which is not forbidden, but because of his questioning, it becomes forbidden." [حواله ايضاً]
4. You forbade: useless talk, excessive questioning, wasting wealth and property, harming mothers, burying girls alive, and usurping the rights of others. [بحواله ايضاً]
5. A man (Aqra' bin Habis) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Is Hajj obligatory every year?" You remained silent. The questioner repeated the same question, so you said: "No. If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory upon you every year (and you would not have been able to bear it)." At that time, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse. [ترمذي۔ ابو اب التفسير]
6. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet said: "Whatever I leave (i.e., do not mention), you too leave it. Because the people before you were destroyed due to excessive questioning and differing with their prophets." [مسلم۔ كتاب الفضائل۔ باب توقيره و ترك اكثار سواله ممالا ضرورة اليه۔۔ الخ]
7. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah says that you said: "Whatever I forbid you from, abstain from it, and whatever I command you to do, do it as much as you can. Because the people before you were destroyed due to excessive questioning and differing with their prophets." [مسلم حواله ايضاً]
You said: "Allah has imposed some obligations upon you, do not neglect them (fulfill them properly), and He has made some things unlawful, do not go near them, and He has set some limits, do not transgress them, and He has remained silent about some things, not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek them out." [بيهقي بحواله الموافقات للشاطبي اردو ترجمه ج 1 ص 291]
