سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 33
إِنَّمَا جَزَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَن يُقَتَّلُوٓا۟ أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوٓا۟ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْا۟ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿33﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The recompense of those who wage war against Allâh and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
جَزَٰٓؤُا۟
jazāu
(the) recompense
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(for) those who
يُحَارِبُونَ
yuḥāribūna
wage war
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(against) Allah
وَرَسُولَهُۥ
warasūlahu
and His Messenger
وَيَسْعَوْنَ
wayasʿawna
and strive
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
فَسَادًا
fasādan
spreading corruption
أَن
an
(is) that
يُقَتَّلُوٓا۟
yuqattalū
they be killed
أَوْ
aw
or
يُصَلَّبُوٓا۟
yuṣallabū
they be crucified
أَوْ
aw
or
تُقَطَّعَ
tuqaṭṭaʿa
be cut off
أَيْدِيهِمْ
aydīhim
their hands
وَأَرْجُلُهُم
wa-arjuluhum
and their feet
مِّنْ
min
of
خِلَـٰفٍ
khilāfin
opposite sides
أَوْ
aw
or
يُنفَوْا۟
yunfaw
they be exiled
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ
l-arḍi
the land
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
لَهُمْ
lahum
(is) for them
خِزْىٌۭ
khiz'yun
disgrace
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ
l-dun'yā
the world
وَلَهُمْ
walahum
and for them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
l-ākhirati
the Hereafter
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
عَظِيمٌ
ʿaẓīmun
great
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.
33. The punishment for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger [66] and strive to spread corruption in the land is nothing but that they be painfully executed, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a great punishment.
[66]
Forms of Waging War Against Allah and His Messenger and Their Punishments:
In this verse, waging war against Allah and His Messenger is generally understood to mean ḥirābah, that is, banditry or highway robbery. Then, in this verse, the four types of punishments are related to the nature of the crimes in the following way:
(1) If the criminal has committed murder but did not get the chance to take property, he will be killed in retribution;
(2) If he has committed both murder and robbery, he will be crucified;
(3) If he has only taken property and not committed murder, his hands and feet will be cut off from opposite sides;
(4) If he has neither committed murder nor taken property and is caught before committing robbery, he will be exiled.
Furthermore, the judge may combine any two of these punishments according to the nature of the crime, or he may increase or decrease any one of them. However, the wording of this verse is general, so the hadith scholars, under this verse, mention the incident of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah. This hadith is as follows:
The Story of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah:
Sayyiduna Anas ؓ narrates: “Some people from the tribes of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah came to the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah and began to recite the kalimah of Islam. They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! We are herdsmen, not farmers.’ The climate of Madinah did not suit them. The Prophet ﷺ assigned them some camels and a shepherd and said, ‘Go (to the desert) and drink the milk and urine of these camels.’ They stayed near Harrah and, through this treatment, became healthy and robust. Then their intentions changed, and they became apostates from Islam. They tortured the Prophet’s ﷺ shepherd (Yasār) by passing hot iron rods through his eyes, inflicted various pains upon him, killed him, and drove away the camels. When the Prophet ﷺ was informed, he sent men to capture them. When they were brought back, the Prophet ﷺ ordered that hot iron rods be passed through their eyes, their hands and feet be cut off, and they be thrown in a corner of Harrah, where they died in that state.” They would ask for water, but no one would give them water. Abu Qilabah says this was because they had committed theft, murder, chosen disbelief after faith, and waged war against Allah and His Messenger.
[بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب قصۃ عکل و عرینۃ نیز کتاب التفسیر۔ زیر آیت مذکورہ۔ نیز کتاب الوضوء باب ابو ال الابل]
In this incident, not only was there an act of banditry, but also looting through deception, murder, and apostasy were involved, and all of this falls under waging war against Allah and His Messenger and spreading corruption in the land. Furthermore, misleading propaganda against Islam, criminal conspiracies, treason and rebellion against the Islamic government—all these can fall under waging war against Allah and His Messenger and spreading corruption in the land, but not under the category of banditry. Therefore, the meaning of this verse should be taken in its broad sense, and the judge may increase or decrease these punishments according to the nature of each crime.
[66]
Forms of Waging War Against Allah and His Messenger and Their Punishments:
In this verse, waging war against Allah and His Messenger is generally understood to mean ḥirābah, that is, banditry or highway robbery. Then, in this verse, the four types of punishments are related to the nature of the crimes in the following way:
(1) If the criminal has committed murder but did not get the chance to take property, he will be killed in retribution;
(2) If he has committed both murder and robbery, he will be crucified;
(3) If he has only taken property and not committed murder, his hands and feet will be cut off from opposite sides;
(4) If he has neither committed murder nor taken property and is caught before committing robbery, he will be exiled.
Furthermore, the judge may combine any two of these punishments according to the nature of the crime, or he may increase or decrease any one of them. However, the wording of this verse is general, so the hadith scholars, under this verse, mention the incident of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah. This hadith is as follows:
The Story of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah:
Sayyiduna Anas ؓ narrates: “Some people from the tribes of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah came to the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah and began to recite the kalimah of Islam. They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! We are herdsmen, not farmers.’ The climate of Madinah did not suit them. The Prophet ﷺ assigned them some camels and a shepherd and said, ‘Go (to the desert) and drink the milk and urine of these camels.’ They stayed near Harrah and, through this treatment, became healthy and robust. Then their intentions changed, and they became apostates from Islam. They tortured the Prophet’s ﷺ shepherd (Yasār) by passing hot iron rods through his eyes, inflicted various pains upon him, killed him, and drove away the camels. When the Prophet ﷺ was informed, he sent men to capture them. When they were brought back, the Prophet ﷺ ordered that hot iron rods be passed through their eyes, their hands and feet be cut off, and they be thrown in a corner of Harrah, where they died in that state.” They would ask for water, but no one would give them water. Abu Qilabah says this was because they had committed theft, murder, chosen disbelief after faith, and waged war against Allah and His Messenger.
[بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب قصۃ عکل و عرینۃ نیز کتاب التفسیر۔ زیر آیت مذکورہ۔ نیز کتاب الوضوء باب ابو ال الابل]
In this incident, not only was there an act of banditry, but also looting through deception, murder, and apostasy were involved, and all of this falls under waging war against Allah and His Messenger and spreading corruption in the land. Furthermore, misleading propaganda against Islam, criminal conspiracies, treason and rebellion against the Islamic government—all these can fall under waging war against Allah and His Messenger and spreading corruption in the land, but not under the category of banditry. Therefore, the meaning of this verse should be taken in its broad sense, and the judge may increase or decrease these punishments according to the nature of each crime.
