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 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.
79. They would not forbid each other from the evil they used to do [125]; surely, what they did was truly evil.
[125]
The Curse Upon Those Who Do Not Forbid Evil:
When an evil becomes prevalent in a society, initially only a few people commit it. If such people are held accountable in a timely and strict manner, that evil can be stopped. But if a lenient attitude is adopted in this regard, the number of those committing the evil keeps increasing, and a time comes when those who avoid the evil not only refrain from stopping the evildoers, but also feel no hesitation in associating and living in harmony with them, and the evil becomes widespread. This is the time when the divine punishment descends, and then neither those who commit the evil are saved from this punishment, nor those who avoid it. In this verse, it is stated that just as committing evil is a crime, not forbidding evil is also a crime, and in terms of crime, both are equal, and the effect and harm of Allah’s curse or divine punishment reaches both equally.
The Example of Those Who Do Not Forbid Evil:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave the example of such a destroyed society as follows: Some people drew lots to board a ship, and according to the lots, some sat on the lower deck and some on the upper deck. The people on the lower deck had to get water from the upper deck, which caused inconvenience to those on the upper deck. Now, the people on the lower deck thought of a solution: why not make a hole in the lower plank of the ship and get water directly from the sea? If both the people of the lower and upper decks do not stop those making the hole, then all—both lower and upper—will drown. [بخاري۔ كتاب المظالم۔ ابو اب الشركة هل يقرع فى القسمة]
According to this hadith, the crime of those who do not forbid evil is proven to be even greater than that of those who commit evil. Also, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: When people see an oppressor and do not restrain his hand, it is near that a general punishment from Allah will descend upon them. [ترمذي۔ ابو اب التفسير۔ زير آيت 5 : 101]
[125]
The Curse Upon Those Who Do Not Forbid Evil:
When an evil becomes prevalent in a society, initially only a few people commit it. If such people are held accountable in a timely and strict manner, that evil can be stopped. But if a lenient attitude is adopted in this regard, the number of those committing the evil keeps increasing, and a time comes when those who avoid the evil not only refrain from stopping the evildoers, but also feel no hesitation in associating and living in harmony with them, and the evil becomes widespread. This is the time when the divine punishment descends, and then neither those who commit the evil are saved from this punishment, nor those who avoid it. In this verse, it is stated that just as committing evil is a crime, not forbidding evil is also a crime, and in terms of crime, both are equal, and the effect and harm of Allah’s curse or divine punishment reaches both equally.
The Example of Those Who Do Not Forbid Evil:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave the example of such a destroyed society as follows: Some people drew lots to board a ship, and according to the lots, some sat on the lower deck and some on the upper deck. The people on the lower deck had to get water from the upper deck, which caused inconvenience to those on the upper deck. Now, the people on the lower deck thought of a solution: why not make a hole in the lower plank of the ship and get water directly from the sea? If both the people of the lower and upper decks do not stop those making the hole, then all—both lower and upper—will drown. [بخاري۔ كتاب المظالم۔ ابو اب الشركة هل يقرع فى القسمة]
According to this hadith, the crime of those who do not forbid evil is proven to be even greater than that of those who commit evil. Also, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ says that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: When people see an oppressor and do not restrain his hand, it is near that a general punishment from Allah will descend upon them. [ترمذي۔ ابو اب التفسير۔ زير آيت 5 : 101]
