Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 118

Mufti Taqi Usmani

For those who are Jews, We had prohibited that which We have already told you; and We did not wrong them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

To the Jews, We have forbidden what We related to you before.[[ What is mentioned in {6:146}.]] We did not wrong them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

Ruwwad Translation Center

We have already related to you what We prohibited to the Jews. We did not wrong them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

A. J. Arberry

And those of Jewry -- We have forbidden them what We related to thee before, and We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], We forbade the Jews what We told you about. We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And un to those who are Judaised We disallowed that which We have already recounted unto thee; and We wronged them not, but themselves they were wont to Wrong.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To the Jews We prohibited such things as We have mentioned to thee before; We did them no wrong, but they were used to doing wrong to themselves.

Abul Ala Maududi

We have already recounted to you what We prohibited to the Jews. In so doing We did not wrong them; it is they who wronged themselves.

Ahmed Ali

We have already told you what We have forbidden the Jews. We did not wrong them, they wronged themselves.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And especially for the Jews We forbade which We related to you earlier; and We did not oppress them, but it is they who wronged themselves.

Ali Quli Qarai

We forbade to the Jews what We have recounted to you earlier, and We did not wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.

Ali Ünal

And for those who are Jews We made unlawful what We have already related to you. We have never wronged them but they did habitually wrong themselves.

Amatul Rahman Omar

We have already made unlawful to those (also) who judaised, all that We have related to you already. And We did not deal with them unjustly. Rather they wronged themselves.

English Literal

And on those who repented/guided/Jews We forbade/prohibited what We narrated/relayed/informed on (to) you from before, and We did not cause injustice to/oppress them, and but they were themselves causing injustice to/oppressing.

Faridul Haque

And especially for the Jews We forbade which We related to you earlier; and We did not oppress them, but it is they who wronged themselves.

Hamid S. Aziz

For those who are Jews We have forbidden what We have already narrated to you. We wronged them not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.

Hilali & Khan

And unto those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you (O Muhammad SAW) before [in Surat-Al-An'am, (The Cattle), see Verse 6:146]. And We wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

A little enjoyment -- and for them is a painful chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And for those who were Jews We prohibited what We have related to you already, and We did them no injustice, but they were unjust to themselves.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And unto those who are Jews We have forbidden that which We have already related unto thee. And We wronged them not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.

Muhammad Sarwar

We had made unlawful for the Jews all that we told you before. We did not do any wrong to them but they wronged themselves.

Qaribullah & Darwish

We have forbidden the Jews what We have already related to you. We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before. And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.

Wahiduddin Khan

We forbade the Jews those things We told you about before. We did not wrong them; rather they wronged themselves.

Talal Itani

For those who are Jews, We have prohibited what We related to you before. We did not wrong them, but they used to wrong their own selves.

Tafsir jalalayn

And to those of Jewry, that is, the Jews, We forbade that which We have related to you already, in the verse, And to those of Jewry We forbade every beast with hoof ... to the end [Q. 6;146]; and We did not wrong them, by forbidding [them] that, but they used to wrong themselves, by committing acts of disobedience which necessarily bring about such [consequences].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Some Good Things were Forbidden for the Jews

After mentioning that He has forbidden us to eat dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, and after making allowances for cases of necessity - which is part of making things easy for this Ummah, because Allah desires ease for us, not hardship - Allah then mentions what He forbade for the Jews in their laws before they were abrogated, and the restrictions, limitations and difficulties involved therein.

He tells us;

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا مَا قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ

And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before.

meaning in Surah Al-An`am, where Allah says;

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا أَوِ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ

ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ


And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their Hawaya, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion. And verily, We are Truthful. (6;146)

Hence Allah says here;

وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ

And We did not wrong them,

meaning, in the restrictions that We imposed upon them.

وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ



but they wronged themselves.

meaning, they deserved that.

This is like the Ayah;

فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً

Because of the wrong committed of those who were Jews, We prohibited certain good foods which had been lawful for them - and (also) for their hindering many from Allah's way. (4;160)

Then Allah tells us, honoring and reminding believers who have sinned of His blessings, that whoever among them repents, He will accept his repentance, as He says