Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 181

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Then, whoever changes it after he has heard it, its sin will only be on those who change it. Surely, Allah is All-hearing, All-knowing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But whoever changes the will after hearing it,[[ After the death of the one who made the will.]] the blame will only be on those who made the change. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If someone alters the bequest after hearing it, they will bear the sin of the alteration, for Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

Then if any man changes it after hearing it, the sin shall rest upon those who change it; surely God is All-hearing, All-knowing.

Abdul Haleem

If anyone alters the bequest after hearing it, the guilt of the alteration will fall on them: God is all hearing and all knowing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then whosoever altereth it after he hath heard it, the sin thereof shall be only on those who shall alter it: verily Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If anyone changes the bequest after hearing it, the guilt shall be on those who make the change. For Allah hears and knows (All things).

Abul Ala Maududi

Then if those, who heard the will, change it, they themselves shall bear the sin of this. Allah hears everything and knows everything.

Ahmed Ali

And any one who changes the will, having heard it, shall be guilty and accountable; for God hears all and knows everything.

Ahmed Raza Khan

So whoever changes the will after he has heard it – its sin is only upon those who change it; indeed Allah is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

And should anyone alter it after hearing it, its sin shall indeed lie on those who alter it. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

Ali Ünal

Then if anyone changes the will after hearing it (and the will is not carried out as it must be) then the sin thereof is on those who change it. Surely God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

He who alters it (- the will) after he has heard it, (should know that) it is those that alter it who shall bear the burden of sin. Allâh indeed is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

English Literal

So who exchanged/replaced/substituted it after what he heard it, so but his sin/crime (is) on those who exchange/replace/substitute it, that God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.

Faridul Haque

So whoever changes the will after he has heard it - its sin is only upon those who change it; indeed Allah is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

But he who alters it after that he has heard it, the sin thereof is only upon those who alter it; verily, Allah is Hearer and Knower.

Hilali & Khan

Then whoever changes the bequest after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change. Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Then whoever changes it after he has heard it, the sin of it is only upon those who change it. Surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Whoever then alters it after he has heard it, the sin of it then is only upon those who alter it; surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And whoso changeth (the will) after he hath heard it - the sin thereof is only upon those who change it. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower.

Muhammad Sarwar

Whoever intentionally changes the will of a deceased person, he has committed a sin. God is All-hearing and All-knowing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Then, if anyone changes it after hearing it, the sin shall rest upon those who change it. Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then whoever changes it after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change. Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Wahiduddin Khan

Anyone who alters it once he has heard it shall be accountable for his crime. Surely, God is all hearing and all knowing.

Talal Itani

But whoever changes it after he has heard it, the guilt is upon those who change it. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Tafsir jalalayn

Then if anyone, whether a witness or a trustee, changes it, that is, the testament, after hearing it, and knowing it, the sin, resulting from the changed testament, shall rest upon those who change it (here the explicit subject stands in place of the implicit one); surely God is Hearing, of the testator's words, Knowing, of the deeds of the trustee, requiting [each] accordingly.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَمَن بَدَّلَهُ بَعْدَمَا سَمِعَهُ فَإِنَّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ

Then whoever changes it after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change.

means, whoever changed the will and testament or altered it by addition or deletion, including hiding the will as is obvious, then
فَإِنَّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ
(the sin shall be on those who make the change).

Ibn Abbas and others said,

"The dead person's reward will be preserved for him by Allah, while the sin is acquired by those who change the will."

إِنَّ اللّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ



Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

means, Allah knows what the dead person has bequeathed and what the beneficiaries (or others) have changed in the will.

Allah's statement;

فَمَنْ خَافَ مِن مُّوصٍ جَنَفًا أَوْ إِثْمًا فَأَصْلَحَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَلَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ