Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 59

Mufti Taqi Usmani

But those who were unjust substituted another word for the one that was prescribed for them. So, We sent down a scourge from heaven upon those who were unjust, because they had acted sinfully.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But the wrongdoers changed the words they were commanded to say. So We sent down a punishment from the heavens upon them for their rebelliousness.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But the wrongdoers changed the words to other than what they were told; so We sent down upon the wrongdoers a torment from the heaven for their rebelliousness.

A. J. Arberry

Then the evildoers substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them; so We sent down upon the evildoers wrath out of heaven for their ungodliness.

Abdul Haleem

But the wrongdoers substituted a different word from the one they had been given. So, because they persistently disobeyed, We sent a plague down from the heavens upon the wrongdoers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then those who did wrong changed the Word that had been told them for anot her; so We sent down upon those who did wrong a scourge from heaven, for they were wont to transgress.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.

Abul Ala Maududi

But the transgressors perverted the words said to them entirely into a different thing. So We sent down upon the transgressors a severe torment from the sky: that was the punishment for the disobedience they were showing.

Ahmed Ali

But the wicked changed and perverted the word We had spoken to a word distorted, and We sent from heaven retribution on the wicked, for they disobeyed.

Ahmed Raza Khan

But the unjust changed the word that had been ordered for another one, so We sent down a punishment on them from the skies, the recompense of their disobedience.

Ali Quli Qarai

But the wrongdoers changed the saying with other than what they were told. So We sent down on those who were wrongdoers a plague from the sky because of the transgressions they used to commit.

Ali Ünal

Then those who persisted in wrongdoing changed what had been said to them (regarding humility, imploring forgiveness, submission, and loyalty) for another saying (and so acted contrarily to how they had been ordered.) So We sent down upon those who did wrong a scourge from heaven because they were continually transgressing .

Amatul Rahman Omar

But those who were bent on doing wrong, gave a different version to the order that was given them, (and thus acted contrary to the Divine will). So We sent down upon those who did wrong a pestilence from heaven because they had been transgressing persistently.

English Literal

Those who caused injustice/oppression , so (they) exchanged/replaced a saying other than what was said to them, so We descended on those who caused injustice/oppression, filth/torture from the sky/space with what they were debauching .

Faridul Haque

But the unjust changed the word that had been ordered for another one, so We sent down a punishment on them from the skies, the recompense of their disobedience.

Hamid S. Aziz

But those who did wrong changed it for another word than that which was said to them: and We sent down upon those who did wrong, wrath from heaven for that they had so sinned.

Hilali & Khan

But those who did wrong changed the word from that which had been told to them for another, so We sent upon the wrong-doers Rijzan (a punishment) from the heaven because of their rebelling against Allah's Obedience. (Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. I, Page 305).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But those who were unjust changed the word which had been spoken to them, for another saying, so We sent upon the wrongdoers a pestilence from heaven, because they transgressed.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But those who were unjust changed it for a saying other than that which had been spoken to them, so We sent upon those who were unjust a pestilence from heaven, because they transgressed.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

But those who did wrong changed the word which had been told them for another saying, and We sent down upon the evil-doers wrath from heaven for their evil-doing.

Muhammad Sarwar

The unjust ones among you changed what they were told to say. Then, We afflicted them with a torment from the heavens for their evil deeds.

Qaribullah & Darwish

But the harmdoers tampered with Our Words, different from that said to them, and We let loose on the harmdoers a scourge from heaven as a punishment for their debauchery.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

But those who did wrong changed the word from that which had been told to them for another, so We sent upon the wrongdoers Rijz (a punishment) from the heaven because of their rebellion.

Wahiduddin Khan

But the wrongdoers changed the words to something other than what they had been told. So We sent down upon the transgressors a punishment from heaven, because they were disobedient.

Talal Itani

But the wrongdoers among them substituted words other than those given to them, so We sent down on the wrongdoers a plague from heaven, because of their wicked behavior.

Tafsir jalalayn

Then the evildoers, among them, substituted a saying other than that which had been said to them, and said instead, `A grain inside a hair' and entered [the town] dragging themselves on their rears; so We sent down upon the evildoers (the replacement of the second person [of the previous verse] with the overt identification in the third person alladhna zalam, `the evildoers', is intended to emphasise the depravity of their action) wrath, a punishment of plague, from the heaven for their wickedness, for deviating from obedience, and within a very short period of time just under seventy thousand of them were dead.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ قَوْلاً غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ

But those who did wrong changed the word from that which had been told to them for another.

Al-Bukhari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Prophet said,

قِيلَ لِبَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ فَدَخَلُوا يَزْحَفُون عَلى أَسْتَاهِهِم فَبَدَّلُوا وَقَالُوا حَبَّةٌ فِي شَعْرَة

The Children of Israel were commanded to enter the door while bowing and to say `Hittah'. Yet, they entered the door on their behinds, distorting the words. They said; `Habbah (seed), in Sha`rah (a hair).'

An-Nasa'i recorded this part of it from Abu Hurayrah only, but he has a chain from the Prophet, explaining Allah's statement,
حِطَّةٌ
(Hittah),

saying, "So they deviated and said `Habbah."

Similar was recorded by Abdur-Razzaq, and his route was also collected by Al-Bukhari.

Muslim and At-Tirmidhi narrated similar versions of this Hadith, At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."

The summary of what the scholars have said about this subject is that the Children of Israel distorted Allah's command to them to submit to Him in tongue and deed. They were commanded to enter the city while bowing down, but they entered while sliding on their rear ends and raising their heads! They were commanded to say, `Hittah' meaning, "Relieve us from our errors and sins." However, they mocked this command and said, "Hintah (grain seed) in Sha`irah (barley)." This demonstrates the worst type of rebellion and disobedience, and it is why Allah released His anger and punishment upon them, all because of their sinning and defying His commands.

Allah said,

فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رِجْزاً مِّنَ السَّمَاء بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ



So We sent upon the wrongdoers Rijz (a punishment) from the heaven because of their rebellion.

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said,

"Every word in Allah's Book that says Rijz means, `a punishment."'

Mujahid, Abu Malik, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan and Qatadah were reported to have said that;
Rijz means `Torment.'

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Sa`d bin Malik, Usamah bin Zayd and Khuzaymah bin Thabit said that the Messenger of Allah said,

الطَّاعُونُ رِجْزٌ عَذَابٌ عُذِّبَ بِهِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُم

The plague is a Rijz, a punishment with which Allah punished those before you.

This is also how An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith. In addition, the basis of this Hadith was collected in the Two Sahihs,

إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الطَّاعُونَ بأَرْضٍ فَلَ تَدْخُلُوهَا

If you hear of the plague in a land, then do not enter it.

Ibn Jarir recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying that the Messenger of Allah said,

إنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ وَالسَّقَمَ رِجْزٌ عُذِّبَ بِهِ بَعْضُ الاُْمَمِ قَبْلَكُم

This calamity and sickness (i.e. the plague) is a Rijz, a punishment with which some nations who were before you were punished.

The basis of this Hadith was also collected in the Two Sahihs