Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 188

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Do not think of those who are delighted with what they did, and love to be praised for what they never did - do not think they are secure from the punishment. For them there is a painful punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do not let those who rejoice in their misdeeds and love to take credit for what they have not done think they will escape torment. They will suffer a painful punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do not think of those who are delighted with their misdeeds and love to be praised for what they have not done; so do not think that they will be safe from the punishment, and for them there will be a painful punishment.

A. J. Arberry

Reckon not that those who rejoice in what they have brought, and love to be praised for what they have not done -- do not reckon them secure from chastisement; for them awaits a painful chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

Do not think [Prophet] that those who exult in what they have done and seek praise for things they have not done will escape the torment; agonizing torment awaits them.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Bethink not thou that those who exult in that which they have brought and love to De praised for that which they have not done, - bethink not thou that they shall be in security from the torment! And theirs shall be a torment afflictive.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Think not that those who exult in what they have brought about, and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think escape the penalty. For them is a penalty Grievous indeed.

Abul Ala Maududi

Do not think that those who exult in their misdeeds and love to be praised for what indeed they have not done, do not think that they are secure from chastisement. A painful chastisement awaits them.

Ahmed Ali

Think not that those who exult at what they have done, and who love to be praised for what they have not done, shall escape the punishment, for grievous indeed will be their doom.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Do not ever think of those who rejoice for their deeds and wish to be praised without doing (good deeds) – do not ever think that they are safe from the punishment; and for them is a painful punishment.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do not suppose those who brag about what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done—do not suppose them saved from punishment and there is a painful punishment for them.

Ali Ünal

Never suppose that those who rejoice in what they have thus contrived, and who love to be (famed and) praised for what they have not achieved (such as being devout and pious and defenders of God’s law) – never suppose that they have saved themselves from the punishment: for them is a painful punishment.

Amatul Rahman Omar

You should not think - indeed you should not think that those who exult in what they have brought about, and love to be praised for what they have not done, are secure from punishment; rather a woeful punishment awaits them.

English Literal

Do not think/suppose those who become happy/rejoiced with what they got/were given, and they love/like that they be thanked/praised with what they did not make/do, so do not think/suppose them with a winning/success/triumph from the torture, and for them (is) a painful torture.46

Faridul Haque

Do not ever think of those who rejoice for their deeds and wish to be praised without doing (good deeds) - do not ever think that they are safe from the punishment; and for them is a painful punishment.

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah´s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Mighty over all things.

Hilali & Khan

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Book: You shall explain it to men and shall not hide it. But they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it. So evil is that which they buy.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Do not think those who rejoice for what they have done and love that they should be praised for what they have not done-- so do by no means think them to be safe from the chastisement, and they shall have a painful chastisement.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Think not that those who exult in what they have given, and love to be praised for what they have not done - Think not, they are in safety from the doom. A painful doom is theirs.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do not think that those who are happy with their possessions and positions and those who love to be praised for what they themselves have not done can ever be saved from torment. For them there will be a painful punishment.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have brought and love to be praised for what they have not done do not think they will be secure from the punishment. And for them there is a painful punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done, think not that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who exult in their misdeeds and love to be praised for what they have not done should not suppose that they are secure from punishment; they shall suffer a grievous punishment.

Talal Itani

Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done—do not think they can evade the punishment. They will have a painful punishment.

Tafsir jalalayn

Do not reckon that (l tahsabanna, or read l yahsabanna, `let them not reckon') those who rejoice in what they have brought, that is, [in what] they have done by leading people astray, and who love to be praised for what they have not done, in the way of adherence to the truth, being [themselves] misguided -- do not reckon them (fa-l tahsabannahum, is for emphasis [in the case of both readings above]) secure, in a place where they can escape, from the chastisement, in the Hereafter; but instead they shall be in a place of wherein they shall be tortured, and that is Hell; there shall be a painful chastisement for them, in it (alm means mu'lim, `painful'). (If one reads yahsabanna, `let them [not] reckon', the two direct objects of the first h-s-b verb would be indicated by the two direct objects of the second h-s-b verb; but if one reads tahsabanna, `do [not] reckon', then only second direct object would be omitted).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَواْ وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحْمَدُواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُواْ

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done,

refers to those who show off, rejoice in what they do and claim to do what they have not done.

The Two Sahihs recorded that the Prophet said,

مَنِ ادَّعَى دَعْوَةً كَاذِبَةً لِيَتَكَثَّرَ بِهَا لَمْ يَزِدْهُ اللهُ إِلاَّ قِلَّة

Whoever issues a false claim to acquire some type of gain, then Allah will only grant him decrease.

The Sahih also recorded;

الْمُتَشَبِّعُ بِمَا لَمْ يُعْطَ كَلَبِسِ ثَوْبَيْ زُور

He who claims to do what he has not done, is just like a person who wears two robes made of falsehood.

Imam Ahmad recorded that;

Marwan told his guard Rafi to go to Ibn Abbas and proclaim to him, "If every person among us who rejoices with what he has done and loves to be praised for what he has not done will be tormented, we all will be tormented."

Ibn Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed about the People of the Scriptures."

He then recited the Ayah,

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاء ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلً فَبِيْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ


(And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the truth) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it, but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they bought. (3;187)

then the Ayah,

لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَواْ وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحْمَدُواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُواْ

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done.

Ibn Abbas said,

"The Prophet asked them about something, and they hid its knowledge, giving him an incorrect answer. They parted after showing off and rejoicing in front of him because they answered him, so they pretended, and they were delighted that they hid the correct news about what he had asked them."

This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said,

"During the time of the Messenger of Allah, when the Messenger would go to battle, some hypocrite men would remain behind and rejoice because they did not accompany the Prophet in battle. When the Messenger would come back, they would ask him to excuse them swearing to having some excuse, and wanting to be praised for that which they did not do. So Allah revealed,

لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَواْ وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحْمَدُواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُواْ

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done),"

to the end of the Ayah."

And Muslim recorded similarly.

Allah said;

فَلَ تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ

think not that they are rescued from the torment,

Do not think that they will be saved from punishment, rather it will certainly strike them.

So Allah said;

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ



and for them is a painful torment.

Allah then said,

وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضِ وَاللّهُ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ