Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 101

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if disclosed, would displease you. If you ask about them while the Qur’ān is being revealed, they will be disclosed to you. Allah has pardoned you for it. Allah is Most-Forgiving, Forbearing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not ask about any matter which, if made clear to you, may disturb you. But if you inquire about what is being revealed in the Quran, it will be made clear to you. Allah has forgiven what was done ˹in the past˺.[[ This implies that either these minor details have been overlooked by Allah out of His mercy or that Allah has forgiven them for these unnecessary questions. ]] And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if they are made known to you, would only cause you hardship. If you inquire about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made known to you. Allah has pardoned you for it. Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, question not concerning things which, if they were revealed to you, would vex you; yet if you question concerning them when the Koran is being sent down, they will be revealed to you. God has effaced those things; for God is All-forgiving, All-clement.

Abdul Haleem

You who believe, do not ask about matters which, if made known to you, might make things difficult for you- if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made known to you- for God has kept silent about them: God is most forgiving and forbearing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! ask not about things which if disclosed to you, may annoy you; and if ye ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they may be disclosed to you. Allah hath pardoned that; and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you, Allah will forgive those; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Do not ask of the things which, if made manifest to you, would vex you; for, if you should ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made manifest to you. Allah has pardoned whatever happened in the past. He is All-Forgiving, All-Forbearing.

Ahmed Ali

O believers, do not ask about things which, if made known to you, may vex you. But if you ask about them when the Qur'an is being revealed they will be unfolded to you. God has overlooked (your failings) in this (respect), for God is forgiving and forbearing.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not ask about matters which, if disclosed to you, would be disliked by you; and if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being sent down, they will be disclosed to you; Allah has forgiven these; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not ask about things, which, if they are disclosed to you, will upset you. Yet if you ask about them while the Quran is being sent down, they shall be disclosed to you. Allah has excused it, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-forbearing.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! (Practice as you are admonished to practice, and) do not ask about things which, if made manifest to you, would give you trouble (and make the practice of religion difficult for you). Even so, if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being sent down, they (what is necessary to be made manifest) will be made manifest to you (to the extent that God wills). (Many things that you have either asked or want to ask about, but which God has left unspoken) God has absolved you thereof: God is All-Forgiving, All-Clement.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O You who believe! do not inquire into (the details of Divine Laws on many) things which, if explained to you, would cause you trouble, though if you ask about them while the Qur´ân is being revealed, they will be explained to you; (yet) Allâh has passed over this (detailed mentioning on purpose), for Allâh is Great Protector, Ever Forbearing.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not question/ask about things, if (it) appears to you, it harms you , and if you ask/question about it a time (when) the Koran descends (it) appears to you, God forgave/pardoned about it, and God (is) forgiving/clement.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not ask about matters which, if disclosed to you, would be disliked by you; and if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being sent down, they will be disclosed to you; Allah has forgiven these; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Hamid S. Aziz

People before you have asked such questions, yet on the morrow they disbelieved therein (or lost their faith).

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allah has forgiven that, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: The bad and the good are not equal, though the abundance of the bad may please thee. So keep your duty to Allah, O men of understanding, that you may succeed.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you, and if you question about them when the Quran is being revealed, they shall be declared to you; Allah pardons this, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Ask not of things which, if they were made unto you, would trouble you; but if ye ask of them when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made known unto you. Allah pardoneth this, for Allah is Forgiving, Clement.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not ask about things which, if revealed to you, would disappoint you. If you ask about such things when the Prophet is receiving revelations, they will also be revealed to you. God has exempted you (from the responsibilities of the things you wanted to know). He is All-forgiving and Forbearing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not ask about things that if they appeared to you, would only upset you; but if you ask about them when the Koran is being sent down, they shall be made plain to you. Allah will pardon it; Allah is Forgiving, Clement.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allah has forgiven that, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, do not ask questions about things which, if they were made known to you, would only become burdensome for you; but if you ask them when the Quran is being revealed, they shall be made plain to you -- God has kept silent about them: God is most forgiving and forbearing.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not ask about things that would trouble you if disclosed to you. But if you were to ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will become obvious to you. God forgives that. God is Forgiving and Clement.

Tafsir jalalayn

The following was revealed when they began to ask the Prophet (s) too many questions; O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if disclosed to you, [if] revealed, would trouble you, because of the hardship that would ensue from them; yet if you ask about them while the Qur'n is being revealed, during the time of the Prophet (s), they will be disclosed to you; meaning that if you ask about certain things during his lifetime, the Qur'n will reveal them, but once these things are disclosed, it will grieve you. So do not ask about them; indeed; God has pardoned those things, you asked about, so do not ask again; for God is Forgiving, Forbearing.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْيَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُوْكُمْ

O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.

This Ayah refers to good conduct that Allah is teaching His believing servants, by forbidding them from asking about useless things. Since if they get the answers they sought, they might be troublesome for them and difficult on their ears.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas bin Malik said,

"The Messenger of Allah gave a speech unlike anything I heard before. In this speech, he said,

لَو تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا

If you but know what I know, you will laugh little and cry a lot.

The companions of Allah's Messenger covered their faces and the sound of crying was coming out of their chests.

A man asked, `Who is my father?'

The Prophet said, `So-and-so'.

This Ayah was later revealed,
لَا تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْيَاء
(Ask not about things...)."

Muslim, Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Qatadah said about Allah's statement,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْيَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُوْكُمْ
(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble),

Anas bin Malik narrated that once, the people were questioning the Messenger of Allah until they made him angry. So he ascended the Minbar and said,

لَاا تَسْأَلُونِي الْيَوْمَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ بَيَّنْتُهُ لَكُم

You will not ask me about anything today but I will explain it to you.

So the Companions of the Messenger of Allah feared that it was the commencement of a momentous event, and I looked to my right and left and found only people who covered their faces, crying.

An argumentative man who was said to be the son of someone other than his true father asked, "O Allah's Messenger! Who is my father?

The Prophet said, `Your father is Hudhafah."

Umar stood up (when he saw anger on the Prophet's face) and said, "We accept Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion and Muhammad as our Messenger, I seek refuge with Allah from the evil of the Fitan (trials in life and religion)."

The Messenger of Allah said,

لَمْ أَرَ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ كَالْيَومِ قَطُّ صُوِّرَتْ لِي الجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُهُمَا دُونَ الْحَايِط

I have never witnessed both goodness and evil like I have today. Paradise and the Fire were shown to me and I saw them before that wall.

This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs from Sa`id.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

"Some people used to question the Messenger of Allah to mock him. One of them would ask, `Who is my father,' while another would ask, `Where is my camel,' when he lost his camel.

Allah sent down this Ayah about them,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْيَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُوْكُمْ
(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble...)."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ali said,

"When this Ayah was revealed,

وَللَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَـعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلً

And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can bear the journey. (3;97)

they asked, `O Allah's Messenger! Is it required every year?'

He did not answer them, and they asked again, `Is it every year?'

He still did not answer them, so they asked, `Is it every year?'

He said,

لَاا وَلَوْ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُم

No, and had I said `yes', it would have become obligated, and had it become obligated, you would not be able to bear it.

Allah sent down,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْيَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُوْكُمْ
(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble)."

At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith.

The apparent wording of this Ayah indicates that we are forbidden to ask about things that if one has knowledge of, he would be sorry he had asked. Consequently, it is better to avoid such questions.

Allah's statement,

وَإِن تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْانُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ

But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you.

means, if you ask about things that you are prohibited from asking about, then when the revelation about them comes to the Messenger , they will be made plain for you,
وَذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
(Verily! That is easy for Allah). (64;7)

Allah said next,

عَفَا اللّهُ عَنْهَا

Allah has forgiven that,

what you did before this,

وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ



and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Do not ask about things that do not have a ruling yet, for because of your questions, a difficult ruling may be ordained.

A Hadith states,

أَعْظَمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُرْمًا مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ فَحُرِّمَ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَسْأَلَتِه

The worst criminal among the Muslims is he who asks if a matter is unlawful (or not), and it becomes unlawful because of his asking about it.

It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى فَرَضَ فَرَايِضَ فَلَ تُضَيِّعُوهَا وَحَدَّ حُدُودًا فَلَ تَعْتَدُوهَا وَحَرَّمَ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَ تَنْتَهِكُوهَا وَسَكَتَ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ رَحْمَةً بِكُمْ غَيْرَ نِسْيَانٍ فَلَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا

Allah, the Most Honored, has ordained some obligations, so do not ignore them; has set some limits, so do not trespass them; has prohibited some things, so do not commit them; and has left some things without rulings, out of mercy for you, not that He forgot them, so do not ask about them.

Allah said next,

قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُواْ بِهَا كَافِرِينَ