Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 63

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Why do the Men of Allah and the Men of Knowledge not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful? Evil indeed is what they have been working.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Why do their rabbis and scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and consuming what is unlawful? Evil indeed is their inaction!

Ruwwad Translation Center

Why is it that their rabbis and scholars do not forbid them from saying words of sin and consuming unlawful earnings? Terrible indeed is what they commit!

A. J. Arberry

Why do the masters and the rabbis not forbid them to utter sin, and consume the unlawful? Evil is the thing they have been working.

Abdul Haleem

Why do their rabbis and scholars not forbid them to speak sinfully and consume what is unlawful? How evil their deeds are!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Wherefore is it that the divines and priests forbid them not of their speaking of sin and their devouring of the forbidden? Vile indeed is that which they have been performing!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Why do not the rabbis and the doctors of Law forbid them from their (habit of) uttering sinful words and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed are their works.

Abul Ala Maududi

Why is it that their scholars and jurists do not forbid them from sinful utterances and devouring unlawful earnings? Indeed they have been contriving evil.

Ahmed Ali

Why do not their rabbis and priests prohibit them from talking of sinful things and from devouring unlawful gain? Evil are the acts they commit!

Ahmed Raza Khan

Why do not their priests and monks forbid them from speaking evil and devouring the forbidden? Undoubtedly what they do is extremely evil.

Ali Quli Qarai

Why do not the rabbis and the scribes forbid them from sinful speech and consuming illicit gains? Surely, evil is what they have been working.

Ali Ünal

Why is it that the masters self-dedicated to God and educating people, and the rabbis (teachers of law) do not forbid them from sinful utterances and consuming unlawful earnings? How evil indeed is what they have been contriving!

Amatul Rahman Omar

Why do not the teachers of divine knowledge and those learned in the Law prohibit them from their blasphemic talk and deeds and their being too much given to eating things forbidden? Evil indeed is their machination.

English Literal

If only the knowledgeable lord worshippers and the religious scholars forbid/prevent them from their saying the sin/crime and their eating the forbidden/possessions acquired through cheatery ; how bad (E) (is) what they were producing/manufacturing ?

Faridul Haque

Why do not their priests and monks forbid them from speaking evil and devouring the forbidden? Undoubtedly what they do is extremely evil.

Hamid S. Aziz

The Jews say, "Allah´s hand is fettered" (incapable or ungenerous), but it is their hands that are fettered and they are cursed for what they say. Nay! His hands are outspread, He spends how He pleases! And that which has been sent down to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in their rebellion and disbelief, for We have cast amongst them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they light a fire for war, Allah puts it out; they strive for corruption in the earth, but Allah loves not the corrupters.

Hilali & Khan

Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And thou seest many of them vying one with another in sin and transgression, and their devouring illegal gain. Certainly evil is that which they do.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Why do not the learned men and the doctors of law prohibit them from their speaking of what is sinful and their eating of what is unlawfully acquired? Certainly evil is that which they work.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid their evil-speaking and their devouring of illicit gain? Verily evil is their handiwork.

Muhammad Sarwar

Why did the men of God and rabbis not forbid them from following their sinful words and their consuming of unlawful gains. Evil was their (rabbis and priests) profession!

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do those of the Lord and the rabbis not forbid them to speak sinfully and to devour what is unlawful? Evil indeed is what they were doing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.

Wahiduddin Khan

Why do their rabbis and scholars not forbid them to utter sinful words or to consume what is unlawful? Their actions are indeed vile.

Talal Itani

Why do the rabbis and the priests not prevent them from speaking sinfully and from consuming forbidden wealth? Evil is what they have been doing.

Tafsir jalalayn

Why do the rabbis and the priests, among them, not forbid them from uttering sin, calumny, and consuming unlawful gain? Evil is what they have been doing, in refraining from forbidding them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

لَوْلَا يَنْهَاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالَاحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ الاِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ



Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things.

meaning why don't the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from this evil!

The Rabbaniyyun are the scholars who are in positions of authority, while the Ahbar are the regular scholars.

لَبِيْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ



Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas,

referring to the Rabbaniyyun, because they abandoned forbidding evil.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

"There is no Ayah in the Qur'an that has more severe admonition than this Ayah,

(Why do not the Rabbaniyyun and the Ahbar forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing)."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Yahya bin Ya`mar said,"

Ali bin Abi Talib once gave a speech, which he started by praising Allah and thanking Him.

He then said, `O people! Those who were before you were destroyed because they committed sins and the Rabbaniyyun and Ahbar did not forbid them from evil. When they persisted in sin, they were overcome by punishment. Therefore, enjoin righteousness and forbid evil before what they suffered also strikes you. Know that enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil does not reduce the provision or shorten the term of life."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَكُونُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ بِالْمَعَاصِي هُمْ أَعَزُّ مِنْهُ وَأَمْنَعُ وَلَمْ يُغَيِّرُوا إِلاَّ أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ مِنْهُ بِعَذَاب

There is no people among whom there are those who commit sins, while the rest are more powerful and mightier than the sinners, yet they do not stop them, but Allah will send a punishment upon them.

Ahmad was alone with this wording.

Abu Dawud recorded it, but in his narration Jarir said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَكُونُ فِي قَوْمٍ يُعْمَلُ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي يَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ يُغَيِّرُوا عَلَيْهِ فَلَا يُغَيِّرُوا إِلاَّ أَصَابَهُمُ اللهُ بِعِقَابٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتُوا

There is no one who resides among people committing evil among them, and they do not stop him though they are able to do so, but Allah will punish them (all) before they die."

Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith