Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 77

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, O people of the Book, be not excessive in your religion unjustly, and do not follow the desires of a people who have already gone astray, misled many and lost the right path.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, “O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your faith beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of those who went astray before ˹you˺. They misled many and strayed from the Right Way.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “O People of the Book, do not exceed the limits of the truth in your religion, nor follow the desires of people who went astray before, and misled many and themselves strayed from the straight path.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, other than the truth, and follow not the caprices of a people who went astray before, and led astray many, and now again have gone astray from the right way.'

Abdul Haleem

Say, ‘People of the Book, do not overstep the bounds of truth in your religion and do not follow the whims of those who went astray before you- they led many others astray and themselves continue to stray from the even path.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: O people of the Book! exceed not the just bounds in your religion except with truth, and follow not the vain desires of a people who have strayed aforetime and have led many astray and have strayed from the level way.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "O people of the Book! exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by,- who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even way.

Abul Ala Maududi

Say: 'People of the Book! Do not go beyond bounds in your religion at the cost of truth, and do not follow the caprices of the people who fell into error before, and caused others to go astray, and strayed far away from the right path.

Ahmed Ali

Tell them: "O people of the Book, do not overstep the bounds of truth in your beliefs, and follow not the wishes of a people who had erred before, and led many others astray, and wandered away from the right path."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “O People given the Book(s)! Do not wrongfully commit injustice in your religion, and do not follow the people who earlier went astray, and led many others astray, and wandered away from the Straight Path.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘O People of the Book! Do not unduly exceed the bounds in your religion and do not follow the fancies of a people who went astray in the past, and led many astray, and [themselves] strayed from the right path.’

Ali Ünal

Say: "O People of the Book! Do not go beyond the bounds in your religion, (straying towards) other than the truth, and do not follow the lusts and fancies of a people who went astray before, and led many others astray, and they strayed (as again others do now) from the right, even way."

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `O People of the Scripture! do not exaggerate in (the matter of) your religion falsely and unjustly, nor follow the fancies of a people who had gone astray before (you) and had led many astray, and (now again) who have strayed away from the right path.

English Literal

Say: "You The Book`s people, do not exaggerate/exceed the limit in your religion, other than the truth , and do not follow a nation`s self attractions for desires , they had misguided from before and they misguided many, and they misguided from the way`s/path`s middle/straightness."

Faridul Haque

Say, “O People given the Book(s)! Do not wrongfully commit injustice in your religion, and do not follow the people who earlier went astray, and led many others astray, and wandered away from the Straight Path.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Those of the children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary; that is because they rebelled and did transgress;

Hilali & Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Exceed not the limits in your religion (by believing in something) other than the truth, and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray in times gone by, and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the Right Path."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: Do you serve besides Allah that which controls for you neither harm nor good? And Allah -- He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: O followers of the Book! be not unduly immoderate in your religion, and do not follow the low desires of people who went astray before and led many astray and went astray from the right path.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: O People of the Scripture! Stress not in your religion other than the truth, and follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road.

Muhammad Sarwar

Say to the People of the Book, "Do not wrongly exceed the proper limit of devotion to your religion or follow the desires of the people who have erred. They have misled many others and have themselves stayed far away from the right path.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'People of the Book! Do not exaggerate your religion, other than the truth, and do not follow the desires of a people who went astray before, and led many astray, and, (once again) have gone astray from the Straight Path'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "O People of the Scripture! Exceed not the limits in your religion beyond the truth, and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray before and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion and do not follow the whims of those who went astray before you -- they caused many to go astray and themselves strayed away from the right path."

Talal Itani

Say, “O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion beyond the truth; and do not follow the opinions of people who went astray before, and misled many, and themselves strayed off the balanced way.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `O People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, do not go to extremes, do [not] overstep the bounds, in your religion, other than those, extremes, of truth, neither lowering nor elevating Jesus above his proper place, and do not follow the whims of a people who went astray formerly, on account of their extremism -- these were their forefathers -- and have led many, [other] people, astray, and strayed from the even way', from the path of truth (al-saw' originally means `middle').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ



Say;"O People of the Scripture! Exceed not the limits in your religion beyond the truth,

Meaning;Do not exceed the limits concerning the truth and exaggeration in praising whom you were commanded to honor. You exaggerated in his case and elevated him from the rank of Prophet to the rank of a god. You did this with `Isa, who was a Prophet, yet you claimed that he is god besides Allah.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ أَهْوَاء قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ مِن قَبْلُ

and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray before...

This error occurred because you followed your teachers, the advocates of misguidance who came before your time and who,

وَأَضَلُّواْ كَثِيرًا وَضَلُّواْ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ


and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path.

deviated from the straight path, to the path of misguidance and deviation