Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 79

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They did not forbid each other from any evil they committed. Evil indeed is what they have been doing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They did not forbid one another from doing evil. Evil indeed was what they did!

Ruwwad Translation Center

They did not forbid one another from committing evil deeds. Terrible was indeed what they used to do!

A. J. Arberry

They forbade not one another any dishonour that they committed; surely evil were the things they did.

Abdul Haleem

they did not forbid each other to do wrong. How vile their deeds were!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They were wont not to desist from the evil they committed; vile is that which they have been doing!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed; evil indeed were the deeds which they did.

Abul Ala Maududi

They did not forbid each other from committing the abominable deeds they committed. Indeed what they did was evil.

Ahmed Ali

They did not restrain one another from the wicked things they used to do; and vile were the things that they were doing!

Ahmed Raza Khan

They did not restrain one another from the evil they used to do; undoubtedly they used to commit extremely evil deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

They would not forbid one another from the wrongs that they committed. Surely, evil is what they had been doing.

Ali Ünal

They would not restrain one another from doing the evil they did: indeed evil was what they used to do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

They did not prohibit one another from hateful things they committed. How evil were the practices they used to follow!

English Literal

They were not forbidding/preventing each other from awfulness/obscenity they made/did it; how bad (is) what they were making/doing?

Faridul Haque

They did not restrain one another from the evil they used to do; undoubtedly they used to commit extremely evil deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

Thee will see many of them taking those who disbelieve for their friends. Surely, evil is that which their souls have sent before them, for Allah´s wrath is on them, and in the torment shall they dwell.

Hilali & Khan

They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Those who disbelieved from among the Children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary. This was because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They used not to forbid each other the hateful things (which) they did; certainly evil was that which they did.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!

Muhammad Sarwar

They did not prevent each other from committing sins nor would they themselves stay away from them. Evil was what they had done!

Qaribullah & Darwish

They did not forbid one another from the wrongdoing they were committing. Evil is what they were doing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They used not to forbid one another from the evil they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.

Wahiduddin Khan

they would not prevent one another from doing the wrong things they did. Evil indeed were their deeds.

Talal Itani

They used not to prevent one another from the wrongs they used to commit. Evil is what they used to do.

Tafsir jalalayn

They did not prevent one another, that is, one would not forbid the other from committing again, any indecency that they committed; verily evil was what they used to do, [verily evil] was this deed of theirs.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

كَانُواْ لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ

They used not to forbid one another from the evil they committed.

They did not forbid each other from committing sins and the prohibitions. Allah chastised them for this behavior, so that their behavior would not be imitated.

Allah said,

لَبِيْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ



Vile indeed was what they used to do.
Hadiths that Order Enjoining Righteousness and Forbidding Evil

There are many Hadiths that order enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet said,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ ثُمَّ لَتَدْعُنَّهُ فَلَا يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُم

By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah will send a punishment on you from Him. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.

At-Tirmidhi also recorded it and said, "This Hadith is Hasan."

Muslim recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الاِْيمَان

He among you who witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand, if he cannot do that, then by his tongue, if he cannot do even that, then with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.

Abu Dawud said that Al-Urs, (meaning Ibn Amirah), said that the Prophet said,

إِذَا عُمِلَتِ الْخَطِييَةُ فِي الاَْرْضِ كَانَ مَنْ شَهِدَهَا فَكَرِهَهَا وَقَالَ مَرَّةً فَأَنْكَرَهَا كَانَ كَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا وَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا فَرَضِيَهَا كَانَ كَمَنْ شَهِدَهَا

When sin is committed on the earth, then whoever witnesses it and hates - (once he said);forbids it, will be like those who did not witness it. Whoever was absent from it, but agreed with it, will be like those who witness it.

Only Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith.

Abu Dawud recorded that one of the Companions said that the Prophet said,

لَنْ يَهْلِكَ النَّاسُ حَتَّى يَعْذِرُوا أَوْ يُعْذِرُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِم

The people will not perish until they do not leave -or- have any excuse for themselves.

Ibn Majah recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah gave a speech once and said,

أَلَا لَا يَمْنَعَنَّ رَجُلً هَيْبَةُ النَّاسِ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْحَقَّ إِذَا عَلِمَه

Behold! Fear from people should not prevent one from saying the truth if he knows it.

Abu Sa`id then cried and said, "By Allah! We have seen some errors, but we feared (the people)."

Another Hadith that Abu Sa`id narrated states that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقَ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَايِر

The best Jihad is a word of truth proclaimed before an unjust ruler.

Recorded by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah.

At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib from this route of narration."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah said that the Prophet said,

لَاا يَنْبَغِي لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يُذِلَّ نَفْسَه

It is not required of the Muslim that he humiliate himself.

They said, `How does one humiliate himself?"

he said;

يَتَعَرَّضُ مِنَ الْبَلَءِ لِمَا لَا يُطِيق

He takes on trials that he is not capable of enduring.

This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib."
Censuring the Hypocrites

Allah said