Al-Qur'an Surah An-Najm Verse 32

Mufti Taqi Usmani

-those who abstain from the major sins and from shameful acts, except minor involvements. Indeed your Lord is extensive in forgiveness. He knows you more than anyone else (from a time) when He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. So, do not claim purity (from faults) for your selves. He knows best who is God-fearing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

those who avoid major sins and shameful deeds, despite ˹stumbling on˺ minor sins. Surely your Lord is infinite in forgiveness. He knew well what would become of you as He created you from the earth[[ i.e., your father, Adam. ]] and while you were ˹still˺ fetuses in the wombs of your mothers.[[ See footnote for {31:34}.]] So do not ˹falsely˺ elevate yourselves. He knows best who is ˹truly˺ righteous.

Ruwwad Translation Center

those who avoid major sins and shameful acts, except for minor lapses. Indeed, your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He knows you best, as He created you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim purity for yourselves, for He knows best who is truly righteous.

A. J. Arberry

Those who avoid the heinous sins and indecencies, save lesser offences surely thy Lord is wide in His forgiveness. Very well He knows you, when He produced you from the earth, and when you were yet unborn in your mothers' wombs; therefore hold not yourselves purified; God knows very well him who is godfearing.

Abdul Haleem

As for those who avoid grave sins and foul acts, though they may commit small sins, your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He has been aware of you from the time He produced you from the earth and from your hiding places in your mothers’ wombs, so do not assert your own goodness:He knows best who is mindful of Him.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They are those who avoid enormities of sin and abominations save the minor offences. Verily thy Lord is of vast for giveness: He is Best Knower of you when He produced you out Of the earth, and when ye were embryos in the bellies of your mothers. So justify not yourselves; He is the Best Knower of him who feareth Him.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who avoid great sins and shameful deeds, only (falling into) small faults,- verily thy Lord is ample in forgiveness. He knows you well when He brings you out of the earth, And when ye are hidden in your mothers' wombs. Therefore justify not yourselves; He knows best who it is that guards against evil.

Abul Ala Maududi

on those who avoid grave sins and shameful deeds, even if they may sometimes stumble into lesser offences. Surely your Lord is abounding in His Forgiveness. Very well is He aware of you since He produced you from the earth, and while you were still in your mothers' wombs and not yet born. So do not boastfully claim yourselves to be purified. He fully knows those that are truly Godfearing.

Ahmed Ali

As for those who avoid the greater sins and shameful acts, except minor trespasses, your Lord's forgiveness surely has great amplitude. He is fully knowledgeable of you as He produced you from the earth, and since you were a foetus in your mother's womb. So do not assert your goodness; he is better who takes heed and preserves himself.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who avoid the cardinal sins and lewdness, except that they approached it and refrained; indeed your Lord’s mercy is limitless; He knows you very well – since He has created you from clay, and when you were foetuses in your mothers’ wombs; therefore do not, on your own, claim yourselves to be clean; He well knows who are the pious.

Ali Quli Qarai

Those who avoid major sins and indecencies, apart from [minor and occasional] lapses. Indeed your Lord is expansive in [His] forgiveness. He knows you best since [the time] He produced you from the earth and since you were foetuses in the bellies of your mothers. So do not flaunt your piety: He knows best those who are Godwary.

Ali Ünal

Those who avoid the major sins and indecent, shameful deeds (which are in fact included in the major sins), only falling into small fault, – surely your Lord is of extensive forgiveness. He knows you well when He originates you from (the particles of) earth, and when you are hidden (fetuses) in the wombs of your mothers. So do not hold yourselves pure (sinless; it is vain self-justification). He knows best him who keeps from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Those who avoid grave sins and open shameful deeds but (who are sometimes guilty) only (of) minor offences (will find) your Lord is Lord of immense protection (and resorts to His mercy in such cases). He knows you full well (since) when He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. So make no pretensions to the purity of your souls. It is He Who knows best who (truly and fully) guards against evil.

English Literal

Those who avoid/distance themselves (from) the sin`s/crime`s greatest/biggest and the enormous/atrocious deeds , except the minor sins , that truly your Lord (is) rich/spread (in) the forgiveness, He is more knowledgeable with (of) you, when He created/originated you from the earth/Planet Earth and when you are embryos/fetuses/hidden in your mother`s bellies/insides, so do not commend/claim righteousness (for) yourselves, He is more knowledgeable with who feared and obeyed.

Faridul Haque

Those who avoid the cardinal sins and lewdness, except that they approached it and refrained; indeed your Lord’s mercy is limitless; He knows you very well – since He has created you from clay, and when you were foetuses in your mothers’ wombs; therefore do not, on your own, claim yourselves to be clean; He well knows who are the pious.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who keep aloof from the great sins and the indecencies, except the passing idea (or the unwilling or small offence); surely your Lord is liberal in forgiving. He knows you best when He brings you forth from the earth and when you are embryos in the wombs of your mothers; therefore attribute not purity to your souls (or justify not yourselves); He knows best who it is who guards himself against evil.

Hilali & Khan

Those who avoid great sins (see the Quran, Verses: 6:152, 153) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) except the small faults, verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness. He knows you well when He created you from the earth (Adam), and when you were fetuses in your mothers' wombs. So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him [i.e. those who are Al-Muttaqun (pious - see V. 2:2)].

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So shun him who turns his back upon Our Reminder, and desires nothing but this world’s life.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Those who keep aloof from the great sins and the indecencies but the passing idea; surely your Lord is liberal in forgiving. He knows you best when He brings you forth from the earth and when you are embryos in the wombs of your mothers; therefore do not attribute purity to your souls; He knows him best who guards (against evil).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who avoid enormities of sin and abominations, save the unwilled offences - (for them) lo! thy Lord is of vast mercy. He is Best Aware of you (from the time) when He created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies of your mothers. Therefor ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is Best Aware of him who wardeth off (evil).

Muhammad Sarwar

Those who stay away from grave sins and indecency (should know that) for their trivial sins your Lord's forgiveness is vast. He knows best about you. When He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in your mother's wombs. Do not consider yourselves very great. God knows best who is the most righteous person.

Qaribullah & Darwish

those who avoid the major sin and indecencies except the small sins, indeed your Lord is of immense forgiveness and He is more knowledgeable of you when He created you from the earth and when you were still unborn in your mothers' wombs. Do not praise yourself. Allah knows the cautious.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who avoid great sins and Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) except Al-Lamam -- verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness. He knows you well when He created you from the earth (Adam), and when you were fetuses in your mothers' wombs. So, ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who has Taqwa.

Wahiduddin Khan

As for those who refrain from committing grave sins and indecent acts, though they may commit minor offences, your Lord is unstinting in His forgiveness. He knows you when He brings you out of the earth, and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers; so do not make claims to be pure. He knows best who is truly righteous.

Talal Itani

Those who avoid gross sins and indecencies—except for minor lapses—your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness. He knows you well, ever since He created you from the earth, and ever since you were embryos in your mothers’ wombs. So do not acclaim your own virtue; He is fully aware of the righteous.

Tafsir jalalayn

Those who avoid grave sins and abominations, excepting lesser offences, that is, minor sins, such as a look, a kiss or a touch (this constitutes a discontinuous exception, in other words the meaning is; but lesser offences are forgiven by the avoidance of grave sins). Truly your Lord is of vast forgiveness, for such [lesser sins] and for accepting repentance. The following was revealed regarding those who used to say, `[What of] our prayers, our fasting, and our pilgrimage!'. He knows you best [from the time] when He produced you from the earth, that is to say, [when] He created your father Adam from dust, and when you were hidden [fetuses] (ajinna is the plural of jann) in the bellies of your mothers. So do not claim purity for yourselves, do not praise yourselves, that is, in admiration; but [if it is done] in recognition of [God's] grace, then that is fine. He knows best those who are God-fearing.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَايِرَ الاِْثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلاَّ اللَّمَمَ

Those who avoid great sins and Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) except Al-Lamam,
Al-Lamam means, small faults and minor errors.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

"I have not seen anything that resembles Al-Lamam better than the Hadith that Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet,

إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى كَتَبَ عَلَى ابْنِ ادَمَ حَظَّهُ مِنَ الزِّنَا أَدْرَكَ ذلِكَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَزِنَا الْعَيْنِ النَّظَرُ وَزِنَا اللِّسَانِ النُّطْقُ وَالنَّفْسُ تَتَمَنَّى وَتَشْتَهِي وَالْفَرْجُ يُصِدِّقُ ذلِكَ أَوْ يُكَذِّبُه

Verily, Allah the Exalted has decreed for the Son of Adam his share of Zina and he will certainly earn his share. The Zina of the eye is by looking, the Zina of the tongue is by talking and the heart wishes and lusts, but the sexual organ either substantiates all this or not."

This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said,

"The eyes commit Zina by looking, the lips by kissing, the hands by transgressing, the feet by walking, and the sexual organ either materializes all of this or not. When one commits sexual intercourse, he will be someone who committed Zina. Otherwise, it is Al-Lamam."

Masruq and Ash-Sha`bi also held the same view.

Abdur-Rahman bin Nafi`, who is also known as Ibn Lubabah At-Ta'ifi, said,

"I asked Abu Hurayrah about Allah's statement,
إِلاَّ اللَّمَمَ
(except the Lamam), and he said,

`It pertains to kissing, winking one's eye, looking and embracing. When the sexual organ meets the sexual organ in intercourse then Ghusl is obligatory, and that is Zina."
Encouraging Repentance and forbidding Claims of Purity for Oneself

Allah's statement,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness.

asserts that His Mercy encompasses everything, and His forgiveness entails every type of sin, if one repents,

قُلْ يعِبَادِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُواْ مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعاً إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Say;

"O My servants who have transgressed against them- selves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah;verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (39;53)

Allah said,

هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الاَْرْضِ

He knows you well when He created you from the earth,

Allah says,

`He was and still is the All-Knowing Whose knowledge encompasses your affairs, statements and all of the actions that will be committed by you, even when He created your father Adam from the earth and took his offspring from his loin, as small as ants. He then divided them into two groups, a group destined for Paradise and a group to Hellfire,'

وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ

and when you were fetuses in your mothers' wombs.

when He commanded the angel to record one's provisions, age, actions and if he would be among the miserable or the happy.

Allah said,

فَلَ تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ

So, ascribe not purity to yourselves.

forbidding one from ascribing purity and praising himself and thinking highly of his actions,

هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى



He knows best him who has Taqwa.

Allah said in another Ayah,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَأءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلً

Have you not seen those who claim sanctity for themselves. Nay, but Allah sanctifies whom He wills, and they will not be dealt with unjustly, even equal to the extent of a Fatil. (4;49)

In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Muhammad bin `Amr bin `Ata said,

"I called my daughter, Barrah (the pious one), and Zaynab bint Abu Salamah said to me, `The Messenger of Allah forbade using this name. I was originally called Barrah and he said,

لَاا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُم

Do not ascribe purity to yourselves; Allah knows best who the pious people among you are,'

They said, `What should we call her?'

He said,
سَمُّوهَا زَيْنَب
(Call her Zaynab)."

Imam Ahmad recorded a Hadith from Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakrah, from his father who said,

"A man praised another man before the Prophet . The Messenger of Allah said,

وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مرارًا إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا صَاحِبَهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلَنًا وَاللهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلَا أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللهِ أَحَدًا أَحْسِبُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذلِك

Woe to you, you have cut off the neck of your friend! (He repeated this), If one of you must praise a friend of his, let him say,

"I think that so-and-so is this and that; Allah knows best about him and I will never purify anyone before Allah,"

if he knows his friend to be as he is describing him."

Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hammam bin Al-Harith said,

"A man came before Uthman bin Affan and praised him. Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad started throwing sand in the face of that man, saying, `The Messenger of Allah ordered us to throw sand in their faces when we see those who praise."'

Muslim and Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith