Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 175

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Recite to them the story of the one whom We gave Our verses, then he wriggled out from them, so Satan pursued him and he became one of the perverted.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And relate to them ˹O Prophet˺ the story of the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he abandoned them, so Satan took hold of him, and he became a deviant.[[ Bal’am ibn Ba’ûrâ' was a scholar who lived at the time of Moses (ﷺ) but later deviated from the truth.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

And relate to them [O Prophet] the story of the one whom We gave knowledge of Our revelations, but he abandoned it, so Satan took hold of him and he became one of the deviants.

A. J. Arberry

And recite to them the tiding of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast them off; and Satan followed after him, and he became one of the perverts.

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], tell them the story of the man to whom We gave Our messages: he sloughed them off, so Satan took him as his follower and he went astray-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recite thou unto them the story of him Unto whom We vouchsafed Our signs, but he sloughed them off, wherefore the Satan followed him, and he became of the perverted.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our signs, but he passed them by; so Satan followed him up, and he went astray.

Abul Ala Maududi

And recite to them [O Muhammad] the story of the man to whom We gave Our signs and who turned away from them; then ultimately Satan caught up with him and he was led astray.

Ahmed Ali

Relate to them the plight of the man whom We gave Our signs, but he passed them by, so that Satan came after him, and he went astray.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) recite to them the case of the one to whom We gave Our revelations, and in response he departed from them completely – so Satan went after him – he therefore became of the astray.

Ali Quli Qarai

Relate to them an account of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast them off. Thereupon Satan pursued him, and he became one of the perverse.

Ali Ünal

Tell them (based on Our Revelation) the story of him whom We made well-informed of Our signs and Revelations, but he cast them off, and Satan overtook him, and he became of those (followers of Satan) who rebel (against God’s way) and go astray.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And relate to them the news of him to whom We gave Our commandments but he withdrew himself therefrom, the satan followed him with the result that he became one of those led astray (and became a pervert).

English Literal

And read/recite on them whom We gave/brought him Our verses/evidences , so he broke away/separated from it, so the devil followed him, so he was from the misguided .

Faridul Haque

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) recite to them the case of the one to whom We gave Our revelations, and in response he departed from them completely - so Satan went after him - he therefore became of the astray.

Hamid S. Aziz

Read to them the declaration of him to whom We brought our Signs, and who stepped away there from, and Satan followed him, and he became one of those who lead (tempt or are tempted to go) astray.

Hilali & Khan

And recite (O Muhammad SAW) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away, so Shaitan (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And thus do We make the messages clear, and that haply they may return.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And recite to them the narrative of him to whom We give Our communications, but he withdraws himself from them, so the Shaitan overtakes him, so he is of those who go astray.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Recite unto them the tale of him to whom We gave Our revelations, but he sloughed them off, so Satan overtook him and he became of those who lead astray.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), tell them the story of the person whom We inspired with Our guidance, but who detached himself from it and who was then pursued by Satan until he turned into a rebel.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Recite to them the news of he to whom We gave Our verses and who turned away from them; how satan overtook him so he was led astray.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them away; so Shaytan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray.

Wahiduddin Khan

Recite to them the tale of the man to whom We gave Our signs, but who then cast them to one side and Satan overtook him. And he became one of those who went astray,

Talal Itani

And relate to them the story of him to whom We delivered Our signs, but he detached himself from them, so Satan went after him, and he became one of the perverts.

Tafsir jalalayn

And recite, O Muhammad (s), to them, that is, the Jews, the tidings, the tale, of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast them off, emerging in his disbelief in the same way that a snake emerges from its [shed] skin, he rebelled in disbelief, this was Bal`am b. B`r', a scholar from among the Children of Israel, who had been given some knowledge [of the Scriptures], and who was asked [by them] to invoke God against Moses. And when he did, the invocation turned against him and his tongue fell out onto his chest, and Satan pursued him, catching up with him and so he became his comrade, and he became of the perverse.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Story Bal`am bin Ba`ura

Allah tells;

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِيَ اتَيْنَاهُ ايَاتِنَا

فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا

And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them away,

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that this Ayah;

"Is about Bal`am bin Ba`ura' a man from the Children of Israel."

Shu`bah and several other narrators narrated this statement from Mansur who got it from Ibn Mas`ud.

Sa`id bin Abi Arubah narrated that Qatadah said that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Sayfi, son of Ar-Rahib."

Qatadah commented that Ka`b said,

"He was a man from Al-Balqla' (a province of Jordan) who knew Allah's Greatest Name. He used to live in Bayt Al-Maqdis with the tyrants."

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Bal`am bin Ba`ura', a man from Yemen whom Allah had given the knowledge of His Ayat, but he abandoned them."

Malik bin Dinar said,

"He was one of the scholars of the Children of Israel whose supplication was acceptable. They used to seek his lead in supplication in times of difficulty. Allah's Prophet Musa sent him to the King of Madyan to call him to Allah. That king appeased him and gave him land and gifts, and he reverted from the religion of Musa and followed the king's religion."

Imran bin Uyaynah narrated that Husayn said that Imran bin Al-Harith said that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Bal`am son of Ba`ura'."

Similar was said by Mujahid and Ikrimah.

Therefore, it is well-known that this honorable Ayah was revealed about a man from the Children of Israel in ancient times, according to Ibn Mas`ud and several others among the Salaf.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is a man from the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem) whose name was Bal`am and who knew Allah's Greatest Name."

Ali bin Abi Talhah also reported that Ibn Abbas that he said,

"When Musa and those with him went to the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem), the cousins of Bal`am and his people came to him and said, `Musa is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. Therefore, supplicate to Allah that He prevents Musa and those with him from prevailing over us.' Bal`am said, `If I supplicate to Allah that He turns back Musa and those with him, I will lose in this life and the Hereafter.'

They kept luring him until he supplicated against Musa and his people, and Allah took away what he bestowed on him (of knowledge).

Hence Allah's statement,

فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا

فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ

but he threw them away; so Shaytan followed him up."'

فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ



and he became of those who went astray.

Allah said next