Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 33

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “My Lord has prohibited only the shameful acts, whether open or secret, and (every) sinful act, and unjust aggression, and that you associate with Allah anything for which He has not sent any authority, and that you attribute to Allah any thing about which you do not have sure knowledge.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, “My Lord has only forbidden open and secret indecencies, sinfulness, unjust aggression, associating ˹others˺ with Allah ˹in worship˺—a practice He has never authorized—and attributing to Allah what you do not know.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “My Lord has forbidden shameful acts done openly or in secret, sinfulness, unjustified aggression, associating partners with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority, and saying about Allah that of which you have no knowledge.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, the inward and the outward, and sin, and unjust insolence, and that you associate with God that for which He sent down never authority, and that you say concerning God such as you know not.

Abdul Haleem

Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord only forbids disgraceful deeds- whether they be open or hidden- and sin and unjustified aggression, and that you, without His sanction, associate things with Him, and that you say things about Him without knowledge.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: my Lord hath only forbidden indecencies the open thereof and the hidden thereof, and sin, and high-handedness without justice, and ye associate aught with Allah, for which He hath sent down no warranty, and that ye speak falsely of Allah that which ye know not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; the things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are; shameful deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah, for which He hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge.

Abul Ala Maududi

Tell them (O Muhammad): 'My Lord has only forbidden indecent acts, whether overt or hidden; all manner of sin; wrongful transgression; and [He has forbidden] that you associate with Allah in His divinity that for which He has sent down no sanction; and that you ascribe to Allah things of which you have no sure knowledge that they are from Him.'

Ahmed Ali

Tell them: "My Lord has forbidden repugnant acts, whether open or disguised, sin and unjust oppression, associating others with God, of which He has sent down no authority, and saying things of God of which you have no knowledge."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “My Lord has forbidden the indecencies, the apparent among them and the hidden, and sin and wrongful excesses, and forbidden that you ascribe partners with Allah for which He has not sent down any proof, and forbidden that you say things concerning Allah of which you do not have knowledge.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, the outward among them and the inward ones, and sin and undue aggression, and that you should ascribe to Allah partners for which He has not sent down any authority, and that you should attribute to Allah what you do not know.’

Ali Ünal

Say: "My Lord has made unlawful only indecent, shameful deeds (like fornication, adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality), whether those of them that are apparent and committed openly or those that are committed secretly; and any act explicitly sinful; and insolence and offenses (against the Religion, life, personal property, others’ chastity, and mental and bodily health), which is openly unjustified; and (it is also forbidden) that you associate partners with God for which He has sent no authority at all, and that you speak against God the things about which you have no sure knowledge.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `Verily, My Lord has forbidden all (acts of) indecency, open and hidden, and every (kind of) sin and aggression, which is never justifiable; and (He forbids you also) to associate with Allâh that for which He has sent down no authority, and to say concerning Allâh that which you do not know (that it is in fact said by Him).´

English Literal

Say: "But my Lord forbade the enormous/atrocious deeds what is/became visible from it, and what is/was hidden, and the sin/crime, and the oppression/transgression/corruption without the right , and that you share/make partners (with God) what He did not descend with it a proof/evidence , and that you say on (about) God what you do not know.

Faridul Haque

Say, "My Lord has forbidden the indecencies, the apparent among them and the hidden, and sin and wrongful excesses, and forbidden that you ascribe partners with Allah for which He has not sent down any proof, and forbidden that you say things concerning Allah of which you do not have knowledge."

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "My Lord has only forbidden abominable (shameful) deeds, the apparent and the concealed, and sin (errors), and greed for that which is not right (trespasses against truth and reason), and associating with Allah that for (or to) which He has given no authority (or power), and saying about Allah that of which you have no knowledge."

Hilali & Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah, which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good provisions? Say: These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the Resurrection day. Thus do We make the messages clear for a people who know.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority, and that you say against Allah what you do not know.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: My Lord forbiddeth only indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin and wrongful oppression, and that ye associate with Allah that for which no warrant hath been revealed, and that ye tell concerning Allah that which ye know not.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), tell them, "My Lord has only prohibited indecent acts committed in public or in secret, all sins, unjust rebellion, considering things equal to God without any heavenly authority, and speaking for God without having any knowledge (of what He has said)."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'My Lord has forbidden all indecent acts whether apparent or disguised and sin, and unjust insolence, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has never sent down an authority, or to say about Allah what you do not know'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are the Fawahish (immoral deeds) whether committed openly or secretly, and Ithm, and transgression without right, and joining partners with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say,"My Lord has forbidden indecency, both open and hidden, sin and wrongful oppression and that, without His sanction, you associate things with Him, and that you say things about Him without knowledge.

Talal Itani

Say, “My Lord has forbidden immoralities—both open and secret—and sin, and unjustified aggression, and that you associate with God anything for which He revealed no sanction, and that you say about God what you do not know.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `My Lord forbids only indecencies, grave sins, such as fornication, such of them as are apparent and such as are hidden, that is, the overt ones and the secret ones, and sin, the act of disobedience, and wrongful insolence, against people, namely, oppression, and that you associate with God that for which He never revealed any warrant, any definitive proof for such association, and that you say concerning God that which you do not know', in the way of forbidding what He has not forbidden and other things.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Fahishah, Sin, Transgression, Shirk and Lying about Allah are prohibited

Allah says to His prophet (peace be upon him);

قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ

Say;"(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are the Fawahish (immoral deeds) whether committed openly or secretly,

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

لَاا أَحَدَ أَغْيَرُ مِنَ اللهِ فَلِذَلِكَ حَرَّمَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلَاا أَحَدَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ الْمَدْحُ مِنَ الله

None is more jealous than Allah, and this is why He prohibited Fawahish, committed openly or in secret. And none likes praise more than Allah.

This was also recorded in the Two Sahihs.

In the explanation of Surah Al-An`am, we explained the Fahishah that is committed openly and in secret.

Allah said next,

وَالاِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ

and Ithm, and transgression without right,

As-Suddi commented,

"Al-Ithm means, `disobedience'. As for unrighteous oppression, it occurs when you transgress against people without justification."

Mujahid said,

"Ithm includes all types of disobedience. Allah said that the oppressor commits oppression against himself."

Therefore, the meaning of, Ithm is the sin that one commits against himself, while `oppression' pertains to transgression against other people, and Allah prohibited both.

Allah's statement,

وَأَن تُشْرِكُواْ بِاللّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا

and joining partners with Allah for which He has given no authority,

prohibits calling partners with Allah in worship.

وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ



and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.

such as lies and inventions, like claiming that Allah has a son, and other evil creeds that you -- O idolators -- have no knowledge of.

This is similar to His saying;

فَاجْتَنِبُواْ الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الاٌّوْثَـنِ

So shun the abomination (worshipping) of the idols. (22;30)