Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anfal Verse 27

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not betray the trust of Allah and the Messenger-, and do not betray your mutual trusts, while you know.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, betray not God and the Messenger, and betray not your trusts and that wittingly;

Abdul Haleem

Believers, do not betray God and the Messenger, or knowingly betray [other people’s] trust in you.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Ye who believe! defraud not Allah and the apostle, nor defraud your trusts while ye know.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye that believe! betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly things entrusted to you.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers! Do not be unfaithful to Allah and the Messenger, nor be knowingly unfaithful to your trusts.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, do not be faithless to God and His Apostle, nor violate your trusts knowingly.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Do not betray Allah and His Noble Messenger, nor purposely defraud your trusts.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not betray Allah and the Apostle, and do not betray your trusts knowingly.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Do not betray God and His Messenger, that you should not betray the trusts in your keeping while you know (what doing so means).

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! do not be dishonest to Allâh and His Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.

English Literal

You, you those who believed do not betray/become unfaithful (to) God and the messenger, and you betray/become unfaithful (to) your deposits/securities and you know.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Do not betray Allah and His Noble Messenger, nor purposely defraud your trusts.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! Be not treacherous to Allah and His Messenger; nor knowingly betray your trusts (obligations, duties, responsibilities in respect of wealth, property, confidences, knowledge, talents, time, opportunities, circumstances, power, social position, prestige etc. bestowed by other people, the community or by Allah.)

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your Amanat (things entrusted to you, and all the duties which Allah has ordained for you).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And remember when you were few, deemed weak in the land, fearing lest people should carry you off by force, He sheltered you and strengthened you with his help, and gave you of the good things that you might give thanks.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! be not unfaithful to Allah and the Apostle, nor be unfaithful to your trusts while you know.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Betray not Allah and His messenger, nor knowingly betray your trusts.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not be dishonest to God and the Messengers or knowingly abuse your trust.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor knowingly betray your trust.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your Amanat (things entrusted to you).

Wahiduddin Khan

Do not betray God and His Messenger, and do not knowingly violate your trusts.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not betray God and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts, while you know.

Tafsir jalalayn

The following was revealed regarding Ab Lubba Marwn b. `Abd al-Mundhir; the Prophet (s) had dispatched him to the Ban Qurayza so that they would submit to his [the Prophet's] authority. But they [Ban Qurayza] consulted with him [as to whether they should cede], and he pointed out to them that a slaughter would ensue -- for members of his family and his property were among them; O you who believe, do not betray God and the Messenger, and, do not, betray your trusts, that which has been entrusted to you, in the way of religion or otherwise, while you are aware.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Reason behind revealing This Ayah, and the prohibition of Betrayal

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَخُونُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُواْ أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ



O you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your Amanat (things entrusted to you).

The Two Sahihs mention the story of Hatib bin Abi Baltaah.

In the year of the victory of Makkah he wrote to the Quraysh alerting them that the Messenger of Allah intended to march towards them. Allah informed His Messenger of this, and he sent a Companion to retrieve the letter that Hatib sent, and then he summoned him. He admitted to what he did.

Umar bin Al-Khattab stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Should I cut off his head, for he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger and the believers?"

The Prophet said,

دَعْهُ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ

اعْمَلُوا مَا شِيْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُم

Leave him! He participated in Badr. How do you know that Allah has not looked at those who participated in Badr and said, Do whatever you want, for I have forgiven you.

However, it appears that this Ayah is more general, even if it was revealed about a specific incident. Such rulings are dealt with by their indications, not the specific reasons behind revealing them, according to the majority of scholars.

Betrayal includes both minor and major sins, as well those that affect others. Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,
وَتَخُونُواْ أَمَانَاتِكُمْ
(nor betray your Amanat),

"The Amanah refers to the actions that Allah has entrusted the servants with, such as and including what He ordained. Therefore, Allah says here,
لَا تَخُونُواْ
(nor betray...), `do not abandon the obligations."'

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd commented, "Allah forbade you from betraying Him and His Messenger, as hypocrites do."

Allah said