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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-A'raf 7:33

Word by word

قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلْإِثْمَ وَٱلْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًا وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allāh that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allāh that which you do not know."

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«لَا أَحَدَ أَغْيَرُ مِنَ اللهِ فَلِذَلِكَ حَرَّمَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، وَلَا 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 Surat Al-An`am, we explained the Fahishah that is committed openly and in secret. Allah said next,وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ(and Ithm, and transgression without right,) 7:33. 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 بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَـناً(and joining partners with Allah for which He has given no authority, ) prohibits calling partners with Allah in worship.وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ 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.

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

After that, the second verse takes up the description of some of the things declared unlawful by Allah Ta` ala forsaking which really brings His pleasure. The hint given here is that these people were suffering from a twofold ignorance. On the one hand, they deprived themselves of the good things of life Allah had made lawful for them by denying to use them as if they were unlawful - and did so for no reason. Then, on the other hand, there were things genuinely and really unlawful, things the use of which was to result in the wrath of Allah and the punishment of the Hereafter, these they embraced with both arms only to discover that they had embraced what was to be their undoing in the life-to-come. Thus, they were doubly deprived, deprived of the blessings they had in the mortal world and deprived of the blessings they had the chance of having in the Hereafter.

After that, says the Qur'an:إِنَّمَا حَرَّ‌مَ رَ‌بِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ‌ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالْإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ‌ الْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِ‌كُوا بِاللَّـهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَن تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّـهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَSay, "My Lord has prohibited only the shameful things, what is apparent from them and what is hidden, and sin and unjust aggression, and that you associate with Allah something for which He has not sent any authority, and that you say about Allah what you do not know - 33.

In the detail given above, the word: اِثم (ithm : sin) covers all sins which fall on one personally - and in: بَغیَ ; (baghy : injustice) included there are sins which relate to rights and dealings as concerning others. Then come Shirk, the associating of partners with Allah, and the forging of lies against Him. That they are grave sins is quite evident.

This particular detail was mentioned here also because it covers almost all kinds of prohibitions and sins - whether they pertained to belief or conduct, or were done personally, or related to rights of others which were usurped. This was done also because these people of the Jahiliyyah were involved with all these crimes and prohibitions. Thus, exposed here was another demonstration of their ignorance which was that they would abstain from what was made lawful for them and would not even hesitate to use what was declared to be unlawful.

Unfortunately, it is a necessary outcome of excess (ghuluww) in religion and introduction of self-invented practices (bid` at) in it that people who get involved with this type of activity become habitually heedless to the root of religion and its essential requirements. Therefore, the Haram caused by excess in religion and innovation in established faith is twofold. First of all getting involved with such Ghuluww and Bid'ah is a sin in itself. Then, seen in contrast, far too grave is the very deprivation from the true religion of Allah and the genuine way of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

Refuge with Allah (from such a fate) !

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

قل -أيها الرسول- لهؤلاء المشركين: إنما حَرَّم الله القبائح من الأعمال، ما كان منها ظاهرًا، وما كان خفيًّا، وحَرَّم المعاصي كلها، ومِن أعظمها الاعتداء على الناس، فإن ذلك مجانب للحق، وحرَّم أن تعبدوا مع الله تعالى غيره مما لم يُنَزِّل به دليلا وبرهانًا، فإنه لا حجة لفاعل ذلك، وحرَّم أن تنسبوا إلى الله تعالى ما لم يشرعه افتراءً وكذبًا، كدعوى أن لله ولدًا، وتحريم بعض الحلال من الملابس والمآكل.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

قال الإمام أحمد : حدثنا أبو معاوية ، حدثنا الأعمش ، عن شقيق ، عن عبد الله قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " لا أحد أغير من الله ، فلذلك حرم الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن ، ولا أحد أحب إليه المدح من الله "أخرجاه في الصحيحين ، من حديث سليمان بن مهران الأعمش ، عن شقيق عن أبي وائل ، عن عبد الله بن مسعود وتقدم الكلام في سورة الأنعام على ما يتعلق بالفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن .وقوله : ( والإثم والبغي بغير الحق ) قال السدي : أما الإثم فالمعصية ، والبغي أن تبغي على الناس بغير الحق .وقال مجاهد : الإثم المعاصي كلها ، وأخبر أن الباغي بغيه كائن على نفسه .وحاصل ما فسر به الإثم أنه الخطايا المتعلقة بالفاعل نفسه ، والبغي هو التعدي إلى الناس ، فحرم الله هذا وهذا .وقوله : ( وأن تشركوا بالله ما لم ينزل به سلطانا وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمون ) أي : تجعلوا له شريكا في عبادته ، وأن تقولوا عليه من الافتراء والكذب من دعوى أن له ولدا ونحو ذلك ، مما لا علم لكم به كما قال تعالى : ( فاجتنبوا الرجس من الأوثان واجتنبوا قول الزور حنفاء لله غير مشركين به ) الآية [ الحج : 30 ، 31 ] .

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