وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ 21
Translations
And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie or denies His verses? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.
Transliteration
Wa man azlamu mimman iftara ala Allahi kathiban au kadhdhaba bi-ayatihi, innahu la yuflihu az-zalimun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns two grave sins: fabricating lies against Allah and rejecting His signs. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that there is no greater injustice (zulm) than attributing falsehoods to Allah or denying His clear revelations, as this strikes at the very foundation of faith and truth. The ayah concludes with the certainty that those who commit such tyranny will never succeed in this life or the next.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-An'am, a comprehensive Meccan surah that addresses core Islamic beliefs and refutes polytheistic arguments. It is situated within a section responding to the Meccan pagans' rejection of the Quran and their fabrication of false claims about Allah and His religion, serving as both a warning and a correction to those who distort divine truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, and to speak a lie against Him' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Also related: 'Whoever intentionally attributes a false hadith to me, let him prepare his seat in the Fire' (Sahih Bukhari), illustrating the severity of fabricating religious claims.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that integrity in speech, especially regarding matters of faith, is paramount, and that rejecting divine guidance is a self-inflicted injustice that leads to inevitable failure. We must guard our tongues from falsehood about Allah and His religion, and sincerely accept His signs with humble hearts.
Related Ayahs
فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل رَّبُّكُمْ ذُو رَحْمَةٍ وَٰسِعَةٍ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
So if they deny you, [O Muḥammad], say, "Your Lord is the possessor of vast mercy; but His punishment cannot be repelled from the people who are criminals."
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلْإِنسِ وَٱلْجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ ٱلْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy - devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion. But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it, so leave them and that which they invent.
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And they swear by Allāh their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, "The signs are only with [i.e., from] Allāh." And what will make you perceive that even if it [i.e., a sign] came, they would not believe.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولُوٓا۟ أَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنۢ بَيْنِنَآ ۗ أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
And thus We have tried some of them through others that they [i.e., the disbelievers] might say, "Is it these whom Allāh has favored among us?" Is not Allāh most knowing of those who are grateful?