ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ تَظَـٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَـٰرَىٰ تُفَـٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ 85
Translations
Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.
Transliteration
Thumma antum haa'ulaa'i taqtuloon anfusakum wa tukhrijoon fareeqan minkum min diyaarhim tadhaaharoon alayhim bil-ithmi wa-l-udwaan wa in ya'tookum usaraa tufadoohum wa huwa muharramun alaykum ikhrajuhum. Aftuminoon biba'di al-kitaabi wa takfuroon biba'd? Fama jaza'u man yaf'alu dhaalika minkum illa khizyun fi al-hayati ad-dunya wa yawma al-qiyaamati yuraddoon ila ashaddi al-adhab. Wa ma Allahu bighaafilin amma ta'maloon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the Bani Israel (and by extension, those who follow similar patterns) for their contradictory behavior: they kill one another, expel groups from their homes through sin and transgression, yet when members are taken captive, they ransom them—actions that violate their own Torah. The ayah emphasizes the hypocrisy of selective belief, accepting some divine commandments while rejecting others. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this demonstrates the grave sin of compartmentalizing faith and the inevitable punishment both in this world (humiliation and disgrace) and the Hereafter (severe torment).
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a passage (2:83-86) addressing the Bani Israel's covenant violations and internal conflicts during the Medinan period. It refers to the historical reality of tribal conflicts among the Jews of Medina and the Arabian Peninsula, where they would kill one another, expel groups, yet simultaneously ransom captives from enemy tribes—a contradiction exposing their selective obedience to divine law.
Related Hadiths
The principle relates to the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah in Sahih Bukhari: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it,' emphasizing complete adherence to Scripture. Additionally, the concept of hypocrisy (nifaq) is addressed in numerous hadiths, such as those in Sahih Muslim describing the signs of the hypocrite who exhibits contradictory behavior.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith requires complete and sincere submission to all of Allah's commands without selectivity—one cannot claim to believe in some parts of revelation while rejecting others. For modern believers, it serves as a reminder that consistency between belief and action, and unity within the Muslim community, are essential; discord, violence, and hypocrisy invite both worldly disgrace and severe divine punishment.