وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ وَتَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُهُمُ ٱلْكَذِبَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّارَ وَأَنَّهُم مُّفْرَطُونَ 62
Translations
And they attribute to Allāh that which they dislike [i.e., daughters], and their tongues assert the lie that they will have the best [from Him]. Assuredly, they will have the Fire, and they will be [therein] neglected.
Transliteration
Wa yaj'alūna lillāhi mā yakrahūn wa taṣifu alsinātuhumu al-kadhiba anna lahum al-ḥusnā. Lā jarama anna lahum al-nār wa annahum mufrraṭūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the polytheists for attributing to Allah what they themselves despise while falsely claiming through their tongues that they will receive goodness from Him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this refers to their practice of dedicating the worst livestock and produce to idols while reserving the best for themselves, yet claiming Allah will reward them. The ayah concludes with a stern warning that such hypocrisy and transgression will inevitably lead them to the Fire.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nahl's broader condemnation of idolatry and the illogical practices of the pre-Islamic Arabs. The context addresses their contradictory behavior: while they rejected good things for Allah's sake and offered inferior sacrifices to Him, they simultaneously harbored false hope of His favor. This reflects the general Meccan period's confrontation with pagan Arabian practices.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to Surah Al-Hajj 22:29 regarding the condition of sacrificial animals. Additionally, Hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the prohibition of offering defective sacrifices connects to the implicit criticism in this ayah of offering inferior things to Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah is not deceived by false claims or outward pretenses—sincere devotion requires consistency between belief and action. Modern readers should examine whether their religious practices reflect genuine conviction or merely serve social convention, as Divine reward depends on authentic intention and behavior.
Related Ayahs
وَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلسَّلَمَ ۖ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
And they will impart to Allāh that Day [their] submission, and lost from them is what they used to invent.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
And they worship besides Allāh that which does not possess for them [the power of] provision from the heavens and the earth at all, and [in fact], they are unable.
قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Those before them had already plotted, but Allāh came at [i.e., uprooted] their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ تَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
He created the heavens and earth in truth. High is He above what they associate with Him.