ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۖ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِۦٓ إِثْمًا مُّبِينًا 50
Translations
Look how they invent about Allāh untruth, and sufficient is that as a manifest sin.
Transliteration
Unzur kayfa yaftaroon 'alallahi al-kidhab, wa kafaa bihi ithman mubeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who fabricate lies and attribute false statements to Allah, such as the polytheists who claimed certain animals were forbidden by divine decree when Allah had revealed no such prohibition. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this refers specifically to the pagan Arabs' invented dietary restrictions (like bahirah, sa'ibah, wasilah, and hami). The ayah emphasizes that inventing falsehoods against Allah is a grave and manifest sin, sufficient condemnation in itself.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah An-Nisa's discussion of lawful and unlawful sustenance. It directly addresses the pre-Islamic Arab custom of declaring certain livestock forbidden based on superstition rather than divine revelation, which the Quran refutes throughout this passage (4:119-121). The broader context condemns those who follow innovations (bid'ah) and attribute them to God.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (5513): The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, and the second greatest is to invent lies about Allah.' This principle underlies the severity expressed in this ayah. Also relevant: Muslim (1658) regarding the prohibition of declaring lawful things unlawful without divine basis.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must guard against both intentionally spreading falsehoods about Islam and unintentionally perpetuating cultural practices attributed to religion without scriptural foundation. This ayah teaches that inventing religious laws or prohibitions without divine authority is one of the gravest transgressions and a direct affront to God's sovereignty.
Related Ayahs
وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ رَفِيقًا
And whoever obeys Allāh and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا۟ فَلْيَكُونُوا۟ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا۟ فَلْيُصَلُّوا۟ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَٰحِدَةً ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ وَخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا
And when you [i.e., the commander of an army] are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage so they could come down upon you in one [single] attack. But there is no blame upon you, if you are troubled by rain or are ill, for putting down your arms, but take precaution. Indeed, Allāh has prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allāh and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allāh and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between -
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ خُذُوا۟ حِذْرَكُمْ فَٱنفِرُوا۟ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ ٱنفِرُوا۟ جَمِيعًا
O you who have believed, take your precaution and [either] go forth in companies or go forth all together.