فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ 17
Translations
So who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about Allāh or denies His signs? Indeed, the criminals will not succeed.
Transliteration
Faman azlamu mimman iftara ala Allahi kathiban aw kadhdhaba bi-ayatihi, innahu la yuflihu al-mujrimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a rhetorical question establishing that no one commits greater injustice (zulm) than those who fabricate lies against Allah or reject His signs. Ibn Kathir emphasizes that lying about Allah is the gravest sin, as it combines disbelief with slander against the Divine, while Al-Tabari notes that such criminals will never achieve success or prosperity in this life or the next. The ayah serves as a stark warning that those who persist in such crimes face inevitable failure and divine punishment.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islamic da'wah when the Quraysh were actively rejecting the Prophet's message and fabricating false accusations against him and Allah's revelation. The surah addresses the polytheists' stubborn denial and their invention of false gods and doctrines contrary to monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to ascribe a partner to Allah (shirk)' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, the Prophet warned: 'Whoever lies about me intentionally, let him take his seat in the Fire' (Sahih Bukhari 110), emphasizing the severity of fabricating false statements about Allah and His religion.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that spreading misinformation about Allah and His religion is among the gravest injustices, and those who persist in such actions will face certain failure and divine punishment. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to guard our tongues, verify information before sharing, and recognize that intellectual dishonesty in religious matters has severe spiritual consequences.