قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ 69
Translations
Say, "Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allāh will not succeed."
Transliteration
Qul inna alladhina yaftaruna 'ala allahi alkidha la yuflihun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah declares that those who fabricate lies and attribute false statements to Allah will not succeed or prosper in this life or the hereafter. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this encompasses false claims about Allah's nature, commands, and revelations, and that such falsehood is among the gravest sins. Al-Tabari notes that 'aflah' (succeed) encompasses both worldly and spiritual failure, as the liar's deeds and intentions are fundamentally corrupted.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah of Yunus, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who invented false claims about Allah—attributing partners to Him, denying His revelations, and spreading misinformation about the Prophet Muhammad. The broader context of this surah (ayahs 68-70) deals with the refutation of those who make unfounded religious claims and the vindication of the Prophet's truthfulness.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever lies about me intentionally, let him take his place in the Fire' (Sahih Bukhari 1291). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, and to lie about Him or about His Messenger' (Musnad Ahmad).
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims must guard their tongues from fabricating lies about Islam, Allah's commands, or the Prophet's teachings, understanding that falsehood is spiritually destructive and leads to failure in both worlds; we should seek knowledge from authentic sources and speak with integrity in matters of faith.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا تَكُونُ فِى شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُوا۟ مِنْهُ مِن قُرْءَانٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَآ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْبَرَ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And, [O Muḥammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter and do not recite any of the Qur’ān and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom's weight within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.
ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
Now? And you had disobeyed [Him] before and were of the corrupters?
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ مَكَانَكُمْ أَنتُمْ وَشُرَكَآؤُكُمْ ۚ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ شُرَكَآؤُهُم مَّا كُنتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will gather them all together - then We will say to those who associated others with Allāh, "[Remain in] your place, you and your 'partners.'" Then We will separate them, and their "partners" will say, "You did not used to worship us,
وَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ إِنَّ ٱلْعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا ۚ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
And let not their speech grieve you. Indeed, honor [due to power] belongs to Allāh entirely. He is the Hearing, the Knowing.