Surah 5. Al-Maida, Ayah 60
| قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ مَنْ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ شَرٌّ مَكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ |
| Transliteration | : | yaa 'ayyuhaa 'alladhena 'aamano laa tattakhidho 'alladhena ittakhadho den -kum huzuw(an) wa- lacib(an) min 'alladhena 'oto al- kitaab min qabli -kum wa- al- kuffaar awliyaa' wa- ittaqo 'allaah 'in kuntum mu'minen |
| Pickthall | : | Shall I tell thee of a worse (case) than theirs for retribution with Allah? Worse (is the case of him) whom Allah hath cursed, him on whom His wrath hath fallen! Worse is he of whose sort Allah hath turned some to apes and swine, and who serveth idols. Such are in worse plight and further astray from the plain road. |
| Asad | : | Say: "Shall I tell you who, in the sight of God, deserves a yet worse retribution than these? They whom God has rejected and whom He has condemned, and whom He has turned into apes and swine because they worshipped the powers of evil:77 these are yet worse in station, and farther astray from the right path [than the mockers]."78 |
| Malik | : | Ask them: "Should I tell you of those who will have even worse than this in retribution from Allah? They are those whom Allah has cursed; who have incurred His wrath; some of whom were turned into apes and pigs; who worshipped Taghut (forces of Shaitan); these are worse in rank and far more astray from the Right Way." |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Say: "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this (as judged) by the treatment it received from Allah? Those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine those who worshipped Evil; these are (many times) worse in rank and far more astray from the even Path! 770 |
Note - 77Contrary to many of the commentators who take this
reference to "apes and swine" in a literal sense, the
famous tabi'i Mujahid explains it as a metaphorical
description (mathal) of the moral degradation which such
sinners undergo: they become wildly unpredictable like
apes, and as abandoned to the pursuit of lusts as swine
(Manar VI, 448). This interpretation has also been quoted
by Tabari in his commentary on 2:65. - As regards the
expression "powers of evil" (at-taghut), see surah {2},
note [250].
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Note - 78As is evident from the following verses, the sinners who
are even worse than the mockers are the hypocrites, and
particularly those among them who claim to be followers
of the Bible: for the obvious reason that, having been
enlightened through revelation, they have no excuse for
their behaviour. Although in verse {64} the Jews are
specifically mentioned, the reference to the Gospel in
verse {66} makes it clear that the Christians, too,
cannot be exempted from this blame.
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Note - 770For apes see Q. ii. 65. For men possessed by devils, and
the devils being sent into swine, see Matt. viii. 28-32.
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Contrary to many of the commentators who take this reference to "apes and swine" in a literal sense, the famous tabi'i Mujahid explains it as a metaphorical description (mathal) of the moral degradation which such sinners undergo: they become wildly unpredictable like apes, and as abandoned to the pursuit of lusts as swine (Manar VI, 448). This interpretation has also been quoted by Tabari in his commentary on 2:65. - As regards the expression "powers of evil" (at-taghut), see surah {2}, note [250]. |
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As is evident from the following verses, the sinners who are even worse than the mockers are the hypocrites, and particularly those among them who claim to be followers of the Bible: for the obvious reason that, having been enlightened through revelation, they have no excuse for their behaviour. Although in verse {64} the Jews are specifically mentioned, the reference to the Gospel in verse {66} makes it clear that the Christians, too, cannot be exempted from this blame. |
