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Al-Anfal 34

Ayah 34 of 75 · Medinan

وَمَا لَهُمۡ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَهُمۡ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآءَهُۥٓۚ إِنۡ أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٤

But why should Allāh not punish them while they obstruct [people] from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām and they were not [fit to be] its guardians? Its [true] guardians are not but the righteous, but most of them do not know.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَمَاBut whatwamā
  2. لَهُمۡ(is) for themlahum
  3. أَلَّاthat notallā
  4. يُعَذِّبَهُمُ(should) punish themyuʿadhibahumu
  5. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  6. وَهُمۡwhile theywahum
  7. يَصُدُّونَhinder (people)yaṣuddūna
  8. عَنِfromʿani
  9. ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِAl-Masjidl-masjidi
  10. ٱلۡحَرَامِAl-Haraaml-ḥarāmi
  11. وَمَاwhile notwamā
  12. كَانُوٓاْthey arekānū
  13. أَوۡلِيَآءَهُۥٓۚits guardiansawliyāahu
  14. إِنۡNot (can be)in
  15. أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُۥٓits guardiansawliyāuhu
  16. إِلَّاexceptillā
  17. ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَthe ones who fear Allahl-mutaqūna
  18. وَلَٰكِنَّbutwalākinna
  19. أَكۡثَرَهُمۡmost of themaktharahum
  20. لَا(do) notlā
  21. يَعۡلَمُونَknowyaʿlamūna

Tafsir

What prevents them being punished when they have unjustly stopped people from performing both the circling (ţawāf) and the prayer in the Sacred Mosque – actions deserving of punishment? The idolaters are not Allah’s allies. The allies of Allah are only those who are mindful of Him by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Most of the idolaters do not know this, as they claim they are Allah’s allies when they are not.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran