قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَـٰذَا ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَلَا تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ 150
Translations
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Bring forward your witnesses who will testify that Allāh has prohibited this." And if they testify, do not testify with them. And do not follow the desires of those who deny Our verses and those who do not believe in the Hereafter, while they equate [others] with their Lord.
Transliteration
Qul halumma shuhada'akumulladhina yashaduna anna Allaha harrama hadha fa-in shahidu fala tashhad ma'ahum wa-la tattabi' ahwa'a alladhina kadhdhabu bi-ayatina wa-alladhina la yu'minuna bi-al-akhirah wa-hum bi-rabbihim ya'dilun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to challenge the polytheists to produce witnesses from among themselves who can testify that Allah has forbidden the halal things they claim are haram (such as certain livestock and harvests). If they do present such false testimony, the Prophet is strictly forbidden from joining in their testimony or following the desires of those who reject Allah's signs and deny the Hereafter while associating partners with their Lord. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi note this ayah refutes the fabricated prohibitions of the pre-Islamic Arabs and emphasizes the Prophet's firm stance against misguidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah addresses the historical context of pre-Islamic Arabia (Jahiliyyah) where pagan Arabs imposed arbitrary prohibitions on livestock and agricultural produce, claiming divine sanction without any revealed evidence. Surah Al-An'am systematically refutes polytheistic beliefs and false religious innovations, establishing that only Allah has the authority to legislate what is halal and haram.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2229) regarding haram and halal: 'The Messenger of Allah said: What Allah has made halal in His Book is halal, and what He has made haram is haram, and what He has remained silent about is pardoned.' This directly supports the ayah's emphasis on divine authority in legislative matters.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must ground their religious practices in clear divine revelation rather than cultural traditions or fabricated claims, and should never compromise their conviction by endorsing falsehood even when pressured by those who reject Allah's signs.
Related Ayahs
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
And it is He who created the heavens and earth in truth. And the day [i.e., whenever] He says, "Be," and it is, His word is the truth. And His is the dominion [on] the Day the Horn is blown. [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
۞ لَهُمْ دَارُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
For them will be the Home of Peace [i.e., Paradise] with their Lord. And He will be their protecting friend because of what they used to do.
قُلْ أَىُّ شَىْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَـٰدَةً ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ شَهِيدٌۢ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَأُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِۦ وَمَنۢ بَلَغَ ۚ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ ۚ قُل لَّآ أَشْهَدُ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
Say, "What thing is greatest in testimony?" Say, "Allāh is witness between me and you. And this Qur’ān was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches. Do you [truly] testify that with Allāh there are other deities?" Say, "I will not testify [with you]." Say, "Indeed, He is but one God, and indeed, I am free of what you associate [with Him]."
وَلَا تَسُبُّوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَدْوًۢا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرْجِعُهُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
And do not insult those they invoke other than Allāh, lest they insult Allāh in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.