۞ أَتَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ 44
Translations
Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?
Transliteration
A-ta'murūn an-nāsa bil-birri wa-tansawn anfusakum wa-antum tattlūn al-Kitāb? A-falā ta'qilūn?
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the Children of Israel (and by extension, any believers) who command others to do good deeds while neglecting to practice these same virtues themselves, despite reciting the Book of Allah. Ibn Kathir notes this represents hypocrisy and inconsistency between one's words and actions. The ayah emphasizes the contradiction of preaching righteousness while failing to apply it to one's own life, and concludes with an appeal to reason—questioning why they do not use their intellect to recognize this glaring inconsistency.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the broader criticism of the Jewish scholars (particularly those in Medina) who gave religious rulings and encouraged people to follow the Torah while secretly violating its commands themselves. It addresses the hypocrisy witnessed during the early Medinan period and serves as a universal warning against all forms of religious duplicity and moral inconsistency.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The worst people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment will be the double-faced people who appeared to some people with one face and to others with another face.' (Sahih Bukhari 3484). Also relevant: 'On the Day of Judgment, the most hated person before Allah will be the one who preaches virtue but does not practice it.' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4152)
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must embody the values they teach others, ensuring harmony between their external proclamations and internal practice. True faith requires sincere adherence to divine guidance in one's own conduct before calling others to it, as hypocrisy negates spiritual benefit and invites divine displeasure.
Related Ayahs
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ وَٱلْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا
Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them with a great curse."
إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ قَالُوا۟ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muḥammad], they say, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allāh." And Allāh knows that you are His Messenger, and Allāh testifies that the hypocrites are liars.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ فَإِذَآ أُوذِىَ فِى ٱللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ ٱلنَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَئِن جَآءَ نَصْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ ۚ أَوَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِمَا فِى صُدُورِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allāh," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allāh, he considers the trial [i.e., harm] of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allāh. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, "Indeed, We were with you." Is not Allāh most knowing of what is within the breasts of the worlds [i.e., all creatures]?
يَحْذَرُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱسْتَهْزِءُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَ
The hypocrites are apprehensive lest a sūrah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allāh will expose that which you fear."