۞ 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
يَحْسَبُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖ وَإِن يَأْتِ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِى ٱلْأَعْرَابِ يَسْـَٔلُونَ عَنْ أَنۢبَآئِكُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ فِيكُم مَّا قَـٰتَلُوٓا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ رَأَيْتَ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُودًا
And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allāh has revealed and to the Messenger," you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion.
فَكَيْفَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّآ إِحْسَـٰنًا وَتَوْفِيقًا
So how [will it be] when disaster strikes them because of what their hands have put forth and then they come to you swearing by Allāh, "We intended nothing but good conduct and accommodation."
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."