۞ 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
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."
وَإِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, "Allāh and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion,"
وَإِذَا لَقُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."
إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ فِى ٱلدَّرْكِ ٱلْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا
Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper -