وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ ٱلْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَـٰلٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ 116
Translations
And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, "This is lawful and this is unlawful," to invent falsehood about Allāh. Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allāh will not succeed.
Transliteration
Wa laa taqoolu lima tassifu alsinatukum al-kadhib hadha halalun wa hadha haramun li-taftaroo alallahi al-kadhib. Inna alladhina yaftaroon alallahi al-kadhib la yuflihuun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah forbids the fabrication of religious rulings and false attributions to Allah regarding what is permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that this addresses those who, out of ignorance or malice, invent religious laws without divine authority, particularly referencing pre-Islamic practices where Arabs would declare arbitrary things forbidden. The ayah emphasizes that those who lie and attribute falsehoods to Allah will never achieve success in this life or the hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Meccan period and is part of Surah An-Nahl's broader discussion of divine blessings and the prohibition of innovation in religious matters. It contextually addresses the pre-Islamic Arab practice of declaring certain animals and crops unlawful (like the prohibition on livestock mentioned in 16:115), rebuking their fabricated religious claims without divine sanction.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not part of it, it will be rejected' (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim). Additionally, in Sunan Ibn Majah, the Prophet warned against declaring things forbidden based on personal opinion rather than revealed knowledge.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims must refrain from inventing religious rulings or declaring things halal or haram without clear evidence from the Quran and Sunnah; all religious matters must be grounded in authentic divine sources, and personal opinion or cultural tradition cannot substitute for revealed guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ
And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.
مَن كَفَرَ بِٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِهِۦٓ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُۥ مُطْمَئِنٌّۢ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَـٰكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِٱلْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Whoever disbelieves in [i.e., denies] Allāh after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allāh, and for them is a great punishment;
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
And those they invoke other than Allāh create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.