قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ 61
Translations
Moses said to them [i.e., the magicians summoned by Pharaoh], "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allāh or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."
Transliteration
Qāla lahum Mūsā wa-ylaкum lā taftarū 'alā Allāhi kadhiban fayusḥitakum bi-'adhābin wa-qad khāba mani iftarā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Musa (peace be upon him) sternly warns Pharaoh and his people against fabricating lies against Allah, cautioning that such falsehood would bring upon them a painful punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this warning demonstrates the severity of lying against Allah and the certainty of punishment for those who persist in such deception. The ayah affirms that whoever invents falsehoods against Allah will ultimately fail and lose in both this world and the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the context of Surah Ta-Ha, a Meccan surah depicting the dialogue between Musa and Pharaoh. This specific warning comes after Pharaoh accuses Musa of sorcery and witchcraft, prompting Musa to rebuke them for fabricating lies against Allah. It reflects the historical confrontation where Musa sought to guide Pharaoh's people toward monotheism while they rejected his message.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk), and the next is to lie' (narrated in various Hadith collections). Additionally, the Quran itself warns in 6:21: 'And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie or denies His verses?'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to guard their tongues carefully and never attribute false claims to Allah, understanding that the consequences of such deception are severe and inevitable. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of intellectual honesty in matters of faith and the principle that truthfulness is foundational to one's relationship with the Divine.
Related Ayahs
أَفَمِنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ
Then at this statement do you wonder?
لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مُعْجِزِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَلَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
Never think that the disbelievers are causing failure [to Allāh] upon the earth. Their refuge will be the Fire - and how wretched the destination.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
قَالُوٓا۟ أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۚ قَالُوا۟ فَٱدْعُوا۟ ۗ وَمَا دُعَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ
They will say, "Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?" They will say, "Yes." They will reply, "Then supplicate [yourselves], but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."