Transliteration:( Fakhalafa min ba'dihim khalfunw warisul Kitaaba ya'khuzoona 'arada haazal adnaa wa yaqooloona sayughfaru lanaa wa iny ya'tihim 'aradun misluhoo ya'khuzooh; alam yu'khaz 'alaihim meesaaqul Kitaabi an laa yaqooloo 'alal laahi illal haqqa wa darasoo maa feeh; wad Daarul Aakhirtu khairul lil lazeena yattaqoon; afalaa ta'qiloon )
Then in their place came such degenerate successors [386] who inherited the Book. They took the goods of this world [387] and said: "Now we shall be forgiven [388] our sins. But if more fortunes like that came to them, they would take them [389]. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they should say nothing concerning Allah, but the truth [390], and they have read that? And, indeed, the final abode is better for the God-fearing. Have you then no wisdom [391]?"
This refers to the Yahud present during the Prophet’s ﷺ time, who inherited the Tauraat yet misused their knowledge. Rather than preserving the divine law, they distorted it for personal gain, making them unworthy successors of a sacred trust.
These individuals accepted bribes to alter religious rulings, issuing false legal decisions. However, this condemnation does not include taking reasonable compensation for printing, teaching, or distributing the Qur’an, which remains a permitted and respected service.
They would sin repeatedly and justify it by assuming forgiveness, claiming “we will be forgiven”. This shows a dangerous reliance on false security rather than sincere hope and repentance. True hope in Allah inspires repentance, while false security leads to further sin. To sin with the plan to repent later is also a type of disrespect to Allah’s Mercy.
At that time, no judge among the Yahud was free from bribery. Even those who initially reprimanded others, once appointed to the position, followed the same corrupt path. This reflects a deep-rooted, generational moral decay, where the culture of sin repeats with each new leadership.
They had read in the Tauraat that persistent sinners would not be forgiven, yet they knowingly continued accepting bribes and falsely claimed Allah would forgive them. This was a deliberate lie against Allah. It shows how continued minor sins, when left unchecked, become major sins. As Allah says: “And do not persist knowingly in what they have done.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:135). When learned individuals sin, the effect is far worse, because they mislead others by justifying wrongdoing under the guise of religion.
The final rhetorical question—“Have you then no wisdom?”—serves as a reminder that the Hereafter is a reward for the pious, but for the wicked, it will be a source of regret and punishment. Events such as death, the grave, Qiyamah, and the bridge of Sirat will be ease for the righteous, but torment for the evil-doers.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 169 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 168 which provides the complete commentary from verse 168 through 170.
(7:169) Then others succeeded them who inherited the scriptures, and yet kept themselves occupied in acquiring the goods of this world and kept saying: We shall be forgiven.’ And when there comes to them an opportunity for acquiring more of those goods, they seize it.[129] Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? And they have read what is in the Book[130] and know that the abode of the Hereafter is better for the God-fearing.[131] Do you not understand?
129. The Jews knowingly commit sins in the belief that being God’s chosen people they will necessarily be pardoned and spared God’s punishment. As a result of this misconception, they neither repent nor refrain from committing sins. How unfortunate the Jews are! They received the Scriptures which could have made them leaders of all mankind. But they were so petty-minded that they aspired to nothing higher than paltry worldly benefits. Thus even though they had the potential of becoming the upholders of justice and righteousness across the world they ended up merely as worshippers of this world.
130. The people of Israel know well that the Torah does not unconditionally assure them salvation. They have never been promised by God or any of His Prophets that they will attain deliverance no matter what they do. Therefore they have absolutely no right to ascribe to God something which He never told them. What makes their crime even worse is that their claim to unconditional salvation constitutes a sacrilege of their covenant with God whereby they pledged never to attribute any false statement to God.
131. The above verse has two renderings. It may be either translated as above or it may be rendered thus: ‘For the righteous, only the home in the Hereafter is the best.’ Going by the first rendering, the verse means that salvation is not the exclusive privilege of a particular person or a family. It is absolutely out of the question that one will attain deliverance even if one commits sins, simply on account of being a Jew. A little reflection will help one realize that only the righteous and God-fearing will be rewarded in the Hereafter. In the light of the second rendering, only the unrighteous prefer worldly, gains to reward in the Hereafter. As for the righteous, they are conscious of the importance of the Hereafter and hence forego worldly benefits for the sake of reward in the Next World.
[414]- i.e., unlawful gains and pleasures. [415]- i.e., a similar temptation.
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