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Surah Al-A'raf, verse 169: meaning and tafsir
فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَٰذَا ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَٰقُ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ ۗ وَٱلدَّارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ١٦٩
They were then succeeded by other generations who inherited the Scripture, opting for the lowly gains[67], and saying, “We will be forgiven[68].” Yet if a similar gain[69] comes their way, they will seize it. Was not a covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they should not say about Allah except the truth, and they had studied its teachings? But the Home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allah. Do you not understand?
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[67] i.e., unlawful gains and pleasures.
[68] It demonstrates how self-justifying they were in sticking to their devious ways.
[69] i.e., a similar temptation.
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
169. Then an evil people followed after these people, receiving the Torah from those who came before them. They read it but did not act according to what was in it, taking the miserable goods of this life as a bribe to distort the scripture of Allah; and they gave judgements which were not according to what was revealed in the scripture, convincing themselves that Allah would forgive them their sins. If some petty worldly gain should come their way, they would take it every time. Did Allah not make promises and contracts with these people that they would not say anything about Allah except the truth, without distorting or changing anything? Their failure to act according to what was in the scripture was not due to ignorance, but was in full knowledge, because they had studied what was in the scripture and knew it, which meant that their disobedience was greater. Yet the home of the Afterlife and its eternal bliss is far better than any passing gain that they may have been given as a bribe. It is for those who are Mindful, following what He instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited. Do those who take these insignificant goods not understand that what Allah has prepared for those who are mindful in the Afterlife is far better and more lasting?
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.