Verse 49:16 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

12 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجۡتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِیرࣰا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمࣱۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا یَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَیُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن یَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِیهِ مَیۡتࣰا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝١٢ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ij'tanibū kathīran mina l-ẓani inna baʿḍa l-ẓani ith'mun walā tajassasū walā yaghtab baʿḍukum baʿḍan ayuḥibbu aḥadukum an yakula laḥma akhīhi maytan fakarih'tumūhu wa-ittaqū l-laha inna l-laha tawwābun raḥīmu Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful 13 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرࣲ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ شُعُوبࣰا وَقَبَاۤىِٕلَ لِتَعَارَفُوۤا۟ۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِیمٌ خَبِیرࣱ ۝١٣ yāayyuhā l-nāsu innā khalaqnākum min dhakarin wa-unthā wajaʿalnākum shuʿūban waqabāila litaʿārafū inna akramakum ʿinda l-lahi atqākum inna l-laha ʿalīmun khabīru People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware 14 ۞ قَالَتِ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ ءَامَنَّاۖ قُل لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوۤا۟ أَسۡلَمۡنَا وَلَمَّا یَدۡخُلِ ٱلۡإِیمَـٰنُ فِی قُلُوبِكُمۡۖ وَإِن تُطِیعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَا یَلِتۡكُم مِّنۡ أَعۡمَـٰلِكُمۡ شَیۡءًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمٌ ۝١٤ qālati l-aʿrābu āmannā qul lam tu'minū walākin qūlū aslamnā walammā yadkhuli l-īmānu fī qulūbikum wa-in tuṭīʿū l-laha warasūlahu lā yalit'kum min aʿmālikum shayan inna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmu The desert Arabs say, ‘We have faith.’ [Prophet], tell them, ‘You do not have faith. What you should say instead is, “We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered your hearts.’ If you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish any of your deeds: He is most forgiving and most merciful 15 إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ لَمۡ یَرۡتَابُوا۟ وَجَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمۡوَ ٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَ ۝١٥ innamā l-mu'minūna alladhīna āmanū bil-lahi warasūlihi thumma lam yartābū wajāhadū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim fī sabīli l-lahi ulāika humu l-ṣādiqūn The true believers are the ones who have faith in God and His Messenger and leave all doubt behind, the ones who have struggled with their possessions and their persons in God’s way: they are the ones who are true

16 قُلۡ أَتُعَلِّمُونَ ٱللَّهَ بِدِینِكُمۡ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ مَا فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَمَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیمࣱ ۝١٦ qul atuʿallimūna l-laha bidīnikum wal-lahu yaʿlamu mā fī l-samāwāti wamā fī l-arḍi wal-lahu bikulli shayin ʿalīmu Say, ‘Do you presume to teach God about your religion, when God knows everything in the heavens and earth, and He has full knowledge of all things?’

17 یَمُنُّونَ عَلَیۡكَ أَنۡ أَسۡلَمُوا۟ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا۟ عَلَیَّ إِسۡلَـٰمَكُمۖ بَلِ ٱللَّهُ یَمُنُّ عَلَیۡكُمۡ أَنۡ هَدَىٰكُمۡ لِلۡإِیمَـٰنِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝١٧ yamunnūna ʿalayka an aslamū qul lā tamunnū ʿalayya is'lāmakum bali l-lahu yamunnu ʿalaykum an hadākum lil'īmāni in kuntum ṣādiqīn They think they have done you [Prophet] a favour by submitting. Say, ‘Do not consider your submission a favour to me; it is God who has done you a favour, by guiding you to faith, if you are truly sincere.’ 18 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَعۡلَمُ غَیۡبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِیرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٨ inna l-laha yaʿlamu ghayba l-samāwāti wal-arḍi wal-lahu baṣīrun bimā taʿmalūn God knows the secrets of the heavens and earth: He sees everything you do