Verse 5:38 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

34 إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ تَابُوا۟ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن تَقۡدِرُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِمۡۖ فَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٣٤ illā alladhīna tābū min qabli an taqdirū ʿalayhim fa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmu unless they repent before you overpower them- in that case bear in mind that God is forgiving and merciful 35 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱبۡتَغُوۤا۟ إِلَیۡهِ ٱلۡوَسِیلَةَ وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ۝٣٥ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ittaqū l-laha wa-ib'taghū ilayhi l-wasīlata wajāhidū fī sabīlihi laʿallakum tuf'liḥūn You who believe, be mindful of God, seek ways to come closer to Him and strive for His cause, so that you may prosper 36 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا وَمِثۡلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لِیَفۡتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ مِنۡ عَذَابِ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنۡهُمۡۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ ۝٣٦ inna alladhīna kafarū law anna lahum mā fī l-arḍi jamīʿan wamith'lahu maʿahu liyaftadū bihi min ʿadhābi yawmi l-qiyāmati mā tuqubbila min'hum walahum ʿadhābun alīmu If the disbelievers possessed all that is in the earth and twice as much again and offered it to ransom themselves from torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them- they will have a painful torment 37 یُرِیدُونَ أَن یَخۡرُجُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِینَ مِنۡهَاۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ مُّقِیمࣱ ۝٣٧ yurīdūna an yakhrujū mina l-nāri wamā hum bikhārijīna min'hā walahum ʿadhābun muqīmu They will wish to come out of the Fire but they will be unable to do so: theirs will be a lasting torment

38 وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقۡطَعُوۤا۟ أَیۡدِیَهُمَا جَزَاۤءَۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَـٰلࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِیزٌ حَكِیمࣱ ۝٣٨ wal-sāriqu wal-sāriqatu fa-iq'ṭaʿū aydiyahumā jazāan bimā kasabā nakālan mina l-lahi wal-lahu ʿazīzun ḥakīmu Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are man or woman, as punishment for what they have done- a deterrent from God: God is almighty and wise

39 فَمَن تَابَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ظُلۡمِهِۦ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَتُوبُ عَلَیۡهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمٌ ۝٣٩ faman tāba min baʿdi ẓul'mihi wa-aṣlaḥa fa-inna l-laha yatūbu ʿalayhi inna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmu But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and makes amends, God will accept his repentance: God is most forgiving, most merciful 40 أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ یُعَذِّبُ مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَیَغۡفِرُ لِمَن یَشَاۤءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ قَدِیرࣱ ۝٤٠ alam taʿlam anna l-laha lahu mul'ku l-samāwāti wal-arḍi yuʿadhibu man yashāu wayaghfiru liman yashāu wal-lahu ʿalā kulli shayin qadīru Do you [Prophet] not know that control of the heavens and earth belongs solely to God? He punishes whoever He will and forgives whoever He will: God has power over everything 41 ۞ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ لَا یَحۡزُنكَ ٱلَّذِینَ یُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِی ٱلۡكُفۡرِ مِنَ ٱلَّذِینَ قَالُوۤا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِأَفۡوَ ٰهِهِمۡ وَلَمۡ تُؤۡمِن قُلُوبُهُمۡۛ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِینَ هَادُوا۟ۛ سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِلۡكَذِبِ سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِقَوۡمٍ ءَاخَرِینَ لَمۡ یَأۡتُوكَۖ یُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلۡكَلِمَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَوَاضِعِهِۦۖ یَقُولُونَ إِنۡ أُوتِیتُمۡ هَـٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمۡ تُؤۡتَوۡهُ فَٱحۡذَرُوا۟ۚ وَمَن یُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ فِتۡنَتَهُۥ فَلَن تَمۡلِكَ لَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَیۡءًاۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ لَمۡ یُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن یُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمۡۚ لَهُمۡ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا خِزۡیࣱۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِیمࣱ ۝٤١ yāayyuhā l-rasūlu lā yaḥzunka alladhīna yusāriʿūna fī l-kuf'ri mina alladhīna qālū āmannā bi-afwāhihim walam tu'min qulūbuhum wamina alladhīna hādū sammāʿūna lil'kadhibi sammāʿūna liqawmin ākharīna lam yatūka yuḥarrifūna l-kalima min baʿdi mawāḍiʿihi yaqūlūna in ūtītum hādhā fakhudhūhu wa-in lam tu'tawhu fa-iḥ'dharū waman yuridi l-lahu fit'natahu falan tamlika lahu mina l-lahi shayan ulāika alladhīna lam yuridi l-lahu an yuṭahhira qulūbahum lahum fī l-dun'yā khiz'yun walahum fī l-ākhirati ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmu Messenger, do not be grieved by those who race to surpass one another in disbelief- those who say with their mouths, ‘We believe,’ but have no faith in their hearts, and the Jews who listen eagerly to lies and to those who have not even met you, who distort the meanings of [revealed] words and say [to each other], ‘If you are given this ruling, accept it, but if you are not, then beware!’––if God intends some people to be so misguided, you will be powerless against God on their behalf. These are the ones whose hearts God does not intend to cleanse- a disgrace for them in this world, and then a heavy punishment in the Hereafter 42 سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِلۡكَذِبِ أَكَّـٰلُونَ لِلسُّحۡتِۚ فَإِن جَاۤءُوكَ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُمۡ أَوۡ أَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡۖ وَإِن تُعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ فَلَن یَضُرُّوكَ شَیۡءࣰاۖ وَإِنۡ حَكَمۡتَ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُم بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِینَ ۝٤٢ sammāʿūna lil'kadhibi akkālūna lilssuḥ'ti fa-in jāūka fa-uḥ'kum baynahum aw aʿriḍ ʿanhum wa-in tuʿ'riḍ ʿanhum falan yaḍurrūka shayan wa-in ḥakamta fa-uḥ'kum baynahum bil-qis'ṭi inna l-laha yuḥibbu l-muq'siṭīn they listen eagerly to lies and consume what is unlawful. If they come to you [Prophet] for judgement, you can either judge between them, or decline- if you decline, they will not harm you in any way, but if you do judge between them, judge justly: God loves the just