Verse 5:42 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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

43 وَكَیۡفَ یُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِندَهُمُ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةُ فِیهَا حُكۡمُ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ یَتَوَلَّوۡنَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَ ٰلِكَۚ وَمَاۤ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝٤٣ wakayfa yuḥakkimūnaka waʿindahumu l-tawrātu fīhā ḥuk'mu l-lahi thumma yatawallawna min baʿdi dhālika wamā ulāika bil-mu'minīn but why do they come to you for judgement when they have the Torah with God’s judgement, and even then still turn away? These are not believers 44 إِنَّاۤ أَنزَلۡنَا ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَ فِیهَا هُدࣰى وَنُورࣱۚ یَحۡكُمُ بِهَا ٱلنَّبِیُّونَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَسۡلَمُوا۟ لِلَّذِینَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلرَّبَّـٰنِیُّونَ وَٱلۡأَحۡبَارُ بِمَا ٱسۡتُحۡفِظُوا۟ مِن كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَانُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِ شُهَدَاۤءَۚ فَلَا تَخۡشَوُا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِ وَلَا تَشۡتَرُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِی ثَمَنࣰا قَلِیلࣰاۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَحۡكُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٤٤ innā anzalnā l-tawrāta fīhā hudan wanūrun yaḥkumu bihā l-nabiyūna alladhīna aslamū lilladhīna hādū wal-rabāniyūna wal-aḥbāru bimā us'tuḥ'fiẓū min kitābi l-lahi wakānū ʿalayhi shuhadāa falā takhshawū l-nāsa wa-ikh'shawni walā tashtarū biāyātī thamanan qalīlan waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-kāfirūn We revealed the Torah with guidance and light, and the prophets, who had submitted to God, judged according to it for the Jews. So did the rabbis and the scholars in accordance with that part of God’s Scripture which they were entrusted to preserve, and to which they were witnesses. So [rabbis and scholars] do not fear people, fear Me; do not barter away My messages for a small price; those who do not judge according to what God has sent down are rejecting [God’s teachings] 45 وَكَتَبۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ فِیهَاۤ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ بِٱلنَّفۡسِ وَٱلۡعَیۡنَ بِٱلۡعَیۡنِ وَٱلۡأَنفَ بِٱلۡأَنفِ وَٱلۡأُذُنَ بِٱلۡأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلۡجُرُوحَ قِصَاصࣱۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةࣱ لَّهُۥۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَحۡكُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۝٤٥ wakatabnā ʿalayhim fīhā anna l-nafsa bil-nafsi wal-ʿayna bil-ʿayni wal-anfa bil-anfi wal-udhuna bil-udhuni wal-sina bil-sini wal-jurūḥa qiṣāṣun faman taṣaddaqa bihi fahuwa kaffāratun lahu waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-ẓālimūn In the Torah We prescribed for them a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, an equal wound for a wound: if anyone forgoes this out of charity, it will serve as atonement for his bad deeds. Those who do not judge according to what God has revealed are doing grave wrong 46 وَقَفَّیۡنَا عَلَىٰۤ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم بِعِیسَى ٱبۡنِ مَرۡیَمَ مُصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِۖ وَءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡإِنجِیلَ فِیهِ هُدࣰى وَنُورࣱ وَمُصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَهُدࣰى وَمَوۡعِظَةࣰ لِّلۡمُتَّقِینَ ۝٤٦ waqaffaynā ʿalā āthārihim biʿīsā ib'ni maryama muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti waātaynāhu l-injīla fīhi hudan wanūrun wamuṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti wahudan wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīn We sent Jesus, son of Mary, in their footsteps, to confirm the Torah that had been sent before him: We gave him the Gospel with guidance, light, and confirmation of the Torah already revealed- a guide and lesson for those who take heed of God