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At-Tawbah (The Repentance)

Verse 37of 129

إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّسِىٓءُ زِيَادَةٌۭ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُحِلُّونَهُۥ عَامًۭا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥ عَامًۭا لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا۟ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ أَعْمَٰلِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ﴿٣٧

Translation (Sahih International)

Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

Word-by-word meaning

إِنَّمَاinnamāIndeed
ٱلنَّسِىٓءُl-nasīuthe postponing
زِيَادَةٌۭziyādatun(is) an increase
فِىin
ٱلْكُفْرِ ۖl-kuf'rithe disbelief
يُضَلُّyuḍalluare led astray
بِهِbihiby it
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieve
يُحِلُّونَهُۥyuḥillūnahuThey make it lawful
عَامًۭاʿāmanone year
وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥwayuḥarrimūnahuand make it unlawful
عَامًۭاʿāman(another) year
لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟liyuwāṭiūto adjust
عِدَّةَʿiddatathe number
مَاwhich
حَرَّمَḥarramaAllah has made unlawful
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah has made unlawful
فَيُحِلُّوا۟fayuḥillūand making lawful
مَاwhat
حَرَّمَḥarramaAllah has made unlawful
ٱللَّهُ ۚl-lahuAllah has made unlawful
زُيِّنَzuyyinaIs made fair-seeming
لَهُمْlahumto them
سُوٓءُsūu(the) evil
أَعْمَـٰلِهِمْ ۗaʿmālihim(of) their deeds
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
لَا(does) not
يَهْدِىyahdīguide
ٱلْقَوْمَl-qawmathe people
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَl-kāfirīnathe disbelievers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Admonishing the Preference of Opinion in a Religious MatterAllah admonishes the idolators for choosing their wicked opinions over Allah's Law. They changed Allah's legislation based upon their vain desires, allowing what Allah prohibited and prohibiting what Allah allowed. They thought that three consecutive sacred months were rather long for them to remain without fighting, for they were full of anger and rage.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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