Surah Al-Anfal 8:34 — translation and meaning

الأنفال · Verse 34 / 75 · Page 181

ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Word by Word

ۚ
وَمَا
wama
But what
لَهُمْ
lahum
(is) for them
أَلَّا
alla
that not
يُعَذِّبَهُمُ
yu'adhibahumu
(should) punish them
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
يَصُدُّونَ
yasudduna
hinder (people)
عَنِ
ani
from
الْمَسْجِدِ
al-masjidi
Al-Masjid
الْحَرَامِ
al-harami
Al-Haraam
وَمَا
wama
while not
كَانُوا
kanu
they are
أَوْلِيَاءَهُ
awliyaahu
its guardians
إِنْ
in
Not (can be)
أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ
awliyauhu
its guardians
إِلَّا
illa
except
الْمُتَّقُونَ
al-mutaquna
the ones who fear Allah
وَلَكِنَّ
walakinna
but
أَكْثَرَهُمْ
aktharahum
most of them
لَا
la
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
ya'lamuna
know

Transliteration

Wa maa lahum allaa yu'az zibahumul laahu wa hum yasuddoona 'anil Masjidil-Haraami wa maa kaanooo awliyaaa'ah; in awliyaaa' uhooo illal muttaqoona wa laakinna aksarahum laa ya'lamoon

Translation

But why should Allah not punish them while they obstruct [people] from al-Masjid al- Haram and they were not [fit to be] its guardians? Its [true] guardians are not but the righteous, but most of them do not know.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

What prevents them being punished when they have unjustly stopped people from performing both the circling (ţawāf) and the prayer in the Sacred Mosque – actions deserving of punishment? The idolaters are not Allah’s allies. The allies of Allah are only those who are mindful of Him by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Most of the idolaters do not know this, as they claim they are Allah’s allies when they are not.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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