Tafseer of The Cow · Al-Baqara · 2:12
Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of Allah, exalted is His praise: أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَكِنْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ (2:12)
(Verily, it is they who are the corrupters, but they do not perceive it.)
This saying of Allah, exalted is His praise, constitutes a refutation (a giving of the lie) of the hypocrites (munāfiqīn) with respect to their claim. When they were commanded to obey Allah in that which Allah commanded them, and were forbidden to disobey Allah in that which Allah forbade them, they would say: "We are only reformers and not corrupters, and we are — in that for which you reproach us — upon righteousness and upon guidance, and not you; we are by no means strayers."
Thereupon Allah, mighty and exalted, declared them to be liars in this saying of theirs, and He said: Verily, it is they who are the corrupters, who go against the command of Allah, mighty and exalted, who transgress His limits (ḥudūd), who immerse themselves in disobedience to Him, who neglect His obligations. And they do not perceive it and do not know that they are thus — and not those who call them to justice among the believers (muʾminīn), and who forbid them to disobey Allah upon His earth among the Muslims.
