Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:188
And never think that those who rejoice in what they have perpetrated and like to be praised for what they did not do - never think them [to be] in safety from the punishment, and for them is a painful punishment.
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 His word: لا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (188) (Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done — do not think that they are in safety from the punishment (ʿadhāb); for them there is a painful punishment.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The exegetes differed concerning the explanation of that.
Some of them said: By this was meant a group of the people of hypocrisy (nifāq), who stayed behind and did not march out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he fought the enemy; and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned, they excused themselves to him and loved to be praised for what they had not done.
* Mention of who said that:
8335 - Muḥammad ibn Sahl ibn ʿAskar and Ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Barqī related to us, both saying: Ibn Abī Maryam related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Abī Kathīr related to us, he said: Zayd ibn Aslam related to me, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī: that in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ there were men of the hypocrites (munāfiqīn) who, when the Prophet ﷺ marched out to battle, stayed behind and rejoiced in their sitting back, in opposition to the Messenger of Allah. And when the Prophet ﷺ returned from the journey, they excused themselves to him and loved to be praised for what they had not done. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed concerning them: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", the verse.
8336 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have been given and love to be praised for what they have not done", he said: These are the hypocrites (munāfiqīn); they say to the Prophet ﷺ: If only you march out, we will march out with you! But when the Prophet ﷺ marches out, they stay behind and lie, and they rejoice in that and think it is a stratagem they have devised.
Others said: By this was meant a group of the scribes of the Jews, who rejoiced in the fact that they led the people astray, and in the people's attribution of knowledge to them.
* Mention of who said that:
8337 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of Zayd ibn Thābit, on the authority of ʿIkrima, the freedman of Ibn ʿAbbās, or Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ (And when Allah took the covenant of those who had been given the Book) up to His word: "and for them there is a painful punishment", he means Finḥāṣ and Ashyaʿ and their like among the scribes, who rejoice in what they obtain of the world by reason of the misguidance which they make fair-seeming to the people, "and love to be praised for what they have not done", that the people should say to them: scholars — while they are not people of knowledge, for they did not bring them to guidance or goodness — and they love that the people should say to them: they have done it.
8338 - Abū Kurayb related to us, he said: Yūnus ibn Bukayr related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of Zayd ibn Thābit, related to me, on the authority of ʿIkrima: that he related to him on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās something similar, except that he said: and they are not people of knowledge, they did not bring them to guidance.
Others said: Rather, by this was meant a group of the Jews, who rejoiced in the unanimity of their word in denying Muḥammad ﷺ, and who loved to be praised by being told: people of prayer and fasting.
* Mention of who said that:
8339 - It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān informed us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Muzāḥim say concerning His word: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", for they rejoiced in their unanimity in their unbelief (kufr) toward Muḥammad ﷺ and said: "Allah has united our word, and not one of us contradicted another [concerning the fact that Muḥammad is not a prophet]." And they said: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved ones, and we are the people of prayer and fasting" — and they lied; on the contrary, they are the people of unbelief (kufr), associating partners with Allah (shirk), and slander against Allah. Allah said: "they love to be praised for what they have not done".
8340 - Yaḥyā ibn Abī Ṭālib related to me, he said: Yazīd informed us, he said: Juwaybir informed us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, concerning His word: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done", he said: The Jews enjoined one another, and one would write to another: "Indeed, Muḥammad is not a prophet, so unite your word, and hold fast to your religion and to your Book that is with you." And they did that and rejoiced in it, and they rejoiced in their unanimity in unbelief (kufr) toward Muḥammad ﷺ.
8341 - Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, he said: They concealed the name of Muḥammad ﷺ and rejoiced in that, and they rejoiced in their unanimity in unbelief (kufr) toward Muḥammad ﷺ.
8342 - Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, he said: They concealed the name of Muḥammad ﷺ and rejoiced in that when they became unanimous concerning it. And they praised themselves as free of blame and said: "We are the people of fasting and the people of prayer and the people of the zakāh, and we follow the religion of Ibrāhīm ﷺ." Then Allah revealed concerning them: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", in concealing Muḥammad ﷺ, "and love to be praised for what they have not done", they loved that the Arabs should praise them for that by which they held themselves free of blame, while they were not so.
8343 - al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Abū al-Jaḥḥāf, on the authority of Muslim al-Baṭīn, he said: al-Ḥajjāj asked his company about this verse: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done". Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said: By their concealing of Muḥammad, "and love to be praised for what they have not done", he said: that is their saying: "We follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him."
8344 - Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done" — they are the People of the Book; the Book was revealed to them, but they judged contrary to the truth and altered the words from their places, and they rejoiced in that and loved to be praised for what they had not done. They rejoiced that they had disbelieved in Muḥammad ﷺ and in what Allah had revealed, while they claimed that they worshipped Allah, fasted and prayed, and obeyed Allah. Then Allah, exalted is His praise, said to Muḥammad ﷺ: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", in disbelief in Allah and disbelief in Muḥammad ﷺ, "and love to be praised for what they have not done", of prayer and fasting. Then Allah, Mighty and Exalted, said to Muḥammad ﷺ: "then do not think that they are in safety from the punishment; for them there is a painful punishment".
Others said: Rather, the meaning of that is: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", in their alteration of the Book of Allah, and who love that the people should praise them for that.
* Mention of who said that:
8345 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah, the Exalted: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", he said: The Jews, they rejoiced in the people's admiration for their alteration of the Book and in their praise concerning that; and the Jews do not possess that.
Others said: The meaning of that is: that they rejoiced in what Allah, the Exalted, had bestowed upon the family of Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him.
* Mention of who said that:
8346 - Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, he said: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū al-Muʿallā, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that he said concerning this verse: "and love to be praised for what they have not done", he said: The Jews, they rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him.
8347 - Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Wahb ibn Jarīr related to us, he said: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū al-Muʿallā al-ʿAṭṭār, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, he said: They are the Jews, they rejoiced in what Allah, the Exalted, has given to Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him.
Others said: Rather, by this was meant a group of the Jews, of whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked something and they concealed it from him, whereupon they rejoiced in their concealing of it from him.
Mention of who said that:
8348 - al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Ibn Jurayj informed us, he said: Ibn Abī Mulayka informed me: that ʿAlqama ibn Abī Waqqāṣ informed him: that Marwān said to Rāfiʿ: Go, O Rāfiʿ, to Ibn ʿAbbās and say to him: "If every person among us who rejoices in what he has done and loves to be praised for what he has not done were to be punished, then Allah would surely punish us all!" Then Ibn ʿAbbās said: What have you to do with this verse! The Prophet ﷺ only called the Jews and asked them something, and they concealed it from him and informed him of something else, and they made it appear to him that they had obeyed Allah in that of which they informed him concerning what he asked them, and they rejoiced in what they had done of their concealing of it. Then he recited: وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ (And when Allah took the covenant of those who had been given the Book), the verse.
8349 - al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, he said: Ibn Jurayj said: ʿAbdallāh ibn Abī Mulayka informed me: that Ḥumayd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf informed him: that Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam said to his gatekeeper: O Rāfiʿ, go to Ibn ʿAbbās and say to him: "If every person among us who rejoices in what he has done and loves to be praised for what he has not done were to be punished, then we would all surely be punished!" Then Ibn ʿAbbās said: What have you to do with this verse? It was only revealed concerning the People of the Book! Then Ibn ʿAbbās recited: وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ (And when Allah took the covenant of those who had been given the Book: you shall surely make it clear to the people) up to His word: "love to be praised for what they have not done". Ibn ʿAbbās said: The Prophet ﷺ asked them something and they concealed it from him and informed him of something else, and they departed having made it appear to him that they had informed him of that about which he had asked them, and they sought thereby praise from him, and they rejoiced in what they had done of their concealing from him of that about which he had asked them.
Others said: Rather, by this was meant a group of the Jews, who feigned hypocrisy toward the Prophet ﷺ out of love for praise, while Allah knew the opposite of that from them.
* Mention of who said that:
8350 - Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: It was mentioned to us that the enemies of Allah, the Jews, the Jews of Khaybar, came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and claimed that they were satisfied with that with which he had come and that they followed him, while they held fast to their misguidance. And they wanted the Prophet of Allah ﷺ to praise them for what they had not done. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done", the verse.
8351 - al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: The people of Khaybar came to the Prophet ﷺ and his companions and said: "We follow your opinion and your way (sunna), and we are a support for you." Then Allah declared them liars and said: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", the two verses.
8352 - Ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Abū ʿUbayda, he said: A man came to ʿAbdallāh and said: Kaʿb greets you and says: Indeed, this verse was not revealed concerning you: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done." He said: Inform him that it was revealed while he was a Jew.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The most correct of these statements concerning the explanation of His word: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", the verse, is the statement of the one who said: "By this were meant the People of the Book, of whom Allah, Mighty and Exalted, informed that He took their covenant, that they should make clear to the people the matter of Muḥammad ﷺ and not conceal it" — for His word: "Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done", the verse, stands in the context of the report about them, and it resembles their history, with the agreement of the exegetes that they are the ones meant by it.
Since that is so, the explanation of the verse is: Do not think, O Muḥammad, that those who rejoice in what they have done of their concealing from the people of your matter — and that you are for Me a messenger sent with the truth, while they find you written down with them in their books, and I have taken the covenant over them to acknowledge your prophethood and to make your matter clear to the people and not to conceal it from them — and who, despite their breaking of My covenant which I took from them concerning that, rejoice in their disobedience toward Me in that and in their opposition to My command, and who love that the people should praise them as being people of obedience to Allah and worship and prayer and fasting, and of following His revelation and sending down which He sent down upon His prophets — while they are free and stripped of that, by reason of their denial of His messenger and their breaking of His covenant which He took from them; they have done nothing of that for which they love the people to praise them. "Then do not think that they are in safety from the punishment; for them there is a painful punishment."
And His word: "then do not think that they are in safety from the punishment", do not think that they are in a place of refuge from the punishment of Allah which He has prepared for His enemies in the world — of the swallowing up by the earth, transformation of form, earthquake, killing, and what resembles that of the punishment of Allah — nor that they are far removed from it, as:
8353 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: "then do not think that they are in safety from the punishment", he said: in a place of refuge from the punishment.
Abū Jaʿfar said: "and for them there is a painful punishment", he says: and for them in the Hereafter there is likewise a painful punishment (ʿadhāb), in addition to that which has been hastened for them in the world.
