Surah Al-An'am, Ayah 108 (6:108)

ٱلْأَنْعَام

وَلَا تَسُبُّوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَدْوًۢا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ …

Quran 6:108 is ayah 108 of Surah Al-An'am (“The Cattle”), a Meccan surah of 165 ayahs. It is in Juz 7, on page 141 of the Madani Mushaf.

6:108
وَلَاتَسُبُّوا۟ٱلَّذِينَيَدْعُونَمِندُونِٱللَّهِفَيَسُبُّوا۟ٱللَّهَعَدْوًۢابِغَيْرِعِلْمٍ ۗكَذَٰلِكَزَيَّنَّالِكُلِّأُمَّةٍعَمَلَهُمْثُمَّإِلَىٰرَبِّهِممَّرْجِعُهُمْفَيُنَبِّئُهُمبِمَاكَانُوا۟يَعْمَلُونَ١٠٨
walā tasubbū alladhīna yadʿūna min dūni l-lahi fayasubbū l-laha ʿadwan bighayri ʿil'min kadhālika zayyannā likulli ummatin ʿamalahum thumma ilā rabbihim marjiʿuhum fayunabbi-uhum bimā kānū yaʿmalūna

And do not insult those they invoke other than Allāh, lest they insult Allāh in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.(108)

Word by word

  1. وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
  2. تَسُبُّوا۟tasubbūinsult
  3. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose whom
  4. يَدْعُونَyadʿūnathey invoke
  5. مِنminfrom
  6. دُونِdūniother than
  7. ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
  8. فَيَسُبُّوا۟fayasubbūlest they insult
  9. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  10. عَدْوًۢاʿadwan(in) enmity
  11. بِغَيْرِbighayriwithout
  12. عِلْمٍ ۗʿil'minknowledge
  13. كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
  14. زَيَّنَّاzayyannāWe have made fair-seeming
  15. لِكُلِّlikullito every
  16. أُمَّةٍummatincommunity
  17. عَمَلَهُمْʿamalahumtheir deed
  18. ثُمَّthummaThen
  19. إِلَىٰilāto
  20. رَبِّهِمrabbihimtheir Lord
  21. مَّرْجِعُهُمْmarjiʿuhum(is) their return
  22. فَيُنَبِّئُهُمfayunabbi-uhumthen He will inform them
  23. بِمَاbimāabout what
  24. كَانُوا۟kānūthey used to
  25. يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūnado

Tafsir (commentary) of 6:108

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Insulting the False gods of the Disbelievers, So that they Do not Insult Allah

Allah prohibits His Messenger and the believers from insulting the false deities of the idolators, although there is a clear benefit in doing so. Insulting their deities will lead to a bigger evil than its benefit, for the idolators might retaliate by insulting the God of the believers, Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas commented on this Ayah 6:108; "They (disbelievers) said, `O Muhammad! You will stop insulting our gods, or we will insult your Lord.' Thereafter, Allah prohibited the believers from insulting the disbelievers' idols,

فَيَسُبُّواْ اللَّهَ عَدْواً بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

(lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge.)" `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said, "Muslims used to insult the idols of the disbelievers and the disbelievers would retaliate by insulting Allah wrongfully without knowledge. Allah revealed,

وَلاَ تَسُبُّواْ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ

(And insult not those whom they worship besides Allah.)" On this same subject -- abandoning what carries benefit to avert a greater evil - it is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ سَبَّ وَالِدَيْه»

(Cursed is he who insults his own parents!) They said, "O Allah's Messenger! And how would a man insult his own parents" He said,

«يَسُبُّ أَبَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَسُبُّ أَبَاهُ وَيَسُبُّ أُمَّهُ فَيَسُبُّ أُمَّه»

(He insults a man's father, and that man insults his father, and insults his mother and that man insults his mother.) Allah's statement,

كَذَلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ

(Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings;) means, as We made fair seeming to the idolators loving their idols and defending them, likewise We made fair seeming to every previous nation the misguidance they indulged in. Allah's is the most perfect proof, and the most complete wisdom in all that He wills and chooses.

ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ مَّرْجِعُهُمْ

(then to their Lord is their return,) gathering and final destination,

فَيُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

(and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do.) He will compensate them for their deeds, good for good and evil for evil.

Read the full Surah Al-An'am