Surah Nisa ayat 160 Tafsir Quran 4:160

﴿فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا﴾
[ النساء: 160]

4:160 For wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their averting from the way of Allah many [people],

And because of the evildoing fa-bi-zulmin is to be understood as fa-bi-sababi zulmin ‘and for the reason of the evildoing’ of some of those of Jewry the Jews We have forbidden them certain good things that were lawful for them those things mentioned where God says And to those of Jewry We have forbidden every beast with claws Q. 6146; and because of their barring of people from God’s way from His religion many a time.

And in consequence of their iniquities and wrongful actions, We denied them some good and wholesome victuals which were lawful to them aforetime, not to mention their frequent standing in the way to pervert Allahs spirit of truth from guiding people into all truth

Some Foods Were Made Unlawful for the Jews Because of their Injustice and Wrongdoing Allah states that because of the injustice and transgression of the Jews, demonstrated by committing major sins, He prohibited some of the lawful, pure things which were previously allowed for them.
This prohibition could be only that of decree, meaning that Allah allowed the Jews to falsely interpret their Book and change and alter the information about what was allowed for them.
They thus, out of exaggeration and extremism in the religion, prohibited some things for themselves.
It could also mean that in the Tawrah, Allah prohibited things that were allowed for them before.
Allah said, كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ ( All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. ) We mentioned this Ayah before, which means that all types of food were allowed for the Children of Israel before the Tawrah was revealed, except the camel's meat and milk that Isra'il prohibited for himself.
Later, Allah prohibited many things in the Tawrah.
Allah said in Surat Al-An`am ( chapter 6 ), وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَـدِقُونَ ( And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal ) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone.
Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion.
And verily, We are Truthful.) This means, We prohibited these things for them because they deserved it due to their transgression, injustice, defying their Messenger and disputing with him.
So Allah said; فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً ( For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's way. ) This Ayah states that they hindered themselves and others from following the truth, and this is the behavior that they brought from the past to the present.
This is why they were and still are the enemies of the Messengers, killing many of the Prophets.
They also denied Muhammad ﷺ and `Isa, peace be upon them.
mAllah said, وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُواْ عَنْهُ ( And their taking of Riba' though they were forbidden from taking it, ) Allah prohibited them from taking Riba', yet they did so using various kinds of tricks, ploys and cons, thus devouring people's property unjustly.
Allah said, وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً ( And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment.
) Allah then said, لَّـكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ ( But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge... ) firm in the religion and full of beneficial knowledge.
We mentioned this subject when we explained Surah Al `Imran ( 3 ).
The Ayah; وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ( and the believers... ) refers to the well-grounded in knowledge; يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ( believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you; ) Ibn `Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning `Abdullah bin Salam, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Zayd bin Sa`yah and Asad bin `Ubayd who embraced Islam and believed what Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with.
Allah said, وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ ( and give Zakah, ) This could be referring to the obligatory charity due on one's wealth and property, or those who purify themselves, or both.
Allah knows best. وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ ( and believe in Allah and in the Last Day, ) They believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, believe in Resurrection after death and the reward or punishment for the good or evil deeds.
Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ ( It is they, ) those whom the Ayah described above, سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْراً عَظِيماً ( To whom We shall give a great reward. ) means Paradise.

(4:160) Thus, *198 We forbade them many clean things which had earlier been made lawful for them, *199 for the wrong-doing of those who became Jews, for their barring many from the way of Allah, *200

For wrongdoing on the part of the meaning

*198).
After this parenthetical statement, the main discourse is once again resumed.

*199).
This may refer to the regulation mentioned in Surah al-An'am 6: 146, that all beasts with claws, and the fat of both oxen and sheep, were prohibited to the Jews.
It might also refer, however, to the highly elaborate set of prohibitions found in Judaic Law.
To restrict the choice of alternatives in their life is indeed a kind of punishment for a people.
( For a fuller discussion see Surah al-An'am 6, n.
122 below. )
*200).
The Jews, on the whole, are not satisfied with their own deviation from the path of God.
They have become such inherent criminals that their brains and resources seem to be behind almost every movement which arises for the purpose of misleading and corrupting human beings.
And whenever there arises a movement to call people to the Truth, the Jews are inclined to oppose it even though they are the bearers of the Scripture and inheritors of the message of the Prophets.
Their latest contribution is Communism - an ideology which is the product of a Jewish brain and which has developed under Jewish leadership.
It seems ironical that the professed followers of Moses and other Prophets should be prominent as the founders and promoters of an ideology which, for the first time in human history, is professedly based on a categorical denial of, and an undying hostility to God, and which openly strives to obliterate every form of godliness.
The other movement which in modern times is second only to Communism in misleading people is the philosophy of Freud.
It is a strange coincidence that Freud too was a Jew.

 

Some Foods Were Made Unlawful for the Jews Because of their Injustice and Wrongdoing Allah states that because of the injustice and transgression of the Jews, demonstrated by committing major sins, He prohibited some of the lawful, pure things which were previously allowed for them.
This prohibition could be only that of decree, meaning that Allah allowed the Jews to falsely interpret their Book and change and alter the information about what was allowed for them.
They thus, out of exaggeration and extremism in the religion, prohibited some things for themselves.
It could also mean that in the Tawrah, Allah prohibited things that were allowed for them before.
Allah said, كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ ( All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. ) We mentioned this Ayah before, which means that all types of food were allowed for the Children of Israel before the Tawrah was revealed, except the camel's meat and milk that Isra'il prohibited for himself.
Later, Allah prohibited many things in the Tawrah.
Allah said in Surat Al-An`am ( chapter 6 ), وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ أَوِ الْحَوَايَآ أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَـهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وِإِنَّا لَصَـدِقُونَ ( And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal ) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone.
Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion.
And verily, We are Truthful.) This means, We prohibited these things for them because they deserved it due to their transgression, injustice, defying their Messenger and disputing with him.
So Allah said; فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَـتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً ( For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's way. ) This Ayah states that they hindered themselves and others from following the truth, and this is the behavior that they brought from the past to the present.
This is why they were and still are the enemies of the Messengers, killing many of the Prophets.
They also denied Muhammad ﷺ and `Isa, peace be upon them.
mAllah said, وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُواْ عَنْهُ ( And their taking of Riba' though they were forbidden from taking it, ) Allah prohibited them from taking Riba', yet they did so using various kinds of tricks, ploys and cons, thus devouring people's property unjustly.
Allah said, وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً ( And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment.
) Allah then said, لَّـكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ ( But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge... ) firm in the religion and full of beneficial knowledge.
We mentioned this subject when we explained Surah Al `Imran ( 3 ).
The Ayah; وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ( and the believers... ) refers to the well-grounded in knowledge; يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ( believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you; ) Ibn `Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning `Abdullah bin Salam, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Zayd bin Sa`yah and Asad bin `Ubayd who embraced Islam and believed what Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with.
Allah said, وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ ( and give Zakah, ) This could be referring to the obligatory charity due on one's wealth and property, or those who purify themselves, or both.
Allah knows best. وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ ( and believe in Allah and in the Last Day, ) They believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, believe in Resurrection after death and the reward or punishment for the good or evil deeds.
Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ ( It is they, ) those whom the Ayah described above, سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْراً عَظِيماً ( To whom We shall give a great reward. ) means Paradise.

( Because of the wrong-doing of the Jews We forbade them good things which were (before ) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah’s way) and because of their hindering the mention of Allah’s Religion,

For the wrong-doing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which has been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's Way;

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