Surah Nisa ayat 161 Tafsir Quran 4:161

﴿وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ ۚ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا﴾
[ النساء: 161]

4:161 And [for] their taking of usury while they had been forbidden from it, and their consuming of the people's wealth unjustly. And we have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.

And because of their taking usury when they had been forbidden it in the Torah and their consuming people’s wealth through falsehood through bribes in adjudications and We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful chastisement.

Also, their ill gotten gain from usury which they have been utterly forbidden to practice and their unlawful organized scheme to eat people out of their property. And We have prepared for those of them who are disobedient rebels a condign punishment

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.

(4:161) and for their taking interest which had been prohibited to them, *201 and for their consuming the wealth of others wrongfully. And for the un believers among them We have prepared a painful chastisement. *202

And [for] their taking of usury while meaning

*201).
The Torah categorically lays down the injunction: 'And if you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him.
If ever you take your neighbour's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate' ( Exodus 22: 25-7 ).
This is one of several passages of the Torah which embody the prohibition of interest.
The followers of the Torah, however, are most conspicuously engaged in transactions involving interest and have become notorious the world over for their meanness and hard-heartedness in monetary matters.

*202).
God has kept in store a painful punishment both in this world and in the Next for those Jews who have deviated from the course of true faith and sincere obedience to God, and are steeped in rejection of faith and rebellion against God.
The severe punishment which has befallen the Jews in this world is unique and should serve as a lesson for all.
Two thousand years have gone by and they have remained scattered all over the world and have been treated everywhere as outcasts.
There has been no period during the last two millennia when they have not been looked on ignominiously and there is no part of the world where they are respected despite their enormous riches.
What is more, this nation has been left dangling between life and death, unlike other nations which once appeared on the stage of history and then vanished.
Their condemnation to this state of suspension makes them a lesson for all nations till the end of time.
It marks the tragic fate that meets a people who, despite enjoying the guidance of the Book of God, dare to defy God.
It would seem that their punishment in the Hereafter must be even more severe than in the present world.
( For the questions which arise about the validity of our view, in spite of the establishment of the state of Israel, see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol.
I, Surah 3: 112, n.
90. )
 

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.

( And of their taking usury ) of their making usury lawful ( when they were forbidden it ) in the Torah, ( and of their devouring ) and because of their consumption of ( people’s wealth by false pretences ) through transgression and bribery, We forbade them the fat which covers the stomach and bowels and the meat and milk of camels, which were before lawful for them. ( We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve ) among the Jews ( a painful doom ) the pain of which will reach to their hearts.

And their taking of Riba (usury) though they were forbidden from taking it and their devouring of men's substance wrongfully (bribery, etc.). And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment.

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