Quran 49:12 — Al-Hujuraat, verse 12
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ij'tanibū kathīran mina l-ẓani inna baʿḍa l-ẓani ith'mun walā tajassasū walā yaghtab baʿḍukum baʿḍan ayuḥibbu aḥadukum an yakula laḥma akhīhi maytan fakarih'tumūhu wa-ittaqū l-laha inna l-laha tawwābun raḥīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- O believers, eschew much suspicion; some suspicion is a sin. And do not spy, neither backbite one another; would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother dead? You would abominate it. And fear you God; assuredly God turns, and He is All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most guesswork [about one another] for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind your backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would loathe it! And be conscious of God. Verily, God is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace!
- Sahih International
- O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhā | O you who believe | — |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | O you who believe | — |
| 3 | ءَامَنُوا۟āmanū | O you who believe | أمن |
| 4 | ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ij'tanibū | Avoid | جنب |
| 5 | كَثِيرًۭاkathīran | much | كثر |
| 6 | مِّنَmina | of | — |
| 7 | ٱلظَّنِّl-ẓani | the assumption | ظنن |
| 8 | إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 9 | بَعْضَbaʿḍa | some | بعض |
| 10 | ٱلظَّنِّl-ẓani | assumption | ظنن |
| 11 | إِثْمٌۭ ۖith'mun | (is) sin | أثم |
| 12 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 13 | تَجَسَّسُوا۟tajassasū | spy | جسس |
| 14 | وَلَاwalā | and (do) not | — |
| 15 | يَغْتَبyaghtab | backbite | غيب |
| 16 | بَّعْضُكُمbaʿḍukum | some of you | بعض |
| 17 | بَعْضًا ۚbaʿḍan | (to) others | بعض |
| 18 | أَيُحِبُّayuḥibbu | Would like | حبب |
| 19 | أَحَدُكُمْaḥadukum | one of you | أحد |
| 20 | أَنan | to | — |
| 21 | يَأْكُلَyakula | eat | أكل |
| 22 | لَحْمَlaḥma | (the) flesh | لحم |
| 23 | أَخِيهِakhīhi | (of) his brother | أخو |
| 24 | مَيْتًۭاmaytan | dead | موت |
| 25 | فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚfakarih'tumūhu | Nay, you would hate it | كره |
| 26 | وَٱتَّقُوا۟wa-ittaqū | And fear Allah | وقي |
| 27 | ٱللَّهَ ۚl-laha | And fear Allah | أله |
| 28 | إِنَّinna | indeed | — |
| 29 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 30 | تَوَّابٌۭtawwābun | (is) Oft-Returning | توب |
| 31 | رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmun | Most Merciful | رحم |