waqāla alladhīna kafarū lilladhīna āmanū ittabiʿū sabīlanā walnaḥmil khaṭāyākum wamā hum biḥāmilīna min khaṭāyāhum min shayin innahum lakādhibūna
Translation
And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Follow our way, and we will carry your sins."1126 But they will not carry anything of their sins. Indeed, they are liars.
Notes
[1126] The phrase may also read: "and let us carry your sins," i.e., the responsibility for your sins.
Verse 12 of Surah Al-’Ankabut (29:12), a Meccan surah, is in juz 20, on page 397 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 12 of Surah Al-’Ankabut
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Tafsir of verse 12
Al-Mukhtasar
And the disbelievers said to those who brought faith in Allah alone: “Follow our religion and what we are on, and we will carry your sins for you and we take responsibility for them”. They will not carry any of their sins, and they are lying in this statement of theirs.
Those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Follow our way, and we will bear the burden of your sins.” But they will never bear any of their sins. They are indeed liars.
And those who disbelieve say to those who believe: "Follow our way and we will verily bear your sins." Never will they bear anything of their sins. Surely, they are liars.
Those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Follow our way (of religion) and we verily will bear your sins (for you). They cannot bear aught of their sins. Lo! they verily are liars.
And the Unbelievers say to those who believe: "Follow our path, and we will bear (the consequences) of your faults." Never in the least will they bear their faults: in fact they are liars!
And those who disbelieve say to those who believe: Follow our path and we will bear your wrongs. And never shall they be the bearers of any of their wrongs; most surely they are liars.
And the ones who have disbelieved said to the ones who have believed, "Closely follow our way and let us carry your sins." And in no way can they carry anything of their sins. Surely they are indeed liars.
Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allāh, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allāh will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allāh give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].
So you see those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] hastening into [association with] them, saying, "We are afraid a misfortune may strike us." But perhaps Allāh will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful.
Allāh would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good. Nor would Allāh reveal to you the unseen. But [instead], Allāh chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in Allāh and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward.
And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their Lord unseen and have established prayer. And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allāh is the [final] destination.
And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, "If it had [truly] been good, they would not have preceded us to it." And when they are not guided by it, they will say, "This is an ancient falsehood."
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Which of [our] two parties is best in position and best in association?"
And when it is said to them, "Spend from that which Allāh has provided for you," those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Should we feed one whom, if Allāh had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error."
