[Allāh] said, "Then indeed, it is forbidden to them for forty years [in which] they will wander throughout the land. So do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people."
Verse 26 of Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:26), a Medinan surah, is in juz 6, on page 112 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 26 of Surah Al-Ma’idah
79 recitations by 73 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
All voices (79)
Tafsir of verse 26
Al-Mukhtasar
Allah said to His Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), ‘Allah has forbidden entry into the Holy Land for the Israelites for a period of forty years, in which they will wander on earth aimlessly without direction. Do not grieve, O Moses, over those who do not follow Allah, because the punishment they receive is because of their sins’.
[Allah] said, “Then this land will be forbidden to them for forty years, while they will be straying through the land. Therefore, do not grieve24 over the rebellious people.”
Notes
[24] Allah repeatedly reminds Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) of not falling prey to sadness on account of the disbelievers’ ardent denial.
(Allâh) said: "Therefore it (this holy land) is forbidden to them for forty years; in distraction they will wander through the land. So be not sorrowful over the people who are the Fâsiqûn (rebellious and disobedient to Allâh)."
(Their Lord) said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk.
Allah said: "Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years: In distraction will they wander through the land: But sorrow thou not over these rebellious people.
He said: So it shall surely be forbidden to them for forty years, they shall wander about in the land, therefore do not grieve for the nation of transgressors.
Said He, "Then surely it will be prohibited for them for forty years (while) they go astray in the earth. So do not feel sad about the immoral people."
But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allāh and His beloved." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins?" Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
Say, "O People of the Scripture, you are [standing] on nothing until you uphold [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān]." And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. So do not grieve over the disbelieving people.
