And the Jews say, "The hand of Allāh is chained."273 Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills. And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. And We have cast among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindled the fire of war [against you], Allāh extinguished it. And they strive throughout the land [causing] corruption, and Allāh does not like corrupters.
Verse 64 of Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:64), a Medinan surah, is in juz 6, on page 118 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 64
Al-Mukhtasar
When the Jews were faced with difficulty and drought, they said, ‘Allah’s Hand is restrained from giving goodness and gifts. He is holding back from us what He has’. Their hands were restrained from doing goodness and they were removed from Allah’s mercy because of this statement of theirs. But in fact Allah’s Hands are wide open in goodness and generosity. He spends as He wills. He gives and He withholds. No one can stop Him or force Him. That which has been revealed to you, O Messenger, only increases the Jews in disobedience and disbelief because of their envy. He placed enmity and hatred between the various groups of the Jews. Whenever they gather to conspire for war and made preparation for it, Allah broke their unity and took away their strength. They continuously strive to do that which causes corruption in the earth by their attempts to wipe out Islam and by their plots against it.
The Jews say, “Allah’s Hand is restrained.” Their hands have been restrained53 and they have been cursed for what they say. Rather, His both Hands are wide open, spending as He pleases54. What has been sent down to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. We have cast among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to spread corruption in the land, and Allah does not like those who spread corruption.
Notes
[53] Implying inability to give or stinginess.
[54] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Indeed, the Right Hand of Allah is full, and spending cannot diminish it. It incessantly spends day and night. Suppose how much He must have spent since He created the heavens and earth, yet that did not decrease anything of what is in His Right Hand” [Al-Bukhārī: 7419, Muslim: 993]
The Jews say: "Allâh’s Hand is tied up (i.e. He does not give and spend of His Bounty)." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered. Nay, both His Hands22 are widely outstretched. He spends (of His Bounty) as He wills. Verily, the Revelation that has come to you from your Lord (Allâh) increases in most of them (their) obstinate rebellion and disbelief. We have put enmity and hatred amongst them till the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allâh extinguished it; and they (ever) strive to make mischief on the earth. And Allâh does not like the Mufsidûn (mischief-makers).
Notes
[22] (V.5:64) Sifât-ullâh صفات الله عز وجل (Qualities of Allâh): [See the footnote of (V.3:73)].
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: رضي الله عنهما Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allâh will grasp the whole (planet of) earth by His Hand, and all the heavens in His Right, and then He will say, ‘I am the King’ ".
Abu Hurairah said, "Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘Allâh will grasp the (planet of) earth’ " (Sahih Al-Bukhârî, Vol.9, Hadîth No. 509).
The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will. That which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them, and We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. As often as they light a fire for war, Allah extinguisheth it. Their effort is for corruption in the land, and Allah loveth not corrupters.
The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief.
And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers.
And the Jews have said, "The Hand of Allah is shackled." Shackled are their hands, and they are cursed for what they have said. No indeed (but) both His Hands are out spread, He expends how He decides. And indeed what has been sent down to you from your Lord will definitely increase many of them in all-in ordinance and disbelief; and We have cast among them enmity and abhorrence till the Day of the Resurrection. Whenever they kindle fire for war, Allah will extinguish it. And they endeavor (diligently) in the earth doing corruption; and Allah does not like the corruptors.
Allāh has certainly heard the statement of those [Jews] who said, "Indeed, Allāh is poor, while we are rich." We will record what they said and their killing of the prophets without right and will say, "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.
They have been put under humiliation [by Allāh] wherever they are overtaken, except for a rope [i.e., covenant] from Allāh and a rope [i.e., treaty] from the people [i.e., the Muslims]. And they have drawn upon themselves anger from Allāh and have been put under destitution. That is because they disbelieved in [i.e., rejected] the verses of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That is because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.
And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor [i.e., blessings] of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.
And if We had made it a foreign [i.e., non-Arabic] Qur’ān, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place.
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.
And from those who say, "We are Christians" We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded. So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allāh is going to inform them about what they used to do.
O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allāh will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allāh does not guide the disbelieving people.
Alif, Lām, Meem, Rā. These are the verses of the Book; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, but most of the people do not believe.
Then is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like one who is blind? They will only be reminded who are people of understanding -
And those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, and it guides to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.
