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Surah Al-Ma’idah, Verse 78

سورة المائدة، الآية ٧٨

5:78 Juz 6 Hizb 12 Page 121 of the mushaf Medinan surah

Text of verse 5:78

لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ ۝٧٨

Transliteration

luʿina alladhīna kafarū min banī is'rāīla ʿalā lisāni dāwūda waʿīsā ib'ni maryama dhālika bimā ʿaṣaw wakānū yaʿtadūna

Translation

Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 78 of Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:78), a Medinan surah, is in juz 6, on page 121 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 78

Al-Mukhtasar

Allah, may He be glorified, tells us that He distanced the disbelievers of the Israelites from His mercy in the scripture He revealed to David, namely the Psalms, and in the scripture He revealed to Jesus, son of Mary, namely the Gospel. He did this because of the sins they committed and due to their violation of the things Allah made sacred.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Ma’idah

Other translations of verse 78

Those who disbelieved from the Children of Israel were cursed on the tongue of David and Jesus son of Mary. That was because of their disobedience and their persistence in transgression.

Those among the Children of Israel27 who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dâwûd (David) and ‘Îsâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allâh and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds.

Notes

[27] (V.5:78). The tale of a leper, a bald man and a blind man:
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that he heard Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saying, "Allâh willed to test three Isrâelis who were a leper, a blind man and a bald headed man. So, He sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He replied, ‘Good colour and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good colour and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Camels.’
So he (i.e., the leper) was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said (to him), ‘May Allâh bless you in it.’ The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He said, ‘I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied ‘Cows.’ The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, ‘May Allâh bless in it.’ The angel went to the blind man and asked, ‘What thing do you like best?’ He said, ‘(I like) that Allâh may restore my eyesight to me so that I may see the people.’ The angel touched his eyes and Allâh gave him back his eyesight. The angel asked him, ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Sheep.’ The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, ‘I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allâh and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice colour and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination.’ The man replied, ‘I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).’ The angel said, ‘I think I know you. Were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren’t you a poor man, and then Allâh gave you (all this property).’ He replied, ‘(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my forefathers.’ The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie then let Allâh make you as you were before.’ Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allâh make you as you were before.’ The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, ‘I am a poor man and a traveller, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allâh, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eyesight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey.’ The man said, ‘No doubt, I was blind and Allâh gave me back my eyesight; I was poor and Allâh made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allâh, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allâh’s sake.’ The angel replied, ‘Keep your property with you. You (i.e., three men) have been tested and Allâh is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions.’" (Sahih Al Bukhâri, Vol.4, Hadîth No.670).

Those of the Children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and used to transgress.

Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses.

Those who disbelieved from among the children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of Dawood and Isa, son of Marium; this was because they disobeyed and used to exceed the limit.

Cursed were the ones who disbelieved of the Seeds (Or: sons) of Israel) by the tongue of Dawud (David) and Isa the son of Maryam; (Jesus son of Mary) that is for that they disobeyed and they were transgressing.

Verse 78 word by word

  1. لُعِنَ luʿina Were cursed ل ع ن
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
  3. كَفَرُوا۟ kafarū disbelieved ك ف ر
  4. مِنۢ min from
  5. بَنِىٓ banī (the) Children ب ن ي
  6. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is'rāīla (of) Israel
  7. عَلَىٰ ʿalā by
  8. لِسَانِ lisāni (the) tongue ل س ن
  9. دَاوُۥدَ dāwūda (of) Dawood
  10. وَعِيسَى waʿīsā and Isa
  11. ٱبْنِ ib'ni son ب ن ي
  12. مَرْيَمَ maryama (of) Maryam
  13. ذَٰلِكَ dhālika that (was)
  14. بِمَا bimā because
  15. عَصَوا۟ ʿaṣaw they disobeyed ع ص ي
  16. وَّكَانُوا۟ wakānū and they were ك و ن
  17. يَعْتَدُونَ yaʿtadūna transgressing ع د و

Hadiths that cite this verse

Weak Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3048

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When the Children of Isra'il fell into decline, a man among them would see his brother committing a sin, and prohibit them from it. The next day, what he saw him doing would not prevent him from eating with him, drinking with him, and associating with him. So…

"‏ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمَّا وَقَعَ فِيهِمُ النَّقْصُ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ فِيهِمْ يَرَى أَخَاهُ عَلَى الذَّنْبِ فَيَنْهَاهُ عَنْهُ فَإِذَا كَانَ الْغَدُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مَا رَأَى مِنْهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَكِيلَهُ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 1 other version

Verses related to verse 78

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Al-Ma’idah 5:105

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا ٱهْتَدَيْتُمْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

    O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allāh is your return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do.

  • Al-Ma’idah 5:63

    لَوْلَا يَنْهَىٰهُمُ ٱلرَّبَّٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلْأَحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ ٱلْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ ٱلسُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ

    Why do the rabbis and religious scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful? How wretched is what they have been practicing.

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Al-Baqarah 2:61

    وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ

    And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allāh [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.

  • Ali ’Imran 3:112

    ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوٓا۟ إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ

    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.

  • Al-Ahqaf 46:10

    قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِۦ فَـَٔامَنَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

    Say, "Have you considered: if it [i.e., the Qur’ān] was from Allāh, and you disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you were arrogant...?" Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2026 9 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ

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