Arabic Text:
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓاْ أَمْوَٲلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتُدْلُواْ بِهَآ إِلَىٰ ٱلْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُواْ فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَٲلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
English Translation (Tafheem-ul-Quran by Abul Ala Maududi):
Do not usurp one another’s possessions by false means, nor proffer your possessions to the authorities so that you may sinfully and knowingly usurp a portion of another’s possessions.
Q: What is the primary prohibition in this verse?
A: The verse prohibits usurping or consuming others’ possessions through false and unlawful means, and it specifically forbids using bribes or false claims before authorities to illegitimately acquire what belongs to others.
Q: What are the two key meanings of this verse according to Maududi’s Tafseer?
A: According to Tafheem-ul-Quran, the two key meanings are:
- People must not seek illegitimate benefits by bribing magistrates or judicial authorities.
- A person who knows that claimed property rightfully belongs to someone else must not file a false judicial petition, even if the other party lacks evidence or can be outmaneuvered through trickery.
Q: If a court rules in favor of a false claimant, does that make the property lawful for them?
A: No. According to Maududi’s commentary, even if a judicial verdict is given in favor of a false claimant due to chicanery or superior argumentation, the property remains unlawful (haram) for that person in the sight of God. A court ruling does not override Divine Law when the claim itself is dishonest.
Q: What does the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ mentioned in this Tafseer say?
A: The Prophet ﷺ said: “I am merely a human being and you bring to me your disputes. It is possible that some of you will be more impressive in argument than others, so that I may give judgement in favour of one on the basis of what I hear. Beware that if I award to someone what belongs to his brother, I will have assigned to him a lump of Fire.”
(Reported in Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da’ud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, and others.)
Q: What is the moral and spiritual lesson of this verse?
A: The verse emphasizes that true ownership is not determined by legal victories or judicial rulings alone, but by the moral and Divine standard of rightful entitlement. It warns that knowingly exploiting legal systems to acquire what is not yours is a grave sin, regardless of the outward outcome of any court proceedings.
Messages from Quran 