Surah Hajj >> Currently viewing Surah Hajj Ayat 25 (22:25)

Surah Hajj Ayat 25 in Arabic Text

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلۡنَٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ سَوَآءً ٱلۡعَٰكِفُ فِيهِ وَٱلۡبَادِۚ وَمَن يُرِدۡ فِيهِ بِإِلۡحَادِۭ بِظُلۡمٖ نُّذِقۡهُ مِنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ
Innal lazeena kafaroo wa yasuddoona ‘an sabeelil laahi wal Masjidil Haraamil lazee ja’alnaahu linnaasi sawaaa’anil ‘aakifu feehi walbaad; wa mai yurid feehi bi ilhaadim bizulmin nuziqhu min ‘azaabin aleem (section 3)

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 25

Sahih International
Indeed, those who have disbelieved and avert [people] from the way of Allah and [from] al-Masjid al-Haram, which We made for the people – equal are the resident therein and one from outside; and [also] whoever intends [a deed] therein of deviation [in religion] or wrongdoing – We will make him taste of a painful punishment.

Yusuf Ali
As to those who have rejected (Allah), and would keep back (men) from the Way of Allah, and from the Sacred Mosque, which We have made (open) to (all) men – equal is the dweller there and the visitor from the country – and any whose purpose therein is profanity or wrong-doing – them will We cause to taste of a most Grievous Penalty.

Abul Ala Maududi
Indeed those who disbelieve and who (now) hinder people from the Way of Allah and hinder them from the Holy Mosque which We have set up (as a place of worship) for all people, equally for those who dwell therein and for those who come from outside, (they surely deserve punishment). Whosoever deviates therein from the Right Way and acts with iniquity, We shall cause him to taste a painful chastisement.

Muhsin Khan
Verily! Those who disbelieve and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, and from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) which We have made (open) to (all) men, the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there [as regards its sanctity and pilgrimage (Hajj and ‘Umrah)]. And whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong (i.e. practise polytheism and leave Islamic Monotheism), him We shall cause to taste a painful torment.

Pickthall
Lo! those who disbelieve and bar (men) from the way of Allah and from the Inviolable Place of Worship, which We have appointed for mankind together, the dweller therein and the nomad: whosoever seeketh wrongful partiality therein, him We shall cause to taste a painful doom.

Dr. Ghali
Surely the ones who have disbelieved and bar from the way of Allah and the Inviolable Mosque that We have made equal to mankind- (alike are) him who consecrates himself therein and the nomad- (The Sabaeans) and whoever would (dare) blasphemy therein unjustly, (Christians) We will let him taste (his share) of a painful torment.

Abdel Haleem
As for the disbelievers, who bar others from God’s path and from the Sacred Mosque- which We made for all people, residents and visitors alike- and who try to violate it with wrongdoing, We shall make them taste a painful punishment.

Muhammad Junagarhi
جن لوگوں نے کفر کیا اور اللہ کی راه سے روکنے لگے اور اس حرمت والی مسجد سے بھی جسے ہم نے تمام لوگوں کے لئے مساوی کر دیا ہے وہیں کے رہنے والے ہوں یا باہر کے ہوں، جو بھی ﻇلم کے ساتھ وہاں الحاد کا اراده کرے ہم اسے درد ناک عذاب چکھائیں گے

Quran 22 Verse 25 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Hajj ayat 25, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(22:25) Indeed those who disbelieve[41] and who (now) hinder people from the Way of Allah and hinder them from the Holy Mosque[42] which We have set up (as a place of worship) for all people, equally for those who dwell therein and for those who come from outside,[43] (they surely deserve punishment). Whosoever deviates therein from the Right Way and acts with iniquity,[44] We shall cause him to taste a painful chastisement.


41. “Those who disbelieved” were the people who rejected the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The subsequent theme clearly shows that they were the disbelievers of Makkah.

42. That is, they debarred the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers from performing Hajj and Umrah.

43. That is, this is not exclusively the property of any person or family or clan but is meant for all mankind alike. Therefore none has any right to debar others from it.

In this connection, two questions have arisen among the Jurists of Islam:

(1) What is meant by the Sacred Mosque? Does it mean the mosque itself or includes the whole Inviolable Place of Makkah?

(2) What is meant by equal rights of its dwellers and the outsiders?

According to some jurists it means the Sacred Mosque itself and not the whole of Inviolable Makkah. They base this opinion on the apparent wording of the Quran, and say that by equal rights is meant equal rights only in regard to worship in it. They cite a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to support their opinion. He said: O children of Abd Manaf, those of you who will have authority over the affairs of the people, should not stop anybody from moving round the Kabah or from offering prayers in it at any time of the day or night.

Imam Shafai and others who support this view are of the opinion that it is wrong to conclude from this verse that the rights of the dwellers and the outsiders are equal in every respect, but they are equal only in regard to the right of worship and in nothing else, for the people of Makkah owned the lands and the houses of Makkah before Islam and also after it. So much so that during the time of Caliph Umar, the house of Safwan bin Umayyah was actually purchased from him for the purpose of making a prison in Makkah.

The others who hold that the Sacred Mosque refers to the whole of the Inviolable Place of Makkah derive their authority from (Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 196) and (Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 217). They argue that Hajj is not performed only in the Kabah (the Sacred Mosque), but the pilgrim has to visit Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, etc. for the performance of Hajj rites. Thus, they hold that equality is not merely in regard to worship in the Sacred Mosque, but in regard to all other rights in Makkah. As this place has been appointed for Hajj by Allah for all alike, none has any right of ownership in it. Anyone can stay anywhere he likes and none can prohibit him from doing so. They cite many traditions in support of their opinion.

(1) Abdullah bin Umar reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Makkah is the place where travelers have to stay: therefore its lands cannot be sold nor can anyone charge rent for its houses.

(2) According to Ibrahim Nakhai, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Makkah has been made an Inviolable Place by Allah: therefore selling its land and charging of rent for its houses is unlawful. Mujahid has also reported a tradition almost in similar words.

(3) Alqamah says: During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and of the first three Caliphs, the lands of Makkah were regarded as common property and one could live there or allow others to live therein.

(4) Abdullah bin Umar says: Caliph Umar had ordered that no resident of Makkah should close the door of his house during the Hajj season. According to Mujahid; Caliph Umar had ordered that the people of Makkah should not put doors to enclose their courtyards but keep them open so that anyone who liked might come in and stay there. The same has been related by Ata with the addition that Suhail bin Amr was the only exception to this rule, who was allowed to put a door in his courtyard in order to safeguard his camels in connection with his trade.

(5) Abdullah bin Umar also says that the one who receives rent for his house in Makkah fills his belly with fire.

(6) Abdullah bin Abbas says that Allah has made the whole of Makkah the Sacred Mosque where all have equal rights. Therefore the people of Makkah have no right to charge rent.

(7) Umar bin Abdul Aziz sent an order to the governor of Makkah to this effect: No rent should be charged for the houses of Makkah because it is unlawful.

On the basis of the above traditions, quite a few of the followers of the companions and also, Imams Malik, Abu Hanifah, Sufyan Thauri, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ishaq bin Rahawayah from among the Jurists, are of the opinion that it is unlawful to sell a piece of land and to charge rent, at least during the Hajj season, in Makkah. However, the majority of the Jurists are of the opinion that people can own houses in Makkah and can sell them as buildings but not as land. In my opinion, this last view seems to be the right one because it conforms with the Quran and the Sunnah and the practice of the rightly guided Caliphs. It is obvious that Allah has not made Hajj obligatory for the Muslims of the whole world in order to provide a means of income for the people of Makkah. As Allah has set apart the Inviolable Place for the benefit of all the believers, that land is not the property of anyone and every pilgrim has the right to stay anywhere he can find room for himself.

44. It does not imply any specific act, but means every act that deviates from righteousness and falls under the definition of iniquity. Though all such acts are sins at all times and places; their commission in the Inviolable Place makes them all the more heinous; so much so that the commentators are of the opinion that even taking of an unnecessary oath brings it under the same category.

Besides common sins, there are certain other things whose commission in the Inviolable Place brings them under the same category. For instance.

(l) It is prohibited to take legal action even against a murderer, etc. who takes shelter within the Inviolable Place: so much so that he cannot be arrested as long as he retrains therein. This sanctity of the Inviolable Place is being observed since the time of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The Quran says: Whoso even enters it, he becomes safe and secure. (Surah Aal-Imran, Ayat 97).

(2) The consensus of opinion is that there can be no retribution within the Inviolable Place for the crimes committed outside it. Hadrat Umar, Abdullah bin Umar and Abdullah bin Abbas declared: We will not take any action in it even against the murderer of our fathers.

(3) It is unlawful to wage war or shed blood within it. On the second day of the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared: O people, Allah has made Makkah a Sanctuary since the very creation of this world, and it will remain so by Allah’s ordinance up to the Day of Resurrection; therefore, it is not lawful for any man, who believes in Allah and the Day of Resurrection, to shed blood here. Then he added: Suppose a man legalizes bloodshed here on the basis of the precedent that I waged war here, tell him, Allah made it lawful for His Messenger and not for you. It was made lawful for me for a short interval of the day. Then it was again made Inviolable as before.

(4) It is unlawful to cut naturally growing trees or uproot the grass which has grown there. It is also prohibited to hunt birds and animals within the boundary or to drive them out from the Inviolable Place for hunting. It is, however, lawful to kill a serpent, a scorpion and other harmful animals and to uproot dry grass and izkhir which is a kind of grass.

(5) It is prohibited to pick up anything that has fallen to the ground. In a tradition, reported by Abu Dawud, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited people to pick up, anything belonging to a pilgrim that had fallen to the ground.

(6) It is unlawful for a pilgrim who comes with the intention of performing Hajj or Umrah to enter therein without Ihram. However, there is a divergence of opinion in regard to the entry of others than the pilgrims without Ihram. According to Abdullah bin Abbas, no one is allowed to enter therein without Ihram in any case, and this has been supported by a saying each of Imam Ahmad and Imam Shafai. According to other sayings of Imams Ahmad and Shafai, those people who have to visit the Inviolable Place frequently in connection with trade and business, are excepted. Imam Abu Hanifah, however, holds the view that the person who lives within the limits of the appointed Miqats can visit Makkah without Ihram but the outsiders cannot enter it without Ihram.

Ibn-Kathir

25. Verily, those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, and from Al-Masjid Al-Haram which We have made (open) to (all) men, the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there, and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong, him We shall cause to taste from a painful torment.


A Warning to Those Who hinder Others from the Path of Allah and from Al-Masj id Al-Haram and Who seek to do Evil Actions therein

Allah rebukes the disbelievers for preventing the believers from coming to Al-Masjid Al-Haram and performing their rites and rituals there, claiming that they were its guardians,

﴿وَمَا كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاّ الْمُتَّقُونَ﴾

(and they are not its guardians. None can be its guardians except those who have Taqwa) ﴿8:34﴾. In this Ayah there is proof that it was revealed in Al-Madinah, as Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah:

﴿يَسْـَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾

(They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months. Say, “Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and to drive out its inhabitants) ﴿2:217﴾ And Allah says here:

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ﴾

(Verily, those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, and from Al-Masjid Al-Haram) meaning, not only are they disbelievers, but they also hinder people from the path of Allah and from Al-Masjid Al-Haram. They prevent the believers who want to go there from reaching it, although the believers have more right than anyone else to go there. The structure of this phrase is like that to be found in the Ayah:

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ ﴾

(Those who believed, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.) ﴿13:28﴾ Not only are they believers, but their hearts also find rest in the remembrance of Allah.

The Issue of renting Houses in Makkah

﴿الَّذِى جَعَلْنَـهُ لِلنَّاسِ سَوَآءً الْعَـكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾

(which We have made (open) to (all) men, the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there) meaning that they prevent people from reaching Al-Masjid Al-Haram, which Allah has made equally accessible to all in Shari`ah, with no differentiation between those who live there and those who live far away from it.

﴿سَوَآءً الْعَـكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾

(the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there,) Part of this equality is that everyone has equal access to all parts of the city and can live there, as `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas concerning the Ayah:

﴿سَوَآءً الْعَـكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾

(the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there,) He ﴿Ibn `Abbas﴾ said: “Both the people of Makkah and others can stay in Al-Masjid Al-Haram.”

﴿سَوَآءً الْعَـكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾

(the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there,) Mujahid said, “The people of Makkah and others are equally allowed to stay there.” This was also the view of Abu Salih, `Abdur-Rahman bin Sabit and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. `Abdur-Razzaq narrated from Ma`mar, from Qatadah who said: “Its own people and others are equal therein.” This is the issue about which Ash-Shafi`i and Ishaq bin Rahwayh differed in the Masjid of Al-Khayf, when Ahmad bin Hanbal was also present. Ash-Shafi`i was of the opinion that the various parts of Makkah can be owned, inherited and rented, and he used as evidence the Hadith of Usamah bin Zayd who said, “I said, O Messenger of Allah, will you go and stay tomorrow in your house in Makkah” He said,

«وَهَلْ تَرَكَ لَنَا عَقِيلٌ مِنْ رِبَاعٍ؟»

(Has `Aqil left us any property) Then he said,

«لَا يَرِثُ الْكَافِرُ الْمُسْلِمَ وَلَا الْمُسْلِمُ الْكَافِر»

(A disbeliever does not inherit from a Muslim and a Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever.) This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs. He also used as evidence the report that `Umar bin Al-Khattab bought a house in Makkah from Safwan bin Umayyah for four thousand Dinars, and made it into a prison. This was also the view of Tawus and `Amr bin Dinar. Ishaq bin Rahwayh was of the opinion that they (houses in Makkah) could not be inherited or rented. This was the view of a number of the Salaf, and Mujahid and `Ata’ said likewise. Ishaq bin Rahwayh used as evidence the report recorded by Ibn Majah from `Alqamah bin Nadlah who said, “The Messenger of Allah , Abu Bakr and `Umar died, and nobody claimed any property in Makkah except the grazing animals. Whoever needed to live there would take up residence there, and whoever did not need to live there would let others take up residence there.” `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, “It is not allowed to sell or rent the houses of Makkah.” He also said, narrating from Ibn Jurayj: “`Ata’ would not allow people to charge rent in the Haram, and he told me that `Umar bin Al-Khattab did not allow people to put gates on the houses of Makkah because the pilgrims used to stay in their courtyards. The first person to put a gate on his house was Suhayl bin `Amr. `Umar bin Al-Khattab sent for him about that and he said, `Listen to me, O Commander of the faithful, I am a man who engages in trade and I want to protect my back.’ He said, `Then you may do that.”’ `Abdur-Razzaq recorded from Mujahid that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, “O people of Makkah, do not put gates on your houses, and let the bedouins stay wherever they want.” He said: Ma`mar told us, narrating from someone who heard `Ata’ say about the Ayah, x

﴿سَوَآءً الْعَـكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾

(the dweller in it and the visitor from the country are equal there, ) “They may stay wherever they want.” Ad-Daraqutni recorded a saying reported from `Abdullah bin `Amr: “Whoever charges rent for the houses of Makkah, consumes fire.” Imam Ahmad took a middle path, according to what his son Salih narrated from him, and he said, “They may be owned and inherited, but they should not be rented, so as to reconcile between all the proofs.” And Allah knows best.

A Warning to Those Who want to commit Evil Actions in the Haram

﴿وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُّذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong, him We shall cause to taste from a painful torment.)

﴿بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(or to do wrong,) means, he aims deliberately to do wrong, and it is not the matter of misunderstanding. As Ibn Jurayj said narrating from Ibn `Abbas, “This means someone whose actions are intentional.” `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, “The evil action of Shirk.” Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: “The evil action is allowing in the Haram what Allah has forbidden, such as mistreating and killing, whereby you do wrong to those who have done you no wrong and you kill those who have not fought you. If a person does this, then he deserves to suffer a painful torment.”

﴿بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(or to do wrong,) Mujahid said, “To do some bad action therein. This is one of the unique features of Al-Haram, that the person who is about to do some evil action should be punished if this is his intention, even if he has not yet commenced the action.” Ibn Abi Hatim recorded in his Tafsir that `Abdullah (i.e., Ibn Mas`ud) commented about the Ayah,

﴿وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) “If a man intends to do some evil action therein, Allah will make him taste a painful torment.” This was also recorded by Ahmad. I say, ﴿its﴾ chain is Sahih according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari, and it is more likely Mawquf than Marfu`. And Allah knows best. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, “Insulting a servant and anything more than that is (counted as) wrongdoing.” Habib bin Abi Thabit said:

﴿وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) “Hoarding (goods) in Makkah.” This was also the view of others.

﴿وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) Ibn `Abbas said, “This was revealed about `Abdullah bin Unays. The Messenger of Allah sent him with two men, one of whom was a Muhajir and the other from among the Ansar. They began to boast about their lineages and `Abdullah bin Unays got angry and killed the Ansari. Then he reverted from Islam (became an apostate) and fled to Makkah. Then these words were revealed concerning him:

﴿وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong,) meaning, whoever flees to Al-Haram to do evil actions, i.e., by leaving Islam.” These reports indicate some meanings of the phrase “evil actions”, but the meaning is more general than that and includes things which are more serious. Hence when the owners of the Elephant planned to destroy the House (the Ka`bah), Allah sent against them birds in flocks,

﴿تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ – فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولِ ﴾

(Striking them with stones of Sijjil. And He made them like (an empty field of) stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).) ﴿105:4-5﴾. means He destroyed them and made them a lesson and a warning for everyone who intends to commit evil actions there. Hence it was reported in a Hadith that the Messenger of Allah said:

«يَغْزُو هَذَا الْبَيْتَ جَيْشٌ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِبَيْدَاءَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ خُسِفَ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِم»

(This House will be attacked by an army, then when they are in a wide open space, the first of them and the last of them will be swallowed up by the earth.)

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surah Al-Hajj ayat 25
surah Al-Hajj ayat 26
surah Al-Hajj ayat 27
surah Al-Hajj ayat 28
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