Surah Al Ma'idah Tafseer

قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّيُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ اللّهِ

Say:"Shall I inform you of something worse than that, regarding the recompense from Allah!"

The Ayah commands the Prophet to say:Shall I inform you about a worse people with Allah on the Day of Resurrection than what you think of us!

They are you, with these characteristics,

مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللّهُ

those who incurred the curse of Allah,

were expelled from His mercy,

وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ

and who incurred His wrath,

and anger, after which He will never be pleased with them,

وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ

those of whom He transformed into monkeys and swine,

as we mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah and as we will mention in Surah Al-A`raf.

Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Ibn Mas`ud said,

"Allah's Messenger was asked if the current monkeys and swine were those whom Allah transformed. He said,

إنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يُهْلِكْ قَوْمًا أَوْ لَمْ يَمْسَخْ قَوْمًا فَيَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ نَسْلً وَلَا عَقِبًا وَإِنَّ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ كَانَتْ قَبْلَ ذلِك

Allah never destroyed a people by transforming them and making offspring or descendants for them. The monkeys and swine existed before that."

This was also recorded by Muslim.

Allah said,

وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ

Those who worshipped Taghut...,

and served them, becoming their servants.

The meaning of this Ayah is:

you, O People of the Scriptures, who mock our religion, which consists of Allah's Tawhid, and singling Him out in worship without others, how can you mock us while these are your characteristics!

This is why Allah said,

أُوْلَـيِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً

such are worse in rank...,

than what you -- People of the Scriptures -- think of us Muslims,

وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ

and far more astray from the straight path.

`More' in the Ayah does not mean that the other party is `less' astray, but it means that the People of the Scriptures are far astray.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَيِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلً

The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose. (25:24)

The Hypocrites Pretend to be Believers but Hide their Kufr

Allah said