Tafsir of Surah Al Ma'idah

قُلْيَٰٓأَهْلَٱلْكِتَٰبِلَاتَغْلُوا۟فِىدِينِكُمْغَيْرَٱلْحَقِّوَلَاتَتَّبِعُوٓا۟أَهْوَآءَقَوْمٍقَدْضَلُّوا۟مِنقَبْلُوَأَضَلُّوا۟كَثِيرًاوَضَلُّوا۟عَنسَوَآءِٱلسَّبِيلِ ٧٧

Saheeh International

Say, "O People of the Scripture, do not exceed limits in your religion beyond the truth and do not follow the inclinations of a people who had gone astray before and misled many and have strayed from the soundness of the way."

en: Ibn Kathir

Tafseer 'Ibn Kathir' (EN)

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ

Say:"O People of the Scripture! Exceed not the limits in your religion beyond the truth,

Meaning:Do not exceed the limits concerning the truth and exaggeration in praising whom you were commanded to honor. You exaggerated in his case and elevated him from the rank of Prophet to the rank of a god. You did this with `Isa, who was a Prophet, yet you claimed that he is god besides Allah.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ أَهْوَاء قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ مِن قَبْلُ

and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray before...

This error occurred because you followed your teachers, the advocates of misguidance who came before your time and who,

وَأَضَلُّواْ كَثِيرًا وَضَلُّواْ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ

and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path.

deviated from the straight path, to the path of misguidance and deviation