(77–81) “Say, ‘O People of the Book, do not exceed the bounds of truth in your religion, and do not follow the desires of a people who went astray before, led many astray, and strayed from the straight path.’ * Those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel were cursed on the tongues of David and Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and habitually transgressed. * They did not forbid one another from the evil they committed. How evil indeed was what they used to do! * You see many of them taking those who disbelieve as allies. How evil is what their souls have sent ahead for them: that ⦗241⦘ Allah was wrathful with them, and they will abide forever in the punishment. * Had they believed in Allah, the Prophet, and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.”
Allah Most High says to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Say, ‘O People of the Book, do not exceed the bounds of truth in your religion.’” That is, do not cross or overstep from truth into falsehood. This includes what they said about the Messiah, as related previously,
as well as their excess regarding certain religious leaders, thereby following “the desires of a people who went astray before”—that is, whose misguidance had already occurred.
“And led many astray” by calling people to the religion they themselves followed. “And strayed from the straight path”—that is, from the direct way. Thus, they combined going astray with leading others astray. These are the leaders of misguidance against whom Allah warned, as He did against following their ruinous desires and misleading opinions.
Allah Most High then says: “Those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel were cursed”—that is, they were banished and distanced from Allah’s mercy—“on the tongues of David and Jesus, son of Mary,” through their testimony and affirmation that the proof had been established against them, yet they stubbornly opposed it. “That”—the disbelief and curse—“was because they disobeyed and habitually transgressed.” Their disobedience to Allah and their injustice toward Allah’s servants became a cause of their disbelief and their distance from Allah’s mercy, for sins and injustice bring punishments.
Among the acts of disobedience that caused exemplary punishments to descend upon them and brought penalties upon them was that “they did not forbid one another from the evil they committed.” That is, they would commit evil and not forbid one another from it. The direct perpetrator and anyone else who, despite being able to forbid the evil, remained silent thereby shared in the guilt.
This indicates how lightly they regarded Allah’s command and how little His disobedience mattered to them. Had they truly revered their Lord, they would have been zealous in defending His sacred limits and angered by what angers Him. Remaining silent about wrongdoing despite being able to oppose it warrants punishment because it entails grave harms:
One is that mere silence is itself an act of disobedience, even if the silent person did not personally commit the sin. Just as one must avoid sin, one must also denounce those who commit it.
Another, as stated above, is that it demonstrates a dismissive attitude toward sins and a lack of concern about them.
Another is that, when sinners and the defiantly disobedient are not restrained, this emboldens them to commit more sins. Evil consequently increases, the calamity in both religious and worldly affairs grows more severe, and they gain strength and ascendancy. Thereafter, the people of goodness become too weak to resist the people of evil, until they can no longer do what they were once able to do.
Another is that, through the failure (1) to denounce wrongdoing, knowledge fades and ignorance proliferates. When a sin is repeatedly committed by many people and those devoted to religion and knowledge do not denounce it, people come to think that it is not a sin. An ignorant person may even suppose it to be a commendable act of worship. What corruption could be greater than believing lawful what Allah has forbidden, having realities reversed within people’s souls, and seeing falsehood as truth?
Another is that remaining silent (2) about the sins of sinners may make sin appear attractive in people’s hearts and lead them to imitate one another. Human beings are keen to imitate their peers and those of their own kind. There are many other harms besides.
Since remaining silent rather than denouncing wrongdoing is of such gravity, Allah Most High explicitly stated that He cursed the disbelievers among the Children of Israel for their disobedience and transgression, singling out this enormous evil in particular.
“How evil indeed was what they used to do! You see many of them taking those who disbelieve as allies,” loving them, giving them allegiance, and supporting them.
“How evil is what their souls have sent ahead for them!” It is worthless merchandise and a losing bargain: Allah’s wrath—for when He is wrathful, all things are wrathful with them—and everlasting residence in the tremendous punishment. Their own souls wronged them by preparing such an inhospitable lodging for them, and they wronged themselves by depriving them of everlasting bliss.
“Had they believed in Allah, the Prophet, and what was sent down to him, they would not have taken them as allies.” Faith in Allah, the Prophet, and what was sent down to him requires a servant to be loyal to his Lord and His allies, and to oppose anyone who disbelieves in Him, shows Him enmity, and rushes headlong into disobeying Him. A condition of loyalty to Allah and faith in Him is that one not take Allah’s enemies as allies. Since these people did not fulfill the condition, this proves that what depended upon it was also absent. “But many of them are defiantly disobedient”—that is, they have departed from obedience to Allah and from faith in Him and the Prophet. Part of their defiant disobedience is their allegiance to Allah’s enemies.
Allah Most High then says: