Al-Qalam 68:8–15

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ (So, do not obey those who reject [ the true faith ]. They wish that you become flexible [ in your faith ], and they will become flexible [ in their hostile attitude.]....68:8-9]. The interpretation of this verse as adopted in this translation is based on the interpretation of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ as reported by Qurtubi.

Ruling

This verse indicates that any such compromise with the unbelievers is tantamount to mudahanah fid-din, flexibility in religion, and this is forbidden. [ Mazhari ]. Such a pact of leniency in matters of religion is not permissible, unless compelled by necessity.

لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ‌ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾

(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)

The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.

The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says:

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْ‌طُومِ (We will soon brand him on the snout...68:16). That is, as, disbelievers, out of pride and false sense of power rejected the Divine Message in this world, Allah will disgrace and humiliate them on the Day of Resurrection so that the earlier and later generations will be able to see it. His nose has been described by way of reproach as khurtum (snout). This refers specifically to the long nose of a pig or a trunk of an elephant.

لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ‌ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾

(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)

The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.

The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says: