وَإِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً قَالُوا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَا ءَابَاءَنَا وَاللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Popular Translations

Muhammad Asad

and [so,] whenever they commit a shameful deed, they are wont to say, "We found our forefathers doing it," and, "God has enjoined it upon us." Say: "Behold, never does God enjoin deeds of abomination. Would you attribute unto God something of which you have no knowledge?"

Arthur John Arberry

And whenever they commit an indecency they say, 'We found our fathers practising it, and God has commanded us to do it.' Say: 'God does not command indecency; what, do you say concerning God such things as you know not?

Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)

When they do aught that is shameful, they say: "We found our fathers doing so"; and "Allah commanded us thus": Say: "Nay, Allah never commands what is shameful: do ye say of Allah what ye know not?"

Arabic

وَإِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةࣰ قَالُوا۟ وَجَدۡنَا عَلَیۡهَاۤ ءَابَاۤءَنَا وَٱللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَاۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِۖ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٢٨

Transliteration (2021)

wa-idhā faʿalū fāḥishatan qālū wajadnā ʿalayhā ābāanā wal-lahu amaranā bihā qul inna l-laha lā yamuru bil-faḥshāi ataqūlūna ʿalā l-lahi mā lā taʿlamūn