And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before. And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves (118)Then, your Lord for those who did evil out of ignorance and afterward repent and do righteous deeds - verily, after that, your Lord is Pardoning, Most Merciful (119)
Some Good Things were Forbidden for the Jews
After mentioning that He has forbidden us to eat dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, and after making allowances for cases of necessity - which is part of making things easy for this Ummah, because Allah desires ease for us, not hardship - Allah then mentions what He forbade for the Jews in their laws before they were abrogated, and the restrictions, limitations and difficulties involved therein. He tells us:
وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا مَا قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ
(And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before.) meaning in Surat Al-An'am, where Allah says:
وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ ۖ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا
(And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs) Until,
لَصَادِقُونَ
(We are indeed truthful)[6:146] Hence Allah says here:
وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ
(And We did not wrong them,) meaning, in the restrictions that We imposed upon them.
وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(but they wronged themselves.) meaning, they deserved that. This is like the Ayah:
فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا
(Because of the wrong committed of those who were Jews, We prohibited certain good foods which had been lawful for them - and (also) for their hindering many from Allah's way.)(4:160) Then Allah tells us, honoring and reminding believers who have sinned of His blessings, that whoever among them repents, He will accept his repentance, as He says:
ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ
(Then, your Lord for those who did evil out of ignorance) Some of the Salaf said that this means that everyone who disobeys Allah is ignorant.
ثُمَّ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا
(and afterward repent and do righteous deeds) meaning, they give up the sins they used to commit and turn to doing acts of obedience to Allah.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا
(verily, after that, your Lord is...) means, after that mistake
لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(...Pardoning, Most Merciful.)
