4:160

فَبِظُلۡمٖ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ طَيِّبَٰتٍ أُحِلَّتۡ لَهُمۡ وَبِصَدِّهِمۡ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرٗا

Fabithulmin mina allatheena hadoo harramna AAalayhim tayyibatin ohillat lahum wabisaddihim AAan sabeeli Allahi katheeran

For wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their averting from the way of Allah many [people],

Word by word
  1. فَبِظُلۡمٖThen for (the) wrongdoing
  2. مِّنَof
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  4. هَادُواْwere Jews
  5. حَرَّمۡنَاWe made unlawful
  6. عَلَيۡهِمۡfor them
  7. طَيِّبَٰتٍgood things
  8. أُحِلَّتۡwhich had been lawful
  9. لَهُمۡfor them
  10. وَبِصَدِّهِمۡand for their hindering
  11. عَنfrom
  12. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  13. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  14. كَثِيرٗاmany
An-Nisa · 4:160Madinah

Wrongdoing can cost you good things you were once allowed.

How sins narrow life


Cause and effect
wrongdoing
blocking othersfrom Allah's way
led to
good thingsonce lawfulnow withheld
What sin costs
nothing visibleno one got hurt
a narrower lifeblessings lost

The verse speaks of the Children of Israel in the past. Ibn Kathir explains that because of injustice and major sins, some good foods that were once lawful became forbidden for them. He also notes they held themselves and many others back from the truth.

You cut corners at work, and now your manager double-checks everything you do. You lied once to your parents, and now they ask for proof. A wrong done quietly can close doors that were open. The verse points to a link between conduct and blessing.

My private wrongs do not change anything around me.

Wrongdoing narrows my life in ways I may not even notice.

Try this

Think of one blessing that has felt thinner lately. Ask Allah's forgiveness for one specific wrong.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful for them certain good foods which had been lawful for themـand for their hindering many from Allah's way (160)And their taking of Riba though they were forbidden from taking it, and their devouring men's substance wrongfully. And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment (161)But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you; and those who perform the Salah, and give Zakah and believe in Allah and in the Last Day, it is they to whom We shall give a great reward (162)

Some Foods Were Made Unlawful for the Jews Because of their Injustice and Wrongdoing

Allah states that because of the injustice and transgression of the Jews, demonstrated by committing major sins, He prohibited some of the lawful, pure things which were previously allowed for them. This prohibition could be only that of decree, meaning that Allah allowed the Jews to falsely interpret their Book and change and alter the information about what was allowed for them. They thus, out of exaggeration and extremism in the religion, prohibited some things for themselves. It could also mean that in the Tawrah, Allah prohibited things that were allowed for them before. Allah said,

كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ

(All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed.)[3:93]

We mentioned this Ayah before, which means that all types of food were allowed for the Children of Israel before the Tawrah was revealed, except the camel's meat and milk that Isra'il prohibited for himself. Later, Allah prohibited many things in the Tawrah. Allah said in Surat Al-An'am (chapter 6),

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا أَوِ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ

(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 or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion. And verily, We are Truthful.)

This means, We prohibited these things for them because they deserved it due to their transgression, injustice, defying their Messenger and disputing with him. So Allah said;

فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا

(For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's way.)

This Ayah states that they hindered themselves and others from following the truth, and this is the behavior that they brought from the past to the present. This is why they were and still are the enemies of the Messengers, killing many of the Prophets. They also denied Muhammad and 'Isa, peace be upon them. Allah said,

وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ

(And their taking of Riba' though they were forbidden from taking it,)

Allah prohibited them from taking Riba', yet they did so using various kinds of tricks, ploys and cons, thus devouring people's property unjustly. Allah said,

وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

(And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment.) Allah then said,

لَّٰكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ

(But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge...) firm in the religion and full of beneficial knowledge. We mentioned this subject when we explained Surah Āl-'Imrān (3). The Ayah;

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ 

(and the believers...) refers to the well-grounded in knowledge;

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ

(believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you;)

Ibn 'Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning 'Abdullah bin Salam, Tha'labah bin Sa'yah, Zayd bin Sa'yah and Asad bin 'Ubayd who embraced Islam and believed what Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with. Allah said,

وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ

(and give Zakah,) This could be referring to the obligatory charity due on one's wealth and property, or those who purify themselves, or both. Allah knows best.

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(and believe in Allah and in the Last Day,) They believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, believe in Resurrection after death and the reward or punishment for the good or evil deeds. Allah's statement,

أُولَٰئِكَ 

(It is they,) those whom the Ayah described above,

سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

(To whom We shall give a great reward.) means Paradise.