Curse in Holy Quran

Holy Quran and Lanat (Curse)

Quranic Verses can be divided into four parts.

1. Curse on Iblis.

‘And surely on you is curse until the Day of Judgment.’                                       
(Surah Hijr, 15:35)

‘And surely My curse is on you until the Day of Judgment.’                              
 (Surah Suad, 38:78)

Allah has cursed Iblis. (i.e. He has made him far from His Mercy.) When Iblis was cursed, he said to Allah, ‘I will certainly have a special share from Your servants.’

2. Curse on the Disbelievers.

a) General Curse

‘Surely Allah has cursed the unbelievers and has prepared for them a burning fire.’

(Surah Ahzab, 33: 64)

‘Surely those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, these it is on whom is the curse of Allah and the angels and men all.’

(Surah Baqarah, 2: 161)

‘Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide therein; it is enough for them. And Allah has cursed them and they shall have a lasting punishment.’

(Surah Tauba, 9:68)

b) Those who turned to disbelief after believing

‘How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their believing and (after) they had borne witness that the Apostle was true and clear arguments had come to them; and Allah does not guide the unjust people. (As for) these, their reward is that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and of men, all together.’

(Surah Ale Imran, 3:86-87)

c) Disbelievers from the nation of Aad

‘And they were overtaken by curse in this world and on the resurrection day; now surely Aad disbelieved in their Lord; now surely, away with Aad, the people of Hud.’

(Surah Hud, 11:60)

d) Disbelievers from the nation of Firaun

‘And they are overtaken by curse in this (world), and on the resurrection day, evil the gift which shall be given.’

(Surah Hud, 11:99)

‘And We caused a curse to follow them in this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be of those made to appear hideous.’

(Surah Qasas, 28:42)

e) Disbelievers from Bani Israel

‘And they say: Our hearts are covered. Nay, Allah has cursed them on account of their disbelief; so little it is that they believe. And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them (Prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah’s curse is on the unbelievers.’

(Surah Baqarah, 2: 88-89)

‘But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you shall always discover treachery in them excepting a few of them; so pardon them and turn away; surely Allah loves those who do good (to others).’

(Surah Maidah, 5:13)

‘Say: Shall I inform you of (him who is) worse than this in retribution from Allah? (Worse is he) whom Allah has cursed and brought His wrath upon, and of whom He made apes and swine, and he who served the Shaitan; these are worse in place and more erring from the straight path.’

(Surah Maidah, 5:60)

‘Those who disbelieved from among the children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of Dawood and Isa, son of Marium; this was because they disobeyed and used to exceed the limit.’

(Surah Maidah, 5:78)

‘And they are overtaken by curse in this (world), and on the resurrection day, evil the gift which shall be given.’

(Surah Hud, 11:99)

‘And We caused a curse to follow them in this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be of those made to appear hideous.’

(Surah Qasas, 28:42)

f) Disbelievers from the People of the Book (Ahle Kitab)

‘And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them (Prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah’s curse is on the unbelievers.’

(Surah Baqarah, 2:89)

‘Of those who are Jews (there are those who) alter words from their places and say: We have heard and we disobey and: Hear, may you not be made to hear! and: Raina, distorting (the word) with their tongues and taunting about religion; and if they had said (instead): We have heard and we obey, and hearken, and Unzurna it would have been better for them and more upright; but Allah has cursed them on account of their unbelief, so they do not believe but a little. O you who have been given the Book! believe that which We have revealed, verifying what you have, before We alter faces then turn them on their backs, or curse them as We cursed the violators of the Sabbath, and the command of Allah shall be executed.’

(Surah Nisa, 4:46-47)

‘And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers.’

(Surah Maidah, 5:64)

3. Curse on the Polytheists

‘And (that) He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the polytheistic men and the polytheistic women, the entertainers of evil thoughts about Allah. On them is the evil turn, and Allah is wroth with them and has cursed them and prepared hell for them and evil is the resort.’

(Surah Fath, 48:6)

4. Curses on different groups among the People of the Book (Ahle Kitab)

a) Companions of Sabt

‘Say: Shall I inform you of (him who is) worse than this in retribution from Allah? (Worse is he) whom Allah has cursed and brought His wrath upon, and of whom He made apes and swine, and he who served the Shaitan; these are worse in place and more erring from the straight path.’

(Surah Maidah, 5:60)

b) Those who believe that the hands of Allah are tied

‘And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers.’

(Surah Maidah, 5:64)

5. Curse on the Hypocrites

‘Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide therein; it is enough for them; and Allah has cursed them and they shall have lasting punishment.’

(Surah Taubah, 9:68)

‘And (that) He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the polytheistic men and the polytheistic women, the entertainers of evil thoughts about Allah. On them is the evil turn, and Allah is wroth with them and has cursed them and prepared hell for them and evil is the resort.’

(Surah Fath, 48:6)

‘If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist, We shall most certainly set you over them, then they shall not be your neighbors in it but for a little while; Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering.’

(Surah Ahzab, 33:60-61)

The Accursed Tree

‘And when We said to you: Surely your Lord encompasses men; and We did not make the vision which We showed you but a trial for men and the cursed tree in the Quran as well; and We cause them to fear, but it only adds to their great inordinacy.’

(Surah Bani Israel, 17:60)

As per the reliable traditions of the Ahle Sunnah and the Shias, ‘the accursed tree’ refers to Bani Ummayah.

6. Liars

‘But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge, then say: Come let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our near people and your near people, then let us be earnest in prayer, and pray for the curse of Allah on the liars.’

(Surah Ale Imran, 3:61)

7.Killing Intentionally

‘And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.’

(Surah Nisa, 4:93)

8. Unjust

‘The day on which their excuse shall not benefit the unjust, and for them is curse and for them is the evil abode.’

(Surah Momin, 40:52)

‘And the dwellers of the garden will call out to the inmates of the fire: Surely we have found what our Lord promised us to be true; have you too found what your Lord promised to be true? They will say: Yes. Then a crier will cry out among them that the curse of Allah is on the unjust.’

(Surah A’ráaf, 7:44)

‘And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah? These shall be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses shall say: These are they who lied against their Lord. Now surely the curse of Allah is on the unjust.’

(Surah Hud, 11:18)

9. Accusing Chaste Women

‘And the fifth (time) that the curse of Allah be on him if he is one of the liars.’

(Surah Noor, 24:7)

‘Surely those who accuse chaste believing women, unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.’

(Surah Noor, 24:23)

10. Breakers of the Covenant

‘And those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder that which Allah has ordered to be joined and make mischief in the land; (as for) those, upon them shall be curse and they shall have the evil (issue) of the abode.’

(Surah Raad, 13:25)

11. One who forges a lie against Allah

‘And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah? These shall be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses shall say: These are they who lied against their Lord. Now surely the curse of Allah is on the unjust.’

(Surah Hud, 11:18)

12. One who conceals the clear proofs of Allah

‘Surely those who conceal the clear proofs and the guidance that We revealed after We made it clear in the Book for men, these it is whom Allah shall curse, and those who curse shall curse them (too).’

(Surah Baqarah, 2:159)

13. Those who hold the Jews superior to the Believers

‘Have you not seen those to whom a portion of the Book has been given? They believe in idols and false deities and say of those who disbelieve: These are better guided in the path than those who believe. Those are they whom Allah has cursed, and whomever Allah curses you shall not find any helper for him.’

(Surah Nisa, 4:51-52)

14. Those who spread mischief and cut off relations of Kin

‘But if you held command, you were sure to make mischief in the land and cut off the ties of kinship! Those it is whom Allah has cursed so He has made them deaf and blinded their eyes.’

(Surah Muhammad, 47:22-23)