Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:118

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:

وعلى الذين هادوا حرمنا ما قصصنا عليك من قبل

And for those who are Jews, We have forbidden such things as We have mentioned to you before. meaning in Surah Al-An`am, where Allah says:

وعلى الذين هادوا حرمنا كل ذي ظفر ومن البقر والغنم حرمنا عليهم شحومهما إﻻ ما حملت ظهورهما أو الحوايا أو ما اختلط بعظم

ذلك جزيناهم ببغيهم وإنا لصادقون

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 Hawaya, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus We recompensed them for their rebellion. And verily, We are Truthful. (6:146) Hence Allah says here:

وما ظلمناهم

And We did not wrong them, meaning, in the restrictions that We imposed upon them.

ولكن كانوا أنفسهم يظلمون

but they wronged themselves. meaning, they deserved that. This is like the Ayah:

فبظلم من الذين هادوا حرمنا عليهم طيبت أحلت لهم وبصدهم عن سبيل الله كثيرا

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: