سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 78
وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُۥنَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read), so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: "This is from Allâh," but it is not from Allâh; and they speak a lie against Allâh while they know it.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
لَفَرِيقًۭا
lafarīqan
surely (is) a group
يَلْوُۥنَ
yalwūna
they distort
أَلْسِنَتَهُم
alsinatahum
their tongues
بِٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
bil-kitābi
in (reciting) the Book
لِتَحْسَبُوهُ
litaḥsabūhu
so that you may think it
مِنَ
mina
(is) from
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Book
وَمَا
wamā
and not
هُوَ
huwa
it
مِنَ
mina
(is) from
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Book
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
And they say
هُوَ
huwa
It
مِنْ
min
(is)
عِندِ
ʿindi
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَمَا
wamā
But not
هُوَ
huwa
it
مِنْ
min
(is)
عِندِ
ʿindi
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
And they say
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
ٱلْكَذِبَ
l-kadhiba
the lie
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
78. 1. This refers to those among the Jews who not only acted dishonestly and altered the Divine Book (Torah), but also committed two crimes: first, they would twist their tongues while reading the words of the Book, thereby successfully giving the public a false impression; second, they would present their self-invented statements as if they were from Allah. Unfortunately, among the religious leaders of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ as well, in accordance with the prophecy of the Prophet ﷺ ("You will surely follow the ways of those before you, step by step"), there are many such people who, due to worldly motives, sectarian prejudice, or juristic rigidity, treat the Noble Qur’an in the same way. They recite verses of the Qur’an, but present their own self-invented rulings; the public thinks that the scholar has stated the ruling from the Qur’an, whereas that ruling has nothing to do with the Qur’an. Or, they manipulate and distort the meanings of the verses so that it is made to appear as if it is from Allah.
