سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 46
مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَٰعِنَا لَيًّۢا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ وَٱنظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from (their) right places and say: "We hear your word (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and disobey," and "Hear and let you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) hear nothing." And Râ‘ina with a twist of their tongues and as a mockery of the religion (Islâm). And if only they had said: "We hear and obey", and "Do make us understand," it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not except a few.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مِّنَ
mina
Of
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
هَادُوا۟
hādū
are Jews
يُحَرِّفُونَ
yuḥarrifūna
they distort
ٱلْكَلِمَ
l-kalima
the words
عَن
ʿan
from
مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ
mawāḍiʿihi
their places
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
and they say
سَمِعْنَا
samiʿ'nā
We hear[d]
وَعَصَيْنَا
waʿaṣaynā
and we disobey[ed]
وَٱسْمَعْ
wa-is'maʿ
and "Hear
غَيْرَ
ghayra
not
مُسْمَعٍۢ
mus'maʿin
to be heard
وَرَٰعِنَا
warāʿinā
and "Raina
لَيًّۢا
layyan
twisting
بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ
bi-alsinatihim
[with] their tongues
وَطَعْنًۭا
waṭaʿnan
and defaming
فِى
fī
[in]
ٱلدِّينِ ۚ
l-dīni
the religion
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّهُمْ
annahum
[that] they
قَالُوا۟
qālū
(had) said
سَمِعْنَا
samiʿ'nā
We hear[d]
وَأَطَعْنَا
wa-aṭaʿnā
and we obey[ed]
وَٱسْمَعْ
wa-is'maʿ
and "Hear
وَٱنظُرْنَا
wa-unẓur'nā
and look (at) us
لَكَانَ
lakāna
surely it (would) have been
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
better
لَّهُمْ
lahum
for them
وَأَقْوَمَ
wa-aqwama
and more suitable
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
[And] but
لَّعَنَهُمُ
laʿanahumu
cursed them
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
بِكُفْرِهِمْ
bikuf'rihim
for their disbelief
فَلَا
falā
so not
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
they believe
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
a few
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 46) ➊ { مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوْا يُحَرِّفُوْنَ …:} In the above verse, it was stated that they adopt misguidance; now in this verse, that misguidance is explained with several matters. That is, they distort the rulings of the Torah. See Surah Al-Ma'idah (13, 41). In Surah Al-Ma'idah, besides { ”عَنْ مَّوَاضِعِهٖ“ }, there is also { ”مِنْ بَعْدِمَّوَاضِعِهٖ“ }, which means literal distortion; here { ”عَنْ مَّوَاضِعِهٖ“ } is mentioned, which means distortion of meaning, that is, they use corrupt interpretations, for example, associating the story of the sacrifice with Ishaq (Isaac) instead of Ismail (Ishmael) (peace be upon them). (Razi, Shawkani) In our time as well, it has become the practice of all innovators that whenever a verse or hadith appears contrary to the statement of an imam, mujtahid, or spiritual guide, they interpret it and do not feel any shame before Allah, even though the spiritual guide, imam, and mujtahid were not infallible, unlike the Prophet, whom Allah Himself protected from error. (Wahidi)
➋ { لَيًّۢا بِاَلْسِنَتِهِمْ: ”لَيًّۢا“ } This is from {’’ لَوَي يَلْوِيْ لَيًّا ‘‘}, meaning to twist or distort, that is, they twist their tongues and say { ”رَاعِيْنَا“ }, which is a word of insult. See Al-Baqarah (104). One of their misguidances is that when they hear a command from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they outwardly say {’’ سَمِعْنَا ‘‘} (meaning "we have heard"), but due to extreme enmity, they also say {”عَصَيْنَا“ } (we do not accept). Similarly, when speaking to the Prophet (peace be upon him), they would say {’’ اسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ ‘‘} (listen, may no one make you hear), which outwardly is a good prayer, meaning may you always prevail and no one be able to say anything bad to you, but in their hearts, they intended that he become deaf and unable to hear, thus committing such mischief. (Razi, Ibn Kathir)
➌ { وَ طَعْنًا فِي الدِّيْنِ:} That is, they do all these actions and then, with the intention of criticizing the religion, say that if this person were a prophet, he would have known our deception. Upon this, Allah exposed the evil within them, and that very criticism became a strong proof of the truthfulness of the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). (Razi)
➍ { وَ لَوْ اَنَّهُمْ قَالُوْا سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا … :} That is, if instead of such actions and criticisms, they had used words in which there could be no element of mischief and had come with sincerity, for example, instead of { ”عَصَيْنَا“ }, they had said { ”اَطَعْنَا“ }, and instead of { ”غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ“ }, only { ”اسْمَعْ“ }, and instead of { ”رَاعِنَا“ }, { ”انْظُرْنَا“ }, it would have been better for them. But alas, they believe in very few commands. Thus, {”قَلِيْلًا“} here is a suppressed verbal noun describing { ”إِيْمَانًا“ }, and it also means that very few of them believe, to the extent that hardly even ten among the Jews believed.
➋ { لَيًّۢا بِاَلْسِنَتِهِمْ: ”لَيًّۢا“ } This is from {’’ لَوَي يَلْوِيْ لَيًّا ‘‘}, meaning to twist or distort, that is, they twist their tongues and say { ”رَاعِيْنَا“ }, which is a word of insult. See Al-Baqarah (104). One of their misguidances is that when they hear a command from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they outwardly say {’’ سَمِعْنَا ‘‘} (meaning "we have heard"), but due to extreme enmity, they also say {”عَصَيْنَا“ } (we do not accept). Similarly, when speaking to the Prophet (peace be upon him), they would say {’’ اسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ ‘‘} (listen, may no one make you hear), which outwardly is a good prayer, meaning may you always prevail and no one be able to say anything bad to you, but in their hearts, they intended that he become deaf and unable to hear, thus committing such mischief. (Razi, Ibn Kathir)
➌ { وَ طَعْنًا فِي الدِّيْنِ:} That is, they do all these actions and then, with the intention of criticizing the religion, say that if this person were a prophet, he would have known our deception. Upon this, Allah exposed the evil within them, and that very criticism became a strong proof of the truthfulness of the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). (Razi)
➍ { وَ لَوْ اَنَّهُمْ قَالُوْا سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا … :} That is, if instead of such actions and criticisms, they had used words in which there could be no element of mischief and had come with sincerity, for example, instead of { ”عَصَيْنَا“ }, they had said { ”اَطَعْنَا“ }, and instead of { ”غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ“ }, only { ”اسْمَعْ“ }, and instead of { ”رَاعِنَا“ }, { ”انْظُرْنَا“ }, it would have been better for them. But alas, they believe in very few commands. Thus, {”قَلِيْلًا“} here is a suppressed verbal noun describing { ”إِيْمَانًا“ }, and it also means that very few of them believe, to the extent that hardly even ten among the Jews believed.
