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An-Nisa 46

Ayah 46 of 176 · Medinan

مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلۡكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعۡنَا وَعَصَيۡنَا وَٱسۡمَعۡ غَيۡرَ مُسۡمَعٖ وَرَٰعِنَا لَيَّۢا بِأَلۡسِنَتِهِمۡ وَطَعۡنٗا فِي ٱلدِّينِۚ وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ قَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَا وَٱسۡمَعۡ وَٱنظُرۡنَا لَكَانَ خَيۡرٗا لَّهُمۡ وَأَقۡوَمَ وَلَٰكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفۡرِهِمۡ فَلَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ٤٦

Among the Jews are those who distort words from their [proper] places [i.e., usages] and say, "We hear and disobey" and "Hear but be not heard" and "Rāʿinā,"1 twisting their tongues and defaming the religion. And if they had said [instead], "We hear and obey" and "Wait for us [to understand]," it would have been better for them and more suitable. But Allāh has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.2

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 See footnote to 2:104.

2 Or "except with little belief."

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Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. مِّنَOfmina
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
  3. هَادُواْare Jewshādū
  4. يُحَرِّفُونَthey distortyuḥarrifūna
  5. ٱلۡكَلِمَthe wordsl-kalima
  6. عَنfromʿan
  7. مَّوَاضِعِهِۦtheir placesmawāḍiʿihi
  8. وَيَقُولُونَand they saywayaqūlūna
  9. سَمِعۡنَاWe hear[d]samiʿ'nā
  10. وَعَصَيۡنَاand we disobey[ed]waʿaṣaynā
  11. وَٱسۡمَعۡand "Hearwa-is'maʿ
  12. غَيۡرَnotghayra
  13. مُسۡمَعٖto be heardmus'maʿin
  14. وَرَٰعِنَاand "Rainawarāʿinā
  15. لَيَّۢاtwistinglayyan
  16. بِأَلۡسِنَتِهِمۡ[with] their tonguesbi-alsinatihim
  17. وَطَعۡنٗاand defamingwaṭaʿnan
  18. فِي[in]fī
  19. ٱلدِّينِۚthe religionl-dīni
  20. وَلَوۡAnd ifwalaw
  21. أَنَّهُمۡ[that] theyannahum
  22. قَالُواْ(had) saidqālū
  23. سَمِعۡنَاWe hear[d]samiʿ'nā
  24. وَأَطَعۡنَاand we obey[ed]wa-aṭaʿnā
  25. وَٱسۡمَعۡand "Hearwa-is'maʿ
  26. وَٱنظُرۡنَاand look (at) uswa-unẓur'nā
  27. لَكَانَsurely it (would) have beenlakāna
  28. خَيۡرٗاbetterkhayran
  29. لَّهُمۡfor themlahum
  30. وَأَقۡوَمَand more suitablewa-aqwama
  31. وَلَٰكِن[And] butwalākin
  32. لَّعَنَهُمُcursed themlaʿanahumu
  33. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  34. بِكُفۡرِهِمۡfor their disbeliefbikuf'rihim
  35. فَلَاso notfalā
  36. يُؤۡمِنُونَthey believeyu'minūna
  37. إِلَّاexceptillā
  38. قَلِيلٗاa fewqalīlan

Tafsir

Among the Jews are an evil group who change the words Allah sent down, interpreting them in a way that they were not revealed. They say to the Messenger (peace be upon him), when he instructs them in something, that they hear and disobey, and say, “Listen to us, may you not hear!; and give the wrong impression when they say, ‘Rā’inā’: meaning ‘watch over us’ when they really mean ‘ru’ūnah’ or ‘silliness’, twisting what they say when they want to call the Prophet (peace be upon him) so that they say something insulting to the faith. If they had said ‘We hear and obey’, instead of ‘We hear and disobey’; ‘Listen’, instead of ‘‘Listen to us, may you not hear!"; and had truly said, ‘Watch over us’, then these would have been better for them than what they said, and more appropriate, being worthy and correct behaviour in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him). But Allah condemned them and removed them from His mercy due to their disbelief, because they do not have faith in any way that is beneficial.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran