Surah An-Nisa (النساء) • The Women

Quran 4:46

4:46

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

mina alladhīna hādū yuḥarrifūna l-kalima ʿan mawāḍiʿihi wayaqūlūna samiʿ'nā waʿaṣaynā wa-is'maʿ ghayra mus'maʿin warāʿinā layyan bi-alsinatihim waṭaʿnan fī l-dīni walaw annahum qālū samiʿ'nā wa-aṭaʿnā wa-is'maʿ wa-unẓur'nā lakāna khayran lahum wa-aqwama walākin laʿanahumu l-lahu bikuf'rihim falā yu'minūna illā qalīlan

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," 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.

— Saheeh International

Some Jews distort the meaning of [revealed] words: they say, ‘We hear and disobey,’ and ‘Listen,’ [adding the insult] ‘May you not hear,’ and ‘Raina [Look at us],’ twisting it abusively with their tongues so as to disparage religion. If they had said, ‘We hear and obey,’ ‘Listen,’ and ‘Unzurna [Look at us],’ that would have been better and more proper for them. But God has spurned them for their defiance; they believe very little.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

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.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 5Page 86medinan

Word by Word

مِّنَminaOf
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
هَادُوا۟hādūare Jews
يُحَرِّفُونَyuḥarrifūnathey distort
ٱلْكَلِمَl-kalimathe words
عَنʿanfrom
مَّوَاضِعِهِۦmawāḍiʿihitheir places
وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūnaand they say
سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nāWe hear[d]
وَعَصَيْنَاwaʿaṣaynāand we disobey[ed]
وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿand "Hear
غَيْرَghayranot
مُسْمَعٍۢmus'maʿinto be heard
وَرَٰعِنَاwarāʿināand "Raina
لَيًّۢاlayyantwisting
بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْbi-alsinatihim[with] their tongues
وَطَعْنًۭاwaṭaʿnanand defaming
فِىfī[in]
ٱلدِّينِۚl-dīnithe religion
وَلَوْwalawAnd if
أَنَّهُمْannahum[that] they
قَالُوا۟qālū(had) said
سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nāWe hear[d]
وَأَطَعْنَاwa-aṭaʿnāand we obey[ed]
وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿand "Hear
وَٱنظُرْنَاwa-unẓur'nāand look (at) us
لَكَانَlakānasurely it (would) have been
خَيْرًۭاkhayranbetter
لَّهُمْlahumfor them
وَأَقْوَمَwa-aqwamaand more suitable
وَلَـٰكِنwalākin[And] but
لَّعَنَهُمُlaʿanahumucursed them
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
بِكُفْرِهِمْbikuf'rihimfor their disbelief
فَلَاfalāso not
يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūnathey believe
إِلَّاillāexcept
قَلِيلًۭاqalīlana few