Quran 4:46 — An-Nisaa, verse 46
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
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.
مِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَاعِنَا لَيًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِي الدِّينِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانْظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَـٰكِنْ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ 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
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Some of the Jews pervert words from their meanings saying, 'We have heard and we disobey' and 'Hear, and be thou not given to hear' and 'Observe us,' twisting with their tongues and traducing religion. If they had said, 'We have heard and obey' and 'Hear' and 'Regard us,' it would have been better for them, and more upright; but God has cursed them for their unbelief so they believe not except a few.
- Muhammad Asad
- Among those of the Jewish faith there are some who distort the meaning of the [revealed] words, taking them out of their context and saying, [as it were,] "We have heard, but we disobey," and, "Hear without hearkening,” and, “Hearken thou unto us, (O Muhammad)” - thus making a play with their tongues, and implying that the [true] Faith is false. And had they but said, "We have heard, and we pay heed," and "Hear [us], and have patience with us," it would indeed have been for their own good, and more upright: but God has rejected them because of their refusal to acknowledge the truth - for it is in but few things that they believe.
- Sahih International
- 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مِّنَmina | Of | — |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 3 | هَادُوا۟hādū | are Jews | هود |
| 4 | يُحَرِّفُونَyuḥarrifūna | they distort | حرف |
| 5 | ٱلْكَلِمَl-kalima | the words | كلم |
| 6 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 7 | مَّوَاضِعِهِۦmawāḍiʿihi | their places | وضع |
| 8 | وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūna | and they say | قول |
| 9 | سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nā | We hear[d] | سمع |
| 10 | وَعَصَيْنَاwaʿaṣaynā | and we disobey[ed] | عصي |
| 11 | وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿ | and "Hear | سمع |
| 12 | غَيْرَghayra | not | غير |
| 13 | مُسْمَعٍۢmus'maʿin | to be heard | سمع |
| 14 | وَرَٰعِنَاwarāʿinā | and "Raina | رعي |
| 15 | لَيًّۢاlayyan | twisting | لوي |
| 16 | بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْbi-alsinatihim | [with] their tongues | لسن |
| 17 | وَطَعْنًۭاwaṭaʿnan | and defaming | طعن |
| 18 | فِىfī | [in] | — |
| 19 | ٱلدِّينِ ۚl-dīni | the religion | دين |
| 20 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 21 | أَنَّهُمْannahum | [that] they | — |
| 22 | قَالُوا۟qālū | (had) said | قول |
| 23 | سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nā | We hear[d] | سمع |
| 24 | وَأَطَعْنَاwa-aṭaʿnā | and we obey[ed] | طوع |
| 25 | وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿ | and "Hear | سمع |
| 26 | وَٱنظُرْنَاwa-unẓur'nā | and look (at) us | نظر |
| 27 | لَكَانَlakāna | surely it (would) have been | كون |
| 28 | خَيْرًۭاkhayran | better | خير |
| 29 | لَّهُمْlahum | for them | — |
| 30 | وَأَقْوَمَwa-aqwama | and more suitable | قوم |
| 31 | وَلَـٰكِنwalākin | [And] but | — |
| 32 | لَّعَنَهُمُlaʿanahumu | cursed them | لعن |
| 33 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 34 | بِكُفْرِهِمْbikuf'rihim | for their disbelief | كفر |
| 35 | فَلَاfalā | so not | — |
| 36 | يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūna | they believe | أمن |
| 37 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 38 | قَلِيلًۭاqalīlan | a few | قلل |