Surah An-Nisa 4:46
سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ · Medinan · Verse 46 of 176
مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍۢ وَرَٰعِنَا لَيًّۢا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًۭا فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَٱسْمَعْ وَٱنظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَٰكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
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.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Qur'anic Worlds
This verse opens a window into the dynamic and often challenging early days of the Prophet Muhammad's mission in Madinah. It speaks directly about a group among the Jews, highlighting their specific interactions with the Prophet and the fledgling Muslim community. The verses preceding this one in Surah An-Nisa describe how some of the People of the Book chose misguidance, and this ayah then elaborates on *how* they did so, giving us a vivid picture of the social and spiritual landscape of that time.
The Setting in Madinah
During this Madani period, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was establishing the Islamic state. There was constant interaction, and sometimes tension, with various communities, including the Jews. As Sayyid Qutb notes, the new Islamic movement was "encircled" by various opposing camps. This ayah reveals some of the "wicked tricks," as Mufti Shafi calls them, used by certain Jews against the Prophet and his message. The early Muslims, the Companions, would have heard these very words of Allah, confirming their observations of the Jews' deceptive behavior.
Their Deception
The verse details several forms of verbal manipulation. First, it states that they "distort words from their meanings" (يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ). According to al-Razi and al-Tabari, this distortion could involve changing the actual wording of their scriptures, like the Torah, especially concerning prophecies about the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, or changing legal rulings. More commonly, it involved twisting the interpretation of words with "false arguments and twisted meanings," as al-Razi explains, or even distorting the Prophet's own words after consulting him, as Ibn Abbas observed.
Beyond this subtle textual manipulation, they employed outright insolence. They would say, "We hear and we disobey" (سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا). This was a brazen refusal to submit, perhaps even spoken aloud to the Prophet to signal their opposition, as Ibn Kathir and al-Tabari indicate.
Even more subtly insulting were their ambiguous phrases. They would say, "Listen, may you not hear" (وَٱسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍۢ). On the surface, this might sound like a plea for attention, "Listen to us," but it was intended as a curse, meaning "may you not hear anything good," or "may your words not be accepted," as interpreted by al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir. They also used the word "Rā'ina" (وَرٰعِنَا), which means "attend to us" or "understand us." However, they uttered it "twisting their tongues and disparaging the religion" (لَيًّۢا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًۭا فِى ٱلدِّينِ). By subtly altering its pronunciation, they could imply "rʿūnah," suggesting foolishness or recklessness on the Prophet's part, or even making it sound like an insult about him being a shepherd, as explained by al-Razi. This linguistic trickery was a calculated "stab at the religion" itself.
A Better Way
Allah then presents a straightforward alternative, showing them what would have been truly beneficial: "If only they had said, 'We hear and we obey,' and 'Listen,' and 'Unẓurnā' (look at us/wait for us), it would have been better for them and more upright" (لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ). This phrase, "Unẓurnā," simply means to look upon them or wait for them to understand, devoid of any hidden malicious intent. This would have been a path of honesty and integrity in speech, leading to a better outcome with Allah and a more just way of speaking.
The Consequence
However, their persistent disbelief and manipulation led to severe spiritual repercussions. The verse concludes: "But Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few." This "curse" (لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ) means Allah distanced them from His mercy and guidance due to their profound rejection of Prophet Muhammad and the truth he brought. As Ibn Kathir explains, their hearts were "far from good," preventing beneficial faith from entering. The phrase "except for a few" refers either to a small number of individuals who did eventually accept Islam, like Abdullah ibn Salam, or to a belief that was so minimal it was ultimately ineffective. This paints a picture of deep spiritual consequence stemming from their intentional linguistic and religious deception.
Sources: al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ma'arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi), al-Baghawi (Maalim al-Tanzil), Sayyid Qutb (Fi Zilal al-Quran), al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan), Ibn Kathir
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah An-Nisa 4:46 is discussed in 14 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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