Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 46 (4:46)

ٱلنِّسَاء

مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا …

Quran 4:46 is ayah 46 of Surah An-Nisa (“The Women”), a Medinan surah of 176 ayahs. It is in Juz 5, on page 86 of the Madani Mushaf.

4:46
مِّنَٱلَّذِينَهَادُوا۟يُحَرِّفُونَٱلْكَلِمَعَنمَّوَاضِعِهِۦوَيَقُولُونَسَمِعْنَاوَعَصَيْنَاوَٱسْمَعْغَيْرَمُسْمَعٍوَرَٰعِنَالَيًّۢابِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْوَطَعْنًافِىٱلدِّينِ ۚوَلَوْأَنَّهُمْقَالُوا۟سَمِعْنَاوَأَطَعْنَاوَٱسْمَعْوَٱنظُرْنَالَكَانَخَيْرًالَّهُمْوَأَقْوَمَوَلَٰكِنلَّعَنَهُمُٱللَّهُبِكُفْرِهِمْفَلَايُؤْمِنُونَإِلَّاقَلِيلًا٤٦
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.(46)

Word by word

  1. مِّنَminaOf
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  3. هَادُوا۟hādūare Jews
  4. يُحَرِّفُونَyuḥarrifūnathey distort
  5. ٱلْكَلِمَl-kalimathe words
  6. عَنʿanfrom
  7. مَّوَاضِعِهِۦmawāḍiʿihitheir places
  8. وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūnaand they say
  9. سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nāWe hear[d]
  10. وَعَصَيْنَاwaʿaṣaynāand we disobey[ed]
  11. وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿand "Hear
  12. غَيْرَghayranot
  13. مُسْمَعٍmus'maʿinto be heard
  14. وَرَٰعِنَاwarāʿināand "Raina
  15. لَيًّۢاlayyantwisting
  16. بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْbi-alsinatihim[with] their tongues
  17. وَطَعْنًاwaṭaʿnanand defaming
  18. فِىfī[in]
  19. ٱلدِّينِ ۚl-dīnithe religion
  20. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  21. أَنَّهُمْannahum[that] they
  22. قَالُوا۟qālū(had) said
  23. سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nāWe hear[d]
  24. وَأَطَعْنَاwa-aṭaʿnāand we obey[ed]
  25. وَٱسْمَعْwa-is'maʿand "Hear
  26. وَٱنظُرْنَاwa-unẓur'nāand look (at) us
  27. لَكَانَlakānasurely it (would) have been
  28. خَيْرًاkhayranbetter
  29. لَّهُمْlahumfor them
  30. وَأَقْوَمَwa-aqwamaand more suitable
  31. وَلَٰكِنwalākin[And] but
  32. لَّعَنَهُمُlaʿanahumucursed them
  33. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  34. بِكُفْرِهِمْbikuf'rihimfor their disbelief
  35. فَلَاfalāso not
  36. يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūnathey believe
  37. إِلَّاillāexcept
  38. قَلِيلًاqalīlana few

Tafsir (commentary) of 4:46

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 4:44–46 together.

Read the English tafsir of 4:44–46 →

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