۞ أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ 75
Translations
Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allāh and then distort it [i.e., the Torah] after they had understood it while they were knowing?
Transliteration
Afa-tatma'ūna an yu'minū lakum wa-qad kāna farīqun min-hum yasma'ūna kalāma-Allāhi thumma yuḥarrifūnahu min-ba'da mā 'aqalūhu wa-hum ya'lamūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the Muslims for hoping that the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) would believe in them, despite the fact that a group among them heard the Word of Allah (the Torah) and deliberately distorted it after understanding it fully. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the Jewish scholars who knowingly altered and misinterpreted scriptural passages to suit their desires and worldly interests. The ayah emphasizes that those who consciously reject truth after comprehending it are unlikely to accept faith, making such hopes unrealistic.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina during the early Islamic period when the Muslim community was establishing relations with the Jewish tribes of Medina. The context addresses the Jewish refusal to accept the Prophet Muhammad despite their knowledge of prophecies in their own scriptures. It forms part of a broader passage (2:75-79) detailing the distortion of religious texts by the People of the Book.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Kitab al-'Ilm) relates to the prohibition of changing religious knowledge: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.' Additionally, Muslim narrations describe the deliberate alteration of Torah passages by Jewish scholars who sought to conceal messianic prophecies about Muhammad.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those who deliberately distort truth for personal gain become spiritually hardened and resistant to faith, reminding believers not to waste energy trying to convince those who knowingly reject the message. It also warns against the danger of intellectual dishonesty and selective interpretation of religious texts for worldly advantage.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِى وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided,
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
الٓمٓ
Alif, Lām, Meem.
۞ وَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَـٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ ۖ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْمَوْلُودِ لَهُۥ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَا تُضَآرَّ وَٰلِدَةٌۢ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ لَّهُۥ بِوَلَدِهِۦ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَٰلِكَ ۗ فَإِنْ أَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَن تَرَاضٍ مِّنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٍ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا ۗ وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن تَسْتَرْضِعُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا سَلَّمْتُم مَّآ ءَاتَيْتُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Mothers may nurse [i.e., breastfeed] their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is their [i.e., the mothers'] provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Seeing of what you do.