إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلرَّبَّـٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا ٱسْتُحْفِظُوا۟ مِن كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ وَٱخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِى ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ 44
Translations
Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allāh] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allāh, and they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price [i.e., worldly gain]. And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Inna anzalna at-Tawrata feeha hudan wa noor. Yahkumu biha an-nabiyyun alladhina aslamu lilladhina hadoo wa ar-rabbaniyyun wa al-ahbar bima istuhfizu min kitab Allah wa kanu alayhi shuhada. Fala takhshawo an-nasa wa akhshawn wa la tashtaru bi-ayati thamenan qalilan. Wa man lam yahkum bima anzala Allah fa-ulaika hum al-kafirun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the Torah as a divine revelation containing guidance and light, emphasizing that the prophets and scholars (rabbis and learned men) of the Jewish community were entrusted with its preservation and application. Allah commands them and all believers not to fear human pressure or sell Allah's signs for worldly gain, warning that those who refuse to judge by Allah's revelation are disbelievers (kafirs). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this ayah addresses both the Jewish scholars of the Prophet's time and sets a universal principle that judgment must be based on divine revelation, not human legislation or fear.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Madinah during the period when the Prophet (peace be upon him) dealt with the Jewish tribes and established the Charter of Madinah. The context addresses the Jewish scholars' responsibility in preserving the Torah and judging fairly according to it, while also warning against corruption of divine law for personal benefit or political pressure. It forms part of a broader Quranic discussion on the distortion of religious texts by People of the Book.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected here connects to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.' Additionally, Muslim reported that the Prophet warned against those who conceal clear proofs and guidance, directly relating to the concept of istuhfizu (being entrusted with divine texts).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those entrusted with knowledge of Allah's word bear a tremendous responsibility to preserve it faithfully and apply it justly, regardless of social or political pressure. For modern readers, it emphasizes that authentic Islamic authority derives from adherence to divine revelation, not personal interest or public opinion, and that compromising divine principles for material gain or fear constitutes a fundamental rejection of faith.
Related Ayahs
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَلَأَدْخَلْنَـٰهُمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
And if only the People of the Scripture had believed and feared Allāh, We would have removed from them their misdeeds and admitted them to Gardens of Pleasure.
لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.
فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُۥ كَيْفَ يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْغُرَابِ فَأُوَٰرِىَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِى ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰدِمِينَ
Then Allāh sent a crow searching [i.e., scratching] in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother. He said, "O woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the disgrace [i.e., body] of my brother?" And he became of the regretful.
وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَهُمْ فَنَسُوا۟ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ ٱلْعَدَاوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ
And from those who say, "We are Christians" We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded. So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allāh is going to inform them about what they used to do.