Surah Ali 'Imran 3:78

The Jews Alter Allah's Words

Allah states that some Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, distort Allah's Words with their tongues, change them from their appropriate places, and alter their intended meanings. They do this to deceive the ignorant people by making it appear that their words are in the Book of Allah. They attribute their own lies to Allah, even though they know that they have lied and invented falsehood. Therefore, Allah said,

(and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it.)

Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that,

(who distort the Book with their tongues,) means, "They alter them (Allah's Words)."

Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means they alter and add although none among Allah's creation can remove the Words of Allah from His Books, they alter and distort their apparent meanings. Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The Tawrah and the Injil remain as Allah revealed them, and no letter in them was removed. However, the people misguide others by addition and false interpretation, relying on books that they wrote themselves. Then,

(they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah;)

As for Allah's Books, they are still preserved and cannot be changed." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement. However, if Wahb meant the books that are currently in the hands of the People of the Book, then we should state that there is no doubt that they altered, distorted, added to and deleted from them. For instance, the Arabic versions of these books contain tremendous error, many additions and deletions and enormous misinterpretation. Those who rendered these translations have incorrect comprehension in most, rather, all of these translations. If Wahb meant the Books of Allah that He has with Him, then indeed, these Books are preserved and were never changed.

Ayat ini menerangkan keadaan sekelompok Ahli Kitab yang lain, yaitu segolongan dari pendeta-pendeta mereka yang mengubah ayat-ayat Kitab (Taurat) dengan menambah lafaz-lafaznya atau menukar letak dan menghapus sebagian dari lafaz-lafaz itu, sehingga berubahlah pengertiannya yang asli. Mereka baca ayat-ayat yang telah diubah-ubahnya itu sebagai pembacaan ayat al-Kitab, agar pendengarnya mengira bahwa yang dibaca itu benar-benar ayat al-Kitab, padahal yang dibaca itu sebenarnya bukan datang dari Allah, tetapi buatan mereka sendiri.

Mereka mengetahui bahwa perbuatan yang mereka lakukan itu adalah perbuatan yang salah, tetapi tetap juga mereka lakukan. Yang demikian itu disebabkan karena sifat ketakwaan mereka kepada Allah telah lenyap, dan mereka percaya bahwa Allah akan mengampuni apa saja dosa yang mereka kerjakan karena mereka orang yang beragama.

Perbuatan orang Yahudi yang sangat keji itu, menjadi pelajaran bagi umat Islam agar jangan sampai ada di antara umat Islam yang berkelakuan demikian, jangan sampai ada yang beritikad bahwa orang Islam itu pasti mendapat ampunan dari Allah betapa pun besarnya dosa yang mereka lakukan. Jangan pula ada di antara orang yang mengaku beragama Islam tetapi perbuatannya perbuatan orang kafir dan munafik, tidak mau mengerjakan ajaran Al-Qur'an dan sunah Rasul, dan tidak pula berkeyakinan sesuai dengan kepercayaan Muslimin.