Verse 5:46 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

42 سَمَّـٰعُونَ لِلۡكَذِبِ أَكَّـٰلُونَ لِلسُّحۡتِۚ فَإِن جَاۤءُوكَ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُمۡ أَوۡ أَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡۖ وَإِن تُعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ فَلَن یَضُرُّوكَ شَیۡءࣰاۖ وَإِنۡ حَكَمۡتَ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُم بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِینَ ۝٤٢ sammāʿūna lil'kadhibi akkālūna lilssuḥ'ti fa-in jāūka fa-uḥ'kum baynahum aw aʿriḍ ʿanhum wa-in tuʿ'riḍ ʿanhum falan yaḍurrūka shayan wa-in ḥakamta fa-uḥ'kum baynahum bil-qis'ṭi inna l-laha yuḥibbu l-muq'siṭīn they listen eagerly to lies and consume what is unlawful. If they come to you [Prophet] for judgement, you can either judge between them, or decline- if you decline, they will not harm you in any way, but if you do judge between them, judge justly: God loves the just 43 وَكَیۡفَ یُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِندَهُمُ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةُ فِیهَا حُكۡمُ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ یَتَوَلَّوۡنَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَ ٰلِكَۚ وَمَاۤ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝٤٣ wakayfa yuḥakkimūnaka waʿindahumu l-tawrātu fīhā ḥuk'mu l-lahi thumma yatawallawna min baʿdi dhālika wamā ulāika bil-mu'minīn but why do they come to you for judgement when they have the Torah with God’s judgement, and even then still turn away? These are not believers 44 إِنَّاۤ أَنزَلۡنَا ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَ فِیهَا هُدࣰى وَنُورࣱۚ یَحۡكُمُ بِهَا ٱلنَّبِیُّونَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَسۡلَمُوا۟ لِلَّذِینَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلرَّبَّـٰنِیُّونَ وَٱلۡأَحۡبَارُ بِمَا ٱسۡتُحۡفِظُوا۟ مِن كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَانُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِ شُهَدَاۤءَۚ فَلَا تَخۡشَوُا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِ وَلَا تَشۡتَرُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِی ثَمَنࣰا قَلِیلࣰاۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَحۡكُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٤٤ innā anzalnā l-tawrāta fīhā hudan wanūrun yaḥkumu bihā l-nabiyūna alladhīna aslamū lilladhīna hādū wal-rabāniyūna wal-aḥbāru bimā us'tuḥ'fiẓū min kitābi l-lahi wakānū ʿalayhi shuhadāa falā takhshawū l-nāsa wa-ikh'shawni walā tashtarū biāyātī thamanan qalīlan waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-kāfirūn We revealed the Torah with guidance and light, and the prophets, who had submitted to God, judged according to it for the Jews. So did the rabbis and the scholars in accordance with that part of God’s Scripture which they were entrusted to preserve, and to which they were witnesses. So [rabbis and scholars] do not fear people, fear Me; do not barter away My messages for a small price; those who do not judge according to what God has sent down are rejecting [God’s teachings] 45 وَكَتَبۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ فِیهَاۤ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ بِٱلنَّفۡسِ وَٱلۡعَیۡنَ بِٱلۡعَیۡنِ وَٱلۡأَنفَ بِٱلۡأَنفِ وَٱلۡأُذُنَ بِٱلۡأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلۡجُرُوحَ قِصَاصࣱۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةࣱ لَّهُۥۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَحۡكُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۝٤٥ wakatabnā ʿalayhim fīhā anna l-nafsa bil-nafsi wal-ʿayna bil-ʿayni wal-anfa bil-anfi wal-udhuna bil-udhuni wal-sina bil-sini wal-jurūḥa qiṣāṣun faman taṣaddaqa bihi fahuwa kaffāratun lahu waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-ẓālimūn In the Torah We prescribed for them a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, an equal wound for a wound: if anyone forgoes this out of charity, it will serve as atonement for his bad deeds. Those who do not judge according to what God has revealed are doing grave wrong

46 وَقَفَّیۡنَا عَلَىٰۤ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم بِعِیسَى ٱبۡنِ مَرۡیَمَ مُصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِۖ وَءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡإِنجِیلَ فِیهِ هُدࣰى وَنُورࣱ وَمُصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَهُدࣰى وَمَوۡعِظَةࣰ لِّلۡمُتَّقِینَ ۝٤٦ waqaffaynā ʿalā āthārihim biʿīsā ib'ni maryama muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti waātaynāhu l-injīla fīhi hudan wanūrun wamuṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-tawrāti wahudan wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīn We sent Jesus, son of Mary, in their footsteps, to confirm the Torah that had been sent before him: We gave him the Gospel with guidance, light, and confirmation of the Torah already revealed- a guide and lesson for those who take heed of God

47 وَلۡیَحۡكُمۡ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡإِنجِیلِ بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِیهِۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَحۡكُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ ۝٤٧ walyaḥkum ahlu l-injīli bimā anzala l-lahu fīhi waman lam yaḥkum bimā anzala l-lahu fa-ulāika humu l-fāsiqūn So let the followers of the Gospel judge according to what God has sent down in it. Those who do not judge according to what God has revealed are lawbreakers 48 وَأَنزَلۡنَاۤ إِلَیۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ مُصَدِّقࣰا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَمُهَیۡمِنًا عَلَیۡهِۖ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُمۡ عَمَّا جَاۤءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ لِكُلࣲّ جَعَلۡنَا مِنكُمۡ شِرۡعَةࣰ وَمِنۡهَاجࣰاۚ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمۡ أُمَّةࣰ وَ ٰحِدَةࣰ وَلَـٰكِن لِّیَبۡلُوَكُمۡ فِی مَاۤ ءَاتَىٰكُمۡۖ فَٱسۡتَبِقُوا۟ ٱلۡخَیۡرَ ٰتِۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ جَمِیعࣰا فَیُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ فِیهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ۝٤٨ wa-anzalnā ilayka l-kitāba bil-ḥaqi muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-kitābi wamuhayminan ʿalayhi fa-uḥ'kum baynahum bimā anzala l-lahu walā tattabiʿ ahwāahum ʿammā jāaka mina l-ḥaqi likullin jaʿalnā minkum shir'ʿatan wamin'hājan walaw shāa l-lahu lajaʿalakum ummatan wāḥidatan walākin liyabluwakum fī mā ātākum fa-is'tabiqū l-khayrāti ilā l-lahi marjiʿukum jamīʿan fayunabbi-ukum bimā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūn We sent to you [Muhammad] the Scripture with the truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it, and with final authority over them: so judge between them according to what God has sent down. Do not follow their whims, which deviate from the truth that has come to you. We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to God and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about 49 وَأَنِ ٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَهُم بِمَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُمۡ وَٱحۡذَرۡهُمۡ أَن یَفۡتِنُوكَ عَنۢ بَعۡضِ مَاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَیۡكَۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡا۟ فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّمَا یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن یُصِیبَهُم بِبَعۡضِ ذُنُوبِهِمۡۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِیرࣰا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَفَـٰسِقُونَ ۝٤٩ wa-ani uḥ'kum baynahum bimā anzala l-lahu walā tattabiʿ ahwāahum wa-iḥ'dharhum an yaftinūka ʿan baʿḍi mā anzala l-lahu ilayka fa-in tawallaw fa-iʿ'lam annamā yurīdu l-lahu an yuṣībahum bibaʿḍi dhunūbihim wa-inna kathīran mina l-nāsi lafāsiqūn So [Prophet] judge between them according to what God has sent down. Do not follow their whims, and take good care that they do not tempt you away from any of what God has sent down to you. If they turn away, remember that God intends to punish them for some of the sins they have committed: a great many people are lawbreakers 50 أَفَحُكۡمَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِیَّةِ یَبۡغُونَۚ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حُكۡمࣰا لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُوقِنُونَ ۝٥٠ afaḥuk'ma l-jāhiliyati yabghūna waman aḥsanu mina l-lahi ḥuk'man liqawmin yūqinūn Do they want judgement according to the time of pagan ignorance? Is there any better judge than God for those of firm faith