Journal of Interreligious Studies on the Quran and the Bible

Journal of Interreligious Studies on the Quran and the Bible

Wordplay or the Distortion of the Torah: An Analysis of Surah al-Nisāʼ, Verse 46 and Surah Āli ʻImrān, Verse 78 with an Emphasis on Jewish Linguistic Behavior

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ardeshir Mohammadi Bakhtiari 1
Maryam Madmoli 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, College of Islamic Studies, Ahlul Bayt International University, Tehran, IRAN
2 Researcher, Department of Women Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Al-Mustafa Open University, Qom, IRAN.
10.22034/qb.2026.2075767.1056
Abstract
Although many scholars have regarded verse 46 of Surah al Nisāʾ and verse 78 of Surah Āli ʿImrān as among the Qur’anic passages indicating the textual corruption of the Torah, or even of both Testaments, a closer reading of these verses reveals that they refer more precisely and profoundly to the linguistic and intellectual practices of a group among the Jews. By employing wordplay and limited semantic shifts, they caused confusion and doubt among their audience while presenting their statements as though they were derived from the sacred text of the Torah. An examination of the key terms Yalwūn and al Kitāb, along with reflection on the concepts of distortion and al Kalim in lexical and Qur’anic sources, indicates that these verses primarily critique a form of linguistic trickery and limited semantic distortion rather than a literal and fundamental alteration of the sacred text itself. Historical and narrative analyses likewise confirm that the verses do not refer to an actual textual alteration of the Torah; rather, what occurred involved linguistic manipulation and semantic shifts intended to deceive or mock. Therefore, it is highly plausible that these verses do not constitute evidence for the textual corruption of the Torah. Instead, their principal concern is to warn against linguistic misuse rather than an actual and direct modification of the wording of the sacred text. Through a close analysis of the key vocabulary of these verses, supported by historical and narrative reports, this study seeks to demonstrate that these passages signify wordplay more than they serve as evidence of textual corruption.
Keywords
The Holy Qur'an
Surah al-Nisāʼ Verse 46
Surah Āli ʻImrān Verse 78
Linguistic Behavior
Distortion
Torah
Jews
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