A Warning for Our Time: Don't Alter the Divine Command to Fit Your Desires

The Arabic Text

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

Transliteration

Fa baddala alladhīna ẓalamū qawlan ghayra alladhī qīla lahum fa anzalnā ʿalā alladhīna ẓalamū rijzan mina as-samā’i bimā kānū yafsuqūn

Simple English Translation

"But those who wronged changed the words from what they were told. So We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky for their disobedience."

Full Explanation in Easy English

This verse reveals the tragic outcome of the command in the previous verse. It shows the consequence of distorting divine instruction—a direct result of arrogance and rebellion against clear guidance.

1. The Past: Distortion and Divine Punishment

• The Act of "Changing the Words": When commanded to enter the city humbly and say "Hittah" (Relieve us of our burdens), some among the Israelites deliberately altered the phrase. According to Islamic tradition, they mocked the command, changing it to something like "Hintah" (a grain of wheat) or saying it in a sarcastic, disrespectful way.

• The Nature of the Sin: This was not a simple mistake. It was:

  1. Disobedience (ʿIsyan): Directly refusing to obey Allah's clear command.

  2. Mockery (Istihza'): Making fun of a spiritual instruction, showing deep disrespect for divine authority.

  3. Distortion (Tahrif): Altering the words of divine command, which is a precursor to altering scripture itself.

• The Consequence: "Rijz from the sky." Rijz means a punishment, wrath, or a vile torment. This was likely a plague or a heavenly punishment that struck them specifically for their transgression (Fusuq).

In the past, this served as a stark lesson: tampering with or mocking Allah's commands, even in wordplay, invites immediate and severe retribution.

2. The Present: How We "Change the Words" Today

For us today, the sin of "changing the words" is not historical; it is a pervasive spiritual disease in modern times:

1. Changing the Words of Command:

   • When the Quran says "establish prayer," we change it to "pray when convenient."

   • When it commands "lower your gaze," we justify constant exposure to impermissible images.

   • When it forbids "riba" (interest), we rationalize it as a necessity of modern finance.

2. Changing the Words Through Interpretation:

   • Taking clear, unambiguous rulings (ahkam) and reinterpreting them to fit modern desires, cultural trends, or personal convenience.

   • Selectively emphasizing verses about mercy while ignoring or explaining away verses about commandments, boundaries, or accountability.

3. Mockery and Disrespect: Treating Islamic rituals, modesty codes, or halal/haram distinctions as outdated, joking about them, or feeling embarrassed by them in public circles.

Today, this verse is a severe warning against religious innovation (bid'ah) and the arrogance of thinking we know better than divine wisdom. It asks: Are we submitting to Allah's words, or are we subtly (or openly) changing them to suit our own desires?

3. The Future: The Ultimate Accounting for Distortion

The consequence in this world points to a greater reality in the future:

• A Sign of Greater Punishment: The earthly punishment (rijz) was a warning of the eternal punishment in the Hereafter for those who die persistently distorting the truth and disobeying Allah. As the Quran says, "So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve." (39:24).

• The Sin of Tahrif (Distortion): This act prefigures the greater sin of distorting scriptures—a charge laid against some previous nations. For Muslims, the protection of the Quran is a mercy, but the obligation is to preserve its meaning and application in our lives, not just its written text.

• The Outcome for the Obedient: Contrasted with the fate of the wrongdoers is the promise for those who obey without alteration: forgiveness and increase (from verse 2:58). Our eternal future hinges on this choice: faithful submission or self-serving distortion.

For the future, this verse teaches that faithfulness to the divine message—in letter, spirit, and action—is the only safe path. On the Day of Judgment, we will not be able to justify why we "changed the words." The record of our obedience or distortion will be plain.

Summary for a Contemporary Audience

Imagine a doctor prescribes a life-saving medicine with a specific dosage. The patient, thinking they know better, changes the prescription, takes a different substance, or mocks the instructions. The resulting relapse is a direct consequence of their own alteration.

Your takeaway: Allah's commands are the prescription for a healthy soul and successful eternal life. "Changing the words"—whether through open mockery, subtle neglect, or convenient reinterpretation—is not a small act. It is a rebellion that brings spiritual sickness in this life and risks divine punishment in the next. Your safety lies in humble submission: take the religion as it was revealed, without alteration. Your obedience is your shield; your distortion is your own downfall.