Quran Universe
3:78

وَإِنَّ مِنۡهُمۡ لَفَرِيقٗا يَلۡوُۥنَ أَلۡسِنَتَهُم بِٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لِتَحۡسَبُوهُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡكَذِبَ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Wainna minhum lafareeqan yalwoona alsinatahum bialkitabi litahsaboohu mina alkitabi wama huwa mina alkitabi wayaqooloona huwa min AAindi Allahi wama huwa min AAindi Allahi wayaqooloona AAala Allahi alkathiba wahum yaAAlamoona

And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. And they speak untruth about Allah while they know.

Word by word
  1. وَإِنَّAnd indeed
  2. مِنۡهُمۡamong them
  3. لَفَرِيقٗاsurely (is) a group
  4. يَلۡوُۥنَthey distort
  5. أَلۡسِنَتَهُمtheir tongues
  6. بِٱلۡكِتَٰبِin (reciting) the Book
  7. لِتَحۡسَبُوهُso that you may think it
  8. مِنَ(is) from
  9. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِthe Book
  10. وَمَاand not
  11. هُوَit
  12. مِنَ(is) from
  13. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِthe Book
  14. وَيَقُولُونَAnd they say
  15. هُوَIt
  16. مِنۡ(is)
  17. عِندِfrom
  18. ٱللَّهِAllah
  19. وَمَاBut not
  20. هُوَit
  21. مِنۡ(is)
  22. عِندِfrom
  23. ٱللَّهِۖAllah
  24. وَيَقُولُونَAnd they say
  25. عَلَىabout
  26. ٱللَّهِAllah
  27. ٱلۡكَذِبَthe lie
  28. وَهُمۡwhile they
  29. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
Ali 'Imran · 3:78Madinah

Twisting your tongue so it sounds like Scripture.

Presenting your own words as Allah's

The trick
their own wordssaid in the tone of Scripture
labeled
"from Allah"but it is not
The line
my opinion, as revelationto win the argument
say what is yoursand what is His

A party would recite with a twist of the tongue, adding or bending meanings so listeners thought it was from the Book. Ibn Kathir explains they altered the meanings and attributed their own words to Allah, knowing they lied.

In a family argument you say "Islam says" when you mean "I think." A forwarded message in the group chat with a hadith no one has checked. Borrowing Allah's authority for your own point. Say plainly which part is yours.

If it supports something good, it is fine to say the religion says it.

Putting my words in Allah's mouth is a lie about Him, even for a good cause.

Try this

Next time you quote religion in an argument, check the source first or say "I think" instead.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues, so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: This is from Allah, but it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it (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,

وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(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,

يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ

(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,

وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ

(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.