Transliteration:( Wa kaifa yuhakkimoonaka wa 'indahumut Tawraatu feehaa hukmul laahi summa yatawallawna mim ba'di zaalik; wa maaa ulaaa'ika bilmu'mineen )
“And how will they make you a judge when they have the Tauraat with them, wherein there is Allah's judgement? Thereafter, they turn their faces from it, and they are not to believe.”
This verse exposes the hypocrisy and double standards of some among the Yahud.
They came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ, not out of sincerity or belief in his prophethood, but in hopes of finding a lenient verdict that contradicted their own revealed scripture—the Taurat, which clearly prescribed stoning (Rajm) for adultery.
They acknowledged the Taurat outwardly but refused to follow its rulings when it did not suit their interests. Their intent was not justice, but convenience.
This verse affirms:
Their rejection of the Prophet ﷺ is rooted in disbelief, not lack of evidence.
Even when divine guidance is clear in their own book, they turn away from it.
Their appeal to the Prophet ﷺ as judge is not sincere—they seek personal ease, not truth.
Thus, true belief requires submission to divine guidance, not selective application based on self-interest.
The tafsir of Surah Maidah verse 43 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Maidah ayat 41 which provides the complete commentary from verse 41 through 44.
(5:43) Yet how will they appoint you a judge when they have the Torah with them, wherein there is Allah’s judgement – and still they turn away from it?[71] The fact is, they are not believers.
71. In this verse, God unmasks completely the dishonesty of these people. It shows how these so-called religious people who had cast the spell of their religious piety and knowledge of the Scriptures over the whole of Arabia had set aside a categorical injunction of the book which they themselves recognized to be the Book of God, and which they professed to believe in. They had referred that judicial case to the Prophet (peace be on him) for his decision even though they vehemently denied his prophethood. This made it quite clear that there was nothing to which they subscribed sincerely. Their true religion consisted merely of worshipping their interests and desires. They were ready to turn their backs upon the very book which they recognized as the Book of God merely because some of its injunctions were unpalatable to them, and in such cases they did not mind approaching one whom they regarded as an imposter (may God be our refuge from such a blasphemy) in the hope that they might be able to obtain a judgement to their liking.
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