Verses 4–11
63. Al-Munaafiqoon · The Hypocrites
Madinan11 verses
۞ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَقُولُوا۟ تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ۖ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌۭ مُّسَنَّدَةٌۭ ۖ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ هُمُ ٱلْعَدُوُّ فَٱحْذَرْهُمْ ۚ قَٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
63:4When you see them, their bodies impress you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. Yet they are like dry logs set reclining [against a wall]. They suppose every cry is directed against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah assail them, where do they stray?!1
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ لَوَّوْا۟ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ
63:5When they are told, ‘Come, that Allah’s Apostle may plead for forgiveness for you,’ they twist their heads, and you see them turn away disdainfully.2
سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ
63:6It is the same for them whether you plead for forgiveness for them, or do not plead for forgiveness for them: Allah will never forgive them. Indeed Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.
هُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَا تُنفِقُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَنْ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ حَتَّىٰ يَنفَضُّوا۟ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ خَزَآئِنُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ
63:7They are the ones who say, ‘Do not spend on those who are with the Apostle of Allah until they scatter off [from around him].’ Yet to Allah belong the treasuries of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand.3
يَقُولُونَ لَئِن رَّجَعْنَآ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ ٱلْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا ٱلْأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
63:8They say, ‘When we return to the city, the mighty will surely expel the weak from it.’ Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Apostle and the faithful, but the hypocrites do not know.4
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ
63:9O you who have faith! Do not let your possessions and children distract you from the remembrance of Allah, and whoever does that—it is they who are the losers.5
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
63:10Spend out of what We have provided you before death comes to any of you, whereat he might say, ‘My Lord, why did You not respite me for a short time so that I could give charity and become one of the righteous!’
وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
63:11But Allah will never respite anyone when his time has come, and Allah is well aware of what you do.6
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 4
1.In the Islamic world there are unlimited examples of hypocrites among ordinary people and the rulers, whose appearance is absolutely different from their inner selves. And on their heart a seal has been put. They are not going to come on the right path. For the Islam world their existence is that of a statue, and that is all. They have no more importance than that. It is a different matter that if statues are not beneficial they also do not cause any harm but they are such statues who go on usurping all the properties of Muslims and their stomachs also do not fill up completely.
Verse 8
2.When Bani Mustaliq saw increasing power of Islam, they thought of attacking Medina and kill the Prophet (s.a.). For that purpose they sent an army also. The Prophet (s.a.) also decided to fight them and he also came out with the army. The leader of hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubayy also joined him. Allah gave victory to the Prophet (s.a.) and at the time of the distribution.of booty he tried to give priority to the poor. Ibne Ubayy did not like this and said: After reaching Medina we will drive him out of Medina, because he does not respects our honour. Allah informed the Prophet (s.a.) about it and he replied to what Ibne Ubayy had said and told him of his misdemaneour. He had a son whose name was also, Abdullah. He said: O Prophet of Allah, if he (his father) is liable to be killed, then give me permission to kill him, because Islam does not cares for relations. It should not so happen that I see other person killing him and my feelings may be enraged and I go astray from the path of Allah. Prophet (s.a.) said: It is better that he should be left alive for the time being. So there is no need to kill him.
Verse 9
3.Charity is also an issue as a dividing line between Momins (believers) and Munafiqeen (hypocrites). that Munafiqeen do not have faith in Allah, therefore they consider all Charity to be expenses. And Momins have complete faith in Allah so they, expecting reward from Allah, think that every Charity is the source of new and a minimum of ten times more income and that is the reason that neither wealth nor children can make them unmindful to the remembrance of Allah. For them both are graces of Allah and they consider as distinction to sacrifice them on His way. In their view children are also grace of Allah, they are not the source of income. Therefore they also should be sacrificed in the way of Allah and they should be devoted in the service of the religion of Allah.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
How true is the example of hypocrites that they are like idols. They seem to be beautiful but are of no use. And idols are commonly used to decorate homes. The use of hypocrites is only to increase the splendor of Islam and nothing more than that.
Benefit
Ten qualities of hypocrites are mentioned in these Verses regarding whom every believer must be careful.
- 2
Turning away of head is a sign of pride and arrogance and pride indicates their way of thinking.
- 3
The Zabar on Alif is there and it is not the Alif of Isteghfar. It is an additional Alif which is used to show similarity in two conditions.
- 4
La Yafqahoom is used in the previous ayat and in this ayat La ya’lamoon is used. This is so because the Fiqh (jurisprudence) has to be understood and the Knowledge has to be learnt. And Providence has related the kingdom of the Heavens and the earth to understanding. Though it is not a clear matter but the matter of honour is compared to knowledge. It is clear that honour is for Allah, the Prophet (s.a.) and the believers. And its greatest proof is that the one who is saying is including himself among them and he is not prepared to become a disbeliever.
- 5
According to some people this remembrance of Allah is Jihad in the way of Allah. And some have considered it to be ordinary remembrance of Allah.
- 6
Asaddaqa: It is mansoob (with vowel a) and Aakun is Majzoom (having a Jazm) that is before one ‘An’ is pronoun and the second one is qualifying of the condition. That is An Akhartani Akun.
Benefit
In addition to the hypocrisy of belief there is a hypocrisy of action also. Regarding which it has come in traditions that betrayal of trust (Khayanat), speaking falsehood and going back on ones word are all the habits of hypocrites.