English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (1951/2002)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
سُوۡرَۃُ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ مَدَنِیَّۃٌ
Chapter 63
Al-Munafiqun
The Hypocrites
Revealed at Madinah
(2 sections; 11 verses)
Introductory Note by Translator: The entire chapter, as its name shows, deals with the hypocrites and condemns hypocrisy. The first section speaks of their false promises and their desire to see Islam abased and wiped out, while the second section concludes with an exhortation to the Muslims to be sincere and not to be led away by the love of wealth and children.
The date of revelation may be assigned to a time when the hypocrites became separated from the believers, which first took place in the battle of Uḥud, and therefore it was probably in the third year of the Hijrah that it was revealed.
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Section 1: The Hypocrites
رکوع ۱
اِذَا جَآءَکَ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ قَالُوۡا نَشۡہَدُ اِنَّکَ لَرَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ ۘ وَ اللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ اِنَّکَ لَرَسُوۡلُہٗ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَشۡہَدُ اِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَکٰذِبُوۡنَ ۚ﴿۱﴾
63:1 When the hypocrites come to thee, they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah’s Messenger. And Allah knows thou art indeed His Messenger. And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.
اِتَّخَذُوۡۤا اَیۡمَانَہُمۡ جُنَّۃً فَصَدُّوۡا عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ سَآءَ مَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲﴾
63:2 They take shelter under their oaths, thus turning (men) from Allah’s way. Surely evil is that which they do.
ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمۡ اٰمَنُوۡا ثُمَّ کَفَرُوۡا فَطُبِعَ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَہُمۡ لَا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ ﴿۳﴾
63:3 That is because they believed, then disbelieved; thus their hearts are sealed, so they understand not.a
3a (Commentary on 63:3) Note how the sealing of hearts is described here. It is man’s own action which is the cause, while the sealing is but the necessary consequence.
وَ اِذَا رَاَیۡتَہُمۡ تُعۡجِبُکَ اَجۡسَامُہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّقُوۡلُوۡا تَسۡمَعۡ لِقَوۡلِہِمۡ ؕ کَاَنَّہُمۡ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَۃٌ ؕ یَحۡسَبُوۡنَ کُلَّ صَیۡحَۃٍ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ ہُمُ الۡعَدُوُّ فَاحۡذَرۡہُمۡ ؕ قٰتَلَہُمُ اللّٰہُ ۫ اَنّٰی یُؤۡفَکُوۡنَ ﴿۴﴾
63:4 And when thou seest them, their persons please thee; and if they speak, thou listenest to their speech. They are like pieces of wood, clad with garments. They think every cry to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How they are turned back!a
4a (Commentary on 63:4) By the cry is here meant the hostile incursion of the enemy by which the tribes are surprised (LL). Whenever there was an incursion of the enemy, the hypocrites showed cowardice and thought that the Muslims would be crushed by their adversaries.
وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا یَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ لَوَّوۡا رُءُوۡسَہُمۡ وَ رَاَیۡتَہُمۡ یَصُدُّوۡنَ وَ ہُمۡ مُّسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾
63:5 And when it is said to them: Come, the Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you, they turn away their heads and thou seest them hindering (others), and they are big with pride.
سَوَآءٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ اَسۡتَغۡفَرۡتَ لَہُمۡ اَمۡ لَمۡ تَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَہُمۡ ؕ لَنۡ یَّغۡفِرَ اللّٰہُ لَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الۡفٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶﴾
63:6 It is alike to them whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them — Allah will never forgive them. Surely Allah guides not the transgressing people.
ہُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ لَا تُنۡفِقُوۡا عَلٰی مَنۡ عِنۡدَ رَسُوۡلِ اللّٰہِ حَتّٰی یَنۡفَضُّوۡا ؕ وَ لِلّٰہِ خَزَآئِنُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لٰکِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ ﴿۷﴾
63:7 They it is who say: Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse. And Allah’s are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites understand not.
یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ لَئِنۡ رَّجَعۡنَاۤ اِلَی الۡمَدِیۡنَۃِ لَیُخۡرِجَنَّ الۡاَعَزُّ مِنۡہَا الۡاَذَلَّ ؕ وَ لِلّٰہِ الۡعِزَّۃُ وَ لِرَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ لٰکِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ٪﴿۸﴾
63:8 They say: If we return to Madīnah, the mightier will surely drive out the meaner therefrom. And might belongs to Allah and His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites know not.a
8a (Commentary on 63:8) So late as this revelation, the hypocrites considered themselves, in conjunction with their disbelieving friends, to be the stronger party and the Muslims to be the weaker party, whom they could easily drive out of Madīnah. But they are told that they themselves will meet with disgrace. Ultimately their opposition came to naught; see 9:101b.
Section 2: An Exhortation
رکوع ۲
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تُلۡہِکُمۡ اَمۡوَالُکُمۡ وَ لَاۤ اَوۡلَادُکُمۡ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یَّفۡعَلۡ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾
63:9 O you who believe, let not your wealth nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.
وَ اَنۡفِقُوۡا مِنۡ مَّا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَ اَحَدَکُمُ الۡمَوۡتُ فَیَقُوۡلَ رَبِّ لَوۡ لَاۤ اَخَّرۡتَنِیۡۤ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ قَرِیۡبٍ ۙ فَاَصَّدَّقَ وَ اَکُنۡ مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾
63:10 And spend out of that which We have given you before death comes to one of you, and he says: My Lord, why didst Thou not respite me to a near term, so that I should have given alms and been of the doers of good deeds?
وَ لَنۡ یُّؤَخِّرَ اللّٰہُ نَفۡسًا اِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ خَبِیۡرٌۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿٪۱۱﴾
63:11 But Allah respites not a soul, when its term comes. And Allah is Aware of what you do.