English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 63: Al-Munafiqun — The Hypocrites (Revealed at Madinah: 2 sections, 11 verses)
Section 1 (Verses 63:1–63:8): The Hypocrites
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
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 you, they say: We bear witness that you are indeed Allah’s Messenger. And Allah knows you are 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 (people) from Allah’s way. Surely evil is what 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 do not understand.1
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 you see them, their appearances please you; and if they speak, you listen to their speech. They are like pieces of wood, clad with garments. They think every cry to be against them.2 They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How they are turned away (from truth)!
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 you see 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 the same to them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them — Allah will never forgive them. Surely Allah does not guide 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: Do not spend 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 do not understand.
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 Madinah, the mightier will surely drive out the weaker from it. And might belongs to Allah and His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.3
Commentary:
- Note how the sealing of hearts is described here. It is a person’s own action which is the cause, while the sealing is only the necessary consequence. ↩
- By the cry is here meant the hostile incursion of the enemy. Whenever there was an incursion of the enemy, the hypocrites showed cowardice and thought that the Muslims would be crushed by their adversaries. ↩
- 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 Madinah. But they are told that they themselves will meet with disgrace. Ultimately their opposition came to naught; see 9:101. ↩