(Revealed after Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context

This also is a Medinite Surah, having been revealed, as its subject-matter shows, sometime after the Battle of Uhud. Whereas the preceding Surah had specifically dealt with the Jews of Medina, this Surah deals with other enemies of Islam-the Hypocrites, and exposes their evil designs, their infidelity and dishonesty, and condemns their loud professions of faith as false and treacherous.

They are the real enemies of Islam, says the Surah, since they try to deceive Muslims by their oaths and their false professions of faith, using them as a screen for that purpose. They have, by their evil designs and nefarious activities, condemned themselves beyond redemption. They mistakenly think that, like themselves, the Companions of the Holy Prophet are a band of self-seekers who will leave him when their material interests so demanded. The Surah closes with the exhortation to Muslims that they should spend their wealth in the cause of God, before the time comes when Islam will no longer need their money.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
[63:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

[63:2] When the hypocrites[3049] come to thee, they say, ‘We bear witness that thou art indeed the Messenger of Allah.’ And Allah knows that thou art indeed His Messenger, but Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.

سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[63:3] They have made their oaths a shield; thus they turn men away from the way of Allah. Evil surely is that which they have been doing.

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يَفْقَهُونَ
[63:4] That is because they first believed, then disbelieved. So a seal was set upon their hearts and consequently they understand not.[3050]

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ وَإِنْ يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمْ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمْ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ

[63:5] And when thou seest them, their figures please thee; and if they speak, thou listenest to their speech. They are as though they were blocks of wood propped up[3051]. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah’s curse be upon them! How are they being turned away!

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُمْ مُسْتَكْبِرُونَ
[63:6] And when it is said to them, ‘Come, that the Messenger of Allah may ask forgiveness for you,’ they turn their heads aside, and thou seest them keeping back while they are full of pride.

سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَاسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

[63:7] It is equal to them whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them, Allah will never forgive them. Surely Allah guides not the rebellious people.

هُمْ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لاَ تُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا وَلِلَّهِ خَزَائِنُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لاَ يَفْقَهُونَ

[63:8] They it is who say, ‘Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse and leave him;’[3052] while to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the hypocrites understand not.

يَقُولُونَ لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الأَذَلَّ وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

[63:9] They say, ‘If we return to Medina, the one most honourable will surely drive out therefrom the one most mean[3053];’ while true honour belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the believers; but the hypocrites know not.

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْخَاسِرُونَ

[63:10] O ye who believe! let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does so — it is they who are the losers.

وَأَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمْ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلاَ أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُنْ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ

[63:11] And spend out of that with which We have provided you before death comes upon one of you and he says, ‘My Lord! if only Thou wouldst grant me respite for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous.’

وَلَنْ يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهَا وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
[63:12] And Allah will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come[3054]; and Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.

3049.  It is characteristic of a hypocrite that he makes loud profession of his faith and thereby seeks to conceal the treachery and infidelity of his heart.

3050. The hypocrites seem to have lost all reason and understanding since they labor under the misconception that by their wiles and glib talk they can deceive Allah and His Prophet.

3051. A hypocrite lacks self-reliance. He is always in search of some one upon whom to lean. Or, the verse may signify that his interior does not correspond to his exterior. He so conducts himself that while outwardly he appears to be a reasonable, dignified and honest person, inwardly he is quite hollow and rotten to the core. He seeks to please people with his glib talk but, being a coward, he suspects and sees danger everywhere.

3052. Insincere and dishonest himself, a hypocrite considers others to be like him. The Hypocrites of Medina had made an entirely foolish and wrong estimate of the sincerity of purpose of the Holy Prophet's Companions in that they thought that they (his Companions) had gathered round him from considerations of their material interests; and that the moment they found that their expectations had not materialized, they would desert him. Time completely belied their fond and futile expectations.

3053. In the course of a campaign (probably the one against Banu Mustaliq) 'Abd Allah bin Ubayy, leader of the Medina Hypocrites whose fond expectations to become the Chief of Medina were shattered by the Holy Prophet's arrival on the scene is reported to have said that on his return to Medina he, 'the most honorable of its inhabitants' meaning himself, would drive out there from 'the meanest of them,' meaning the Holy Prophet. 'Abd Allah's son heard of this vile boast of his father, and as the party reached Medina, he drew his sword and barred his father's entry into the town until he had confessed and declared that he himself was the meanest of the citizens of Medina and the Holy Prophet the most honorable of them. Thus his boast recoiled on his head.

3054. When it loses the God-given opportunity to serve a good cause.