63: The Hypocrites (Al-Munafiqun)
Revealed at Madinah
This chapter deals with the hypocrites and condemns hypocrisy. It speaks of their false promises and their desire to see Islam wiped out, and concludes with an exhortation to Muslims not to be led away by love of wealth and offspring. This chapter was revealed very probably in 3 A.H.
Section 1 (Verses 63:1–63:8): The Hypocrites
63:1
اِذَا جَآءَکَ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ قَالُوۡا نَشۡہَدُ اِنَّکَ لَرَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ ۘ وَ اللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ اِنَّکَ لَرَسُوۡلُہٗ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَشۡہَدُ اِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَکٰذِبُوۡنَ ۚ﴿۱﴾
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.
63:2
اِتَّخَذُوۡۤا اَیۡمَانَہُمۡ جُنَّۃً فَصَدُّوۡا عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ سَآءَ مَا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲﴾
They take shelter under their oaths, thus turning (people) from Allah’s way. Surely evil is what they do.
63:3
ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمۡ اٰمَنُوۡا ثُمَّ کَفَرُوۡا فَطُبِعَ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَہُمۡ لَا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ ﴿۳﴾
That is because they believed, then disbelieved; thus their hearts are sealed, so they do not understand.
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.
63:4
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﴾
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. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How they are turned away (from truth)!
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.
63:5
وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا یَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ لَوَّوۡا رُءُوۡسَہُمۡ وَ رَاَیۡتَہُمۡ یَصُدُّوۡنَ وَ ہُمۡ مُّسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾
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.
63:6
سَوَآءٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ اَسۡتَغۡفَرۡتَ لَہُمۡ اَمۡ لَمۡ تَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَہُمۡ ؕ لَنۡ یَّغۡفِرَ اللّٰہُ لَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الۡفٰسِقِیۡنَ ﴿۶﴾
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.
63:7
ہُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ لَا تُنۡفِقُوۡا عَلٰی مَنۡ عِنۡدَ رَسُوۡلِ اللّٰہِ حَتّٰی یَنۡفَضُّوۡا ؕ وَ لِلّٰہِ خَزَآئِنُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لٰکِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ ﴿۷﴾
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.
63:8
یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ لَئِنۡ رَّجَعۡنَاۤ اِلَی الۡمَدِیۡنَۃِ لَیُخۡرِجَنَّ الۡاَعَزُّ مِنۡہَا الۡاَذَلَّ ؕ وَ لِلّٰہِ الۡعِزَّۃُ وَ لِرَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ لٰکِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ٪﴿۸﴾
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.
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.
Section 2 (Verses 63:9–63:11): An Exhortation
63:9
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تُلۡہِکُمۡ اَمۡوَالُکُمۡ وَ لَاۤ اَوۡلَادُکُمۡ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یَّفۡعَلۡ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾
O you who believe, do not let your wealth nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.
63:10
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﴾
And spend (on good works) out of what We have given you before death comes to one of you, and he says: My Lord, why did You not grant me respite for a little while (longer), so that I should have given in charity and been among the doers of good deeds?
63:11
وَ لَنۡ یُّؤَخِّرَ اللّٰہُ نَفۡسًا اِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ خَبِیۡرٌۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿٪۱۱﴾
But Allah does not respite a soul, when its term comes. And Allah is Aware of what you do.