النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 1 - 8
Surah Al-Munafiqun
(The Hypocrites)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 11 verses and 2 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 8
إِذَاجَاءَكَ الْمُنْفِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُوْلُ اللهِ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ
لَرَسُوْلُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنْفِقِيْنَ لَكَذِبُونَ ﴿٢﴾ إِتَّخَذُوْا أَيْمَانَهُمُ
جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللّهِ* إِنَّهُمُ سَآءَمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ ذلِكَ
بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَايَفْقَهُوْنَ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا
رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعُجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ، وَإِنْ يَّقُوْلُوا تَسْمَعُ لِقَوْلِهِمْ + كَاَنَّهُمْ
خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ ﴿ يَحْسَبُوْنَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ + هُمُ الْعَدُوَّ
فَاحْذَرُهُمْ ، قَاتَلَهُمُ اللهُ أَنَّى يُؤُفَكُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمُ تَعَالَوُا
يَسْتَغْفِرْلَكُمُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوْسَهُمْ وَرَآَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُمُ
مُسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ ﴿٥) سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ اَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْ ﴾
لَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللهُ لَهُمْ﴿ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْفُسِقِيْنَ ﴿٦﴾ هُمُ الَّذِيْنَ
يَقُوْلُوْنَ لَاتُنفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُوْلِ اللّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا وَلِلْهِ
خَزَآئِنُ السَّمْوَتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنْفِقِيْنَ لَا يَفْقَهُوُنَ ﴿٧﴾

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Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 1 - 8
يَقُولُونَ لَئِنُ رَّجَعُنَا إِلَى الْمَدِيْنَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْآَعَُّ مِنْهَا الْآَذَلَّ وَلِّلُهِ
الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُوْلِهٍ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَلكِنَّ الْمُنْفِقِيْنَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
When the hypocrites come to you, they say, "We bear
witness that you are indeed the messenger of Allah."
And Allah knows that you are really His messenger.
And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are
actually liars. [1] They have made their oaths a shield,
and thus they have prevented (others) from the way of
Allah. Surely evil is what they have been doing. [2] That
is because they declared their faith (apparently), then
disbelieved (secretly). Therefore a seal has been set on
their hearts, and thus they do not understand. [3] And if
you see them, their bodies would attract you, and if
they speak, you would listen to their speech. (Yet, being
devoid of substance,) it is as if they were propped up
pieces of wood. They deem every shout (they hear) to be
against them (out of cowardice). They are the enemy; so
beware of them. May Allah destroy them. How
perverted are they! [4] And when it is said to them,
"Come on, Allah's Messenger will pray for your
forgiveness", they twist their heads, and you see them
turning away in arrogance. [5] It is equal in their case,
whether you pray for their forgiveness or do not pray,
Allah will not forgive them. Indeed Allah does not guide
the sinning people. [6] They are the ones who say, "Do
not spend on those who are with Allah's Messenger so
that they disperse." And to Allah belong the treasures of
the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not
understand. [7] They say, "If we return to Madinah, the
more honourable ones will drive out the meaner ones
from there." And to Allah belongs the honour, and to
His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites
do not know. [8]
Commentary
Background of Revelation
The incident, in which this Surah was revealed, took place in the
campaign against Banul-Mustaliq which happened, according to
Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, in Sha'ban 6 AH and, according to Qatadah and
'Urwah, in Sha'ban 5 AH. [Mazhari]. According to Muhammad Ibn Ishaq
and most historians, the details of the incident is as follows: The
Messenger of Allah
received the news that the leader of

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Banul-Mustaliq, namely, Harith Ibn Dirar, is preparing for a campaign
against him. Harith Ibn Dirar was the father of Sayyidah Juwairiyah de
who later on embraced Islam and became one of the Holy wives of the
Holy Prophet
.Harith Ibn Dirar
himself later on embraced Islam.
Nevertheless, when the messenger of Allah
received the news
about the campaign against him, he gathered a group of Muslims and
went out to face them. Many hypocrites joined the Muslims to fight the
jihad in the hope that they will receive a share in the spoils of war,
because they, despite having disbelief in their hearts, were sure that
Divine help will be on the Prophet's side, and he will attain victory.
When the Messenger of Allah
reached Banul-Mustaliq's
settlement, he faced Harith Ibn Dirar's army near a well that was known
as Muraisi'. Therefore, the campaign is also known as the battle of
Muraisi‘. The combatants arrayed themselves and shot arrows at each
other. Many of the Banul-Mustaliq's men were killed and others fled; and
some men and women were captured as prisoners of war. Some of their
belongings fell into Muslim hands as spoils of war. Allah granted victory
to the Holy Prophet g and the jihad came to an end.
Co-operation on the basis of Tribal, Racial, National or Regional
Bias is the Slogan of Pre-Islamic Paganism
Whilst the Muslim army was still at the well of Muraisi', an
unpleasant scene broke out between a Muhajir (emigrant) and an Ansari
(helper). They quarrelled over the same water where the battle was
fought. The Emigrant called their fellow-Emigrants for help, and the
Helpers called the fellow-Helpers for help. Some individuals came forward
to help their respective sides, and the dispute might have led to a fight
between the Emigrants and the Helpers. When the Holy Prophet came
to know about this, he immediately went to the scene of dispute, and
expressed his indignation, saying ◌ِمَابَالُ دَعْوَى الْجَاهِلِيَّة "What is this slogan of
paganism [that you call for defence on the basis of regional, racial and
national bias]?" ◌ٌدَعُوُهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُنْتِنَة "Give up the slogan. It stinks." He said that
every Muslim should help another Muslim brother, whether oppressor or
oppressed. Helping the oppressed is quite obvious, but helping the
oppressor implies to stop him from oppression. In all matters it is
necessary to find out who is the oppressed and help him and who is the
oppressor and stop him from oppressing, even though he may be his own

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brother or father. The racial, lineal, regional or national pride and
prejudice is a filthy slogan, and it gives out nothing but bad odour.
The speech of the Messenger of Allah &# brought the quarrel to an
end, and the dispute was thus quelled. The two people involved in this
dispute were Jahjah, the Emigrant, and Sinan Ibn Wabrah al-Juhani,
the Helper. In this matter, the former was more on the wrong, and the
latter was wounded. Sayyidna 'Ubadah Ibn Samit 4ee explained to Sinan
Ibn Wabrah al-Juhani 4
, and he took understanding and pardoned
Jahjah 4%. The oppressor and the oppressed thus became brothers.
The hypocrites had joined the Muslims for greed of receiving a share
from the spoils. Their leader was 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy. Like other
hypocrites, he called himself a Muslim for mundane benefits, but
concealed enmity in his heart against the Messenger of Allah 2
and the
Muslims. When he came to know about the clash between the Muhajirs
(Emigrants) and Ansar (the Helpers), he found this an ideal opportunity
to cause friction among the Muslims. So he addressed an assembly in
which there were hypocrites and a Muslim Zaid Ibn Arqam
where he
strongly provoked the Helpers with his fiery speech against the
Emigrants, saying: "You have brought all this on yourselves. You have let
them settle in your land and share your wealth and property. They are
fed on your breads until they became strong and now they rival you. If
you do not realize the consequences of your helping them, they will make
your life miserable. Therefore, in future you should abandon them and
stop helping them with your property, and they would themselves
disperse to other areas. By Allah, when we go back to Madinah the most
honourable of the inhabitants of Madinah shall drive out the meanest of
them from there." He termed his own group and the Ansar as 'the
honourable ones', and [God forbid!] the Holy Prophet
along with the
muhajirin as 'the meanest ones'. When Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
heard his speech, he retorted instantly: "By Allah, you are mean, low and
despicable. The Messenger of Allah
is successful by God-given honour,
and by the love of the Muslims.
Since 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy wanted to keep his hypocrisy under a veil,
he concealed his intention under the cover of the vague expression of 'the
most honoured and the meanest'. When Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
made a sharp retort, he realized that his disbelief would be uncovered, he

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apologized to Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam 4
that he was merely joking
and did not mean to do anything against the Messenger of Allah
Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
left the assembly and went to the
Messenger of Allah
and reported to him the whole story about
'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy. This news was very disturbing and trying for the
Holy Prophet 25. The colour of his blessed countenance changed.
Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
was a young Companion at the time. The
Holy Prophet
asked him: "Boy! Are you not perhaps lying?" Sayyidna
Zaid Ibn Arqam 4
swore by Allah and said: "I heard these words with
my own ears." The Holy Prophet
'said to him: "Are you sure you are not
saying this on the basis of some suspicion?". Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
made the same reply. After that, the news of Ibn Ubayy's fiery speech
spread throughout the Muslim army. No one spoke anything but about
this speech. On the other hand, the Helpers reproached Sayyidna Zaid
Ibn Arqam 4%. They said that he has accused the venerable leader of the
nation (that is, Ibn Ubayy) and severed kinship ties with him. Sayyidna
Zaid Ibn Arqam 4ee swore by Allah and said that in the entire tribe of
Khazraj, Ibn Ubayy was the dearest person to him, but when he uttered
the unpleasant words against the Messenger of Allah ag, he could not
hold himself. "Even if that were my father," he went on, "I would have
certainly reported his speech to the Messenger of Allah ."
When Sayyidna 'Umar 4
heard the story, he said: "O Allah's
Messenger! Permit me to behead this hypocrite." According to another
narration, Sayyidna 'Umar 4ge said: "Permit 'Abbad Ibn Bishr to cut off
his head and present it to you." The Messenger of Allah > said that if he
were to permit them to do that, the news will spread among people that
Muhammad
kills his own Comrades. As a result, he did not allow Ibn
Ubayy to be killed. When this news about Sayyidna 'Umar 4e reached
'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy's son who also bore the same name as his father's,
'Abdullah, but he was a sincere Muslim, he immediately went up to the
Messenger of Allah
'and said: "If you wish my father to be killed
because of his speech, then allow me to kill him and bring his head to you
before you arise from your assembly. The entire tribe of Khazraj is a
witness to the fact that no one is more serving and obedient to my parents
than myself. But I will not tolerate any of their mischief against Allah
and His Messenger g. If you allow anyone else to kill my father and he

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kills him, then, I am afraid, when I see my father's killer walking freely,
my tribal jealousy may overcome me and I may be tempted to kill him,
and that might be the cause of my punishment." The Messenger of Allah
said: "I do not have the intention of killing him, nor have I instructed
anyone else to kill him."
After this incident, the Messenger of Allah
announced, at an
unusual time against his normal habit, that he would immediately set out
on his journey back to Madinah. So he mounted his she-camel Quswa'
and started his journey at an unusual time. When the general body of the
blessed Companions had set out on the journey, the Holy Prophet
called 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and asked him: "Did you say this?" He took
oath and denied everything that was imputed to him, and claimed that
the boy, Zaid Ibn Arqam, was a liar. 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy was the
respectable chief of his people. All the people felt that may be Zaid Ibn
Arqam
was under some misconception, and Ibn Ubayy did not say it
as was conveyed.
In any case, the Messenger of Allah
accepted Ibn Ubayy's oath and
explanation. The reproach of the people against Zaid Ibn Arqam 4ee was
further aggravated. This embarrassed him and he hid himself from the
people. Then the Messenger of Allah
travelled with the entire Muslim
army the whole day and night and the next morning, until the bright sun
was out. Then he, together with the army, halted in a place. They were
all exhausted on account of the long and strenuous journey. As soon as
they touched the ground, they fell into deep sleep.
The narrator reports that the purpose of this unusually immediate
and long journey was to close the chapter of the story of Ibn Ubayy,
which had by and by spread among the entire Muslim community, and
they talked about it all the time.
After that, the Messenger of Allah
started the journey, in the
course of which Sayyidna 'Ubadah Ibn Samit 4,
suggested to Ibn Ubayy
to approach the Holy Prophet ag and admit his guilt before him who
would pray Allah for his pardon and he would attain salvation. When he
heard this suggestion, he turned his head away. No Qur'anic verses
pertaining to Ibn Ubayy were revealed until then, but when he turned
himself away in haughty arrogance, Sayyidna 'Ubadah Ibn Şamit

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said: "Certainly, the Qur'an will reveal verses pertaining to your turning
down the advice."
While the Holy Prophet
was on his journey, Sayyidna Zaid Ibn
Arqam 4ge came near him again and again, and he was firm that since
this hypocrite has called him a liar and embarrassed him in front of the
entire nation. Allah would surely reveal verses to clear him and give the
lie to the hypocrite. Suddenly Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam
e noticed that
the Holy Prophet
entered into the state that he experienced when he
received revelation: He started breathing heavily, his forehead dripped
with perspiration and his mount, the she-camel, began to feel the weight
of the revelation. Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam 4 sensed that some
revelation was coming down regarding that matter. When that state of
revelation was over, and, because his own mount was closer to the mount
of the Holy Prophet
يَا غُلَامُ صَدَّقَ اللَّهُ les, he held the ear of Zaid e and said
O Boy, Allah has confirmed" حَدِيْثَكَ وَنَزَلَتُ سُوْرَةُ الْمُنْفِقِيْنَ فِى إِبْنِ أُبَيِّ مِنُ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا
the veracity of your statement, and the entire Surah Al-Munafiqun - from
the beginning to the end - has been revealed in connection with Ibn
Ubayy's incident."
This shows that Surah Al-Munafiqun was revealed in the course of
the journey. According to Baghawi's narration, however, the Holy
Prophet
had reached Madinah and Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Arqam 4ee was
hiding himself in the house for fear of reprisal, when this Surah was
revealed. And Allah knows best!
According to another narration, when the Messenger of Allah
approached Madinah at the valley of 'Aqiq, 'Abdullah, the son of the
hypocrite 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, who was a faithful believer, went forward
and searched through the throng of mounts and, finding his father's
mount, made it sit. He placed his foot on its knees and said to his father:
"By Allah! You cannot enter Madinah unless the Messenger of Allah
permits you, and unless you clarify who are the most honourable
inhabitants of Madinah that will expel the meanest ones. Tell me who is
the most honourable one, the Messenger of Allah or you? " Passers-by
were reproaching 'Abdullah as to how unkindly he was treating his
father. By then the mount of Allah's Messenger
came near. He
inquired what was happening. People said that 'Abdullah has barred his
father's entry into Madinah unless Allah's Messenger permits him. The

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Holy Prophet
saw that the hypocritical Ibn Ubayy declared to his son
that he himself was the meanest of the citizens of Madinah, even meaner
than children and women, and the Holy Prophet
the most honourable
of them. At this, the Messenger of Allah
said to the son: "Leave his
way; let him enter." The son then let him enter.
Only this much is the story of the revelation of Surah Al-Munafiqun.
At the beginning of the story, a concise reference was made to the
campaign of Banul-Mustaliq where it was shown that the real person
responsible for the campaign was Harith Ibn Dirar who at that time was
not a Muslim but embraced Islam later. He was the father of Sayyidah
Juwairiyah de
who too was not a Muslim but embraced Islam later, and
became one of the noble wives of the Holy Prophet
Musnad of Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others record that when
Banul-Mustaliq were defeated, spoils of war, together with prisoners of
war, fell into Muslim hands. According to Islamic Law, all prisoners and
spoils of war were distributed among the Mujahidin. Among the prisoners
of war was Juwairiyah de the daughter of Harith Ibn Darar. She fell to
the lot of Sayyidna Thabit Ibn Qais Ibn Shammas. He entered into the
contract of kitabah to set her free in lieu of a specified sum of money. 1
According to Sayyidah Juwairiyah's % contract of kitabah, the sum
specified was very large and she could not pay off the large sum of money
to purchase her freedom. She came to the Holy Prophet " and said: "I
have embraced Islam and I bear witness that there is only One Allah and
He has no partners, and that you are Allah's Messenger." Then she went
on to narrate her story: "I fell to the lot of Thabit Ibn Qais Ibn Shammas,
but we entered into the contract of kitabah and the sum specified in the
contract is so large that I cannot manage. Please do help me." The Holy
Prophet
acceded to her request. In addition, he expressed his intention
to emancipate her and marry her. For Sayyidah Juwairiyah de, this was
a great boon. How could she refuse to accept this offer? She accepted the
offer whole-heartedly, and thus became one of the noble wives of the Holy
Prophet . The Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah Juwairiyah de says
that three days before the Holy Prophet
came for the campaign of
Banul-Mustaliq, 'I saw in my dream that the moon arose in Yathrib and it
(1) For fuller explanation of the contract of kitabah, see volume 6, pp.426-427 of
this book under the commentary of Surah 24:33. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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came and fell in my lap. I did not narrate this dream to anyone at that
time. Now I have seen its interpretation with my own eyes.'
She was the daughter of the leader of her nation. When she became
one of the wives of the Holy Prophet , it exerted a great influence on
the entire tribe. One advantage that accrued to all women captured with
her was that all of them were emancipated. They were relatives of the
Mother of the Faithful. The Muslims set free all slave-girls related to her
when they came to know of her joining the rank of the Mother of the
Faithful. They felt that it is disrespectful to keep any of her relatives as a
slave-girl. About one hundred of them were emancipated with her. Her
father saw a miracle of the Holy Prophet
and embraced Islam.
The Above Story Imparts Guiding Principles on Important Issues
The circumstances, under which Surah Al-Munafiqun was revealed,
indeed help us understand the basic interpretation of the Surah.
Additionally, they bring out some important guiding principles related to
moral or ethical, political and social issues. That is why the full story has
been fully recounted here. The guiding principles derived from this story
are given below:
The Foundation Stone of Islamic Polity: Establishment of Islamic
Brotherhood which Aims at Ending Colour, Racial and Linguistic
Discriminations, and Indigenous-Alien Prejudices
The episode of the dispute that broke out between an Emigrant and a
Helper, and each side calling their fellow-Emigrants and their
fellow-Helpers respectively for help was the icon of paganism which the
Holy Prophet
destroyed. He established the principle that all believers
are brothers, regardless of their race, colour, language, or nationality. The
bond of brotherhood the Holy Prophet
established between the
Refugees and the Helpers had made them like real brothers. It is,
however, the ancient Satanic network to get people involved in mutual
dispute and quarrel on the basis of nationality, race, language, colour and
regionalism. Satan calls for mutual co-operation and help on this basis
alone. This necessarily results in blocking out the Islamic concept of
mutual co-operation which is based on Truth, justice, fair play and equity
vis-à-vis the un-Islamic co-operation based on race and nationalism taken
place. In this way, the Satan causes friction among Muslims. In this

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instance also a similar situation would have developed if the Holy Prophet
did not arrive on the scene in time and quell the dispute and said to
them that it was the stinking slogan of paganism and that they should
give it up. He re-established them on the Qur'anic principle of mutual
co-operation تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَان (And help each other
in righteousness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and
aggression .... 5:2) In other words, the standard for Muslims to help others
or to receive help from others is good will, justice, fair play and equity.
They should co-operate mutually on this basis, even though the others
may belong to another race, ethnic group, or to another region. They
should not unite in one conjoint to co-operate in sin and injustice, even
though he may be father or brother. This is the just and rational
foundation which Islam has laid, and the Messenger of Allah
g himself
took care of this every step of the way and commanded everyone to follow
the principle. In his Farewell Address, he said that all customs of
paganism are trampled under his feet. The idols of discrimination of
Arab-non-Arab, white-black and indigenous- aliens have been broken.
Islamic principle of mutual help and co-operation is Truth and justice. All
should apply it.
Another lesson that stems from this story is that the enemies of Islam
since time immemorial use nationalism and regionalism to cause friction,
and break up the Muslim Community. Whenever the opportunity arises,
they split them up.
Alas, the Muslims have long forgotten this lesson, and the enemies
have once more set up the same Satanic network to break up Islamic
unity. The Muslims all over the world have put the religion and the
religious principles into oblivion. As a result, they have become victims of
civil wars. Their united front to fight disbelief has been smashed. The
Muslim world is divided not only into Arabs and non-Arabs, but further
divided into Egyptian, Syrian, Hijazi and Yemeni. In the Indo-Pak
sub-continent, the Punjabis, Bengalis, Sindhis, Hindis, Pathans and
Balochis are victims of mutual differences. To Allah we direct our
complaint! The enemies of Islam are toying with our differences. As a
result, they are overcoming us in all fields, and we are defeated
everywhere. We have developed a slavish mentality and are forced to
take refuge in them. Even today we can see with our open eyes Divine

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help and assistance coming to us, provided we adopt the Qur'anic
principles and the guidance of Allah's Messenger ; provided we adhere
to a strong Islamic brotherhood instead of showing a slavish devotion to
the lifestyle of others; and provided we break down the idols of colour,
race, language and region.
The Noble Companions' Unparalleled Adherence to Islamic
Principles and their Lofty Station
This incident further shows that though the Satan made some people
raise the slogan of paganism temporarily, the 'Iman was so engrossed in
their hearts that the slightest admonition was sufficient to jolt them into
repenting. They had such a high degree of love and reverence for Allah
and His Messenger
that no relationship and sense of nationality could
act as a barrier against it. An eloquent testimony of that is contained in
the statement of Zaid Ibn Arqam 4ee. He himself was a member of the
tribe of Khazraj and Ibn Ubayy was the leader of that tribe, and the
former loved and venerated the latter most dearly, but he could not
tolerate the provocative words uttered against the Refugee Muslims and
Allah's Messenger
by his leader, and he made a blunt reply then and
there. Then he went up to Allah's Messenger
É and complained to him
about the hypocrite. The tribal-worshippers of the present age would
never have dared to take the complaint of their leaders to the Holy
Prophet
The attitude of Ibn Ubayy's son 'Abdullah in this incident makes it
crystal clear that his real love and veneration was dedicated to Allah and
His Messenger
. When he heard him utter words against them, he went
to Allah's Messenger & and sought his consent to cut off his father's
head. When the Holy Prophet
did not permit him, he made his father's
mount sit, when he approached Madinah, blocked his way and forced him
to admit that the Messenger of Allah 5 is 'the most honourable' and that
he himself is 'the meanest one'. He did not open the way for his father
before the Holy Prophet's & permission.
Besides, the idols of nation-worship and land-worship were broken to
pieces in the battles of Badr, Uhud and Ahzab, which proved that all
Muslims are brothers, no matter which nationality, country, colour or
language group they belong to. Anyone who does not believe in Allah and
His Messenger
is an enemy, even though he may be his own real

472
Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 1 - 8
brother or father.
هزار خویش کہ بیگانہ از خدا باشد .... فدائے یك تن بیگانه کآشنا باشد
Thousands of relatives who are alien to Allah
May be sacrificed to an alien who is faithful to Allah.
Taking Care of General Welfare of Muslims: Protecting them
from Misunderstanding
Another point illustrated by this incident is that an act which is
permissible in itself should be avoided if it may create a misunderstanding
in the mind of a Muslim, or may provide an opportunity for the enemies to
spread misunderstanding among them. Thus, despite the fact that Ibn
Ubayy's hypocrisy was exposed openly, the Messenger of Allah
did not
permit Sayyidna 'Umar 46
e to behead him when he sought his permission,
because the enemies could create misunderstanding in the public minds
that Muhammad
killed his own Comrades. But it should be noted that,
as other traditions prove, such acts may be abandoned only when they
are not from the basic objectives of Shari'ah, though they may be
laudable. As for the basic objectives of Shari'ah, they cannot be
abandoned for such an apprehension. Instead, attempts must be made to
remove the danger and do the work dictated by the objectives of Shari'ah.
Let us now study some specific sentences of the Surah:
,And when it is said to them, "Come on) وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالُوا يَسْتَغْفِرْلَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ
and Allah's Messenger will pray for your forgiveness" ... 63:5) When this
Surah exposed the false oaths of 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, the leader of the
hypocrites, people went up to him to advise him to approach the Holy
Prophet g and admit his guilt. They said that he has still time to request
the Holy Messenger
to pray to Allah to forgive him. To this, he
responded by turning his head around and saying arrogantly: " I believed
when you asked me to believe; I paid Zakah when you asked to; and now
the only thing left is for you to ask me to prostrate to Muhammad
11
The above verses were revealed on this occasion, which make plain that
he has no faith, and therefore asking forgiveness for him cannot benefit
him in any way.
Ibn Ubayy, after this incident, returned to Madinah, lived for a few
days, and died soon thereafter. [Mazhari].

473
Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 9 - 11
They are the ones who) هُمُ الَّذِيْنَ يَقُولُونَ لَاتُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوْا
say, "Do not spend on those who are with Allah's Messenger, so that they
disperse ... 63:7) This verse points out to the foolish statement that Ibn
Ubayy had made at the time of the dispute between Jahjah, the
Emigrant, and Sinan, the Helper. Allah Ta'ala has responded to it that
these foolish people have presumed that the Emigrants need their
donations and they are their sustainers, while all treasures of heavens
and the earth belong to Allah. If He wills, He can provide to them
everything without any contribution from their side. Since the statement
made by Ibn Ubayy was an evidence of his foolishness, the Holy Qur'an
states: 34aký " ... but the hypocrites do not understand [7]."
They say, "If we return to) يَقُولُونَ لَئِنُ رَّجَعُنَآ إِلَى الْمَدِيْنَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الََّعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْآَذَلَّ
Madinah, the more honourable ones will drive out the meaner ones from
there." .... 63:8) This too is the statement of Ibn Ubayy, the hypocrite.
Although the words used by him were ambiguous, the intention was
clear. He termed himself and the natives of Madinah as 'honourable' and
the Holy Prophet
and the Emigrant Companions as (God forbid!) the
'meanest'. He thus provoked the Helpers of Madinah against the
Emigrants that the former should drive out the latter from their city. In
answer to this, Allah recoiled his boastful statement against himself by
pointing out that if those who are really 'honourable' drive out those who
are really the 'meanest', it will go against themselves, because all honour
belongs to Him, His Messenger and the believers. The hypocrites,
however, are unaware of this because of their ignorance. The concluding
phrase of this verse is S' Ky ' ... but the hypocrites do not know. [8]' This
may be contrasted with the concluding phrase of verse siky 'but they do
not understand'. The reason for the distinction between 'do not
understand' and ' do not know' is as follows: If a person thinks that he is
the provider of others, this is completely irrational. This is the sign of his
foolishness. Honour and dishonour, on the other hand, can fall to
anyone's lot. Therefore, if he errs in his judgement, this is ignorance of
facts or true state of affairs. Thus we have here 3'Ny ' ... but the
hypocrites do not know. [8]'
Verses 9 - 11
◌َأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا لَاتُلْهِكُمُ اَمُوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكُرِ اللهِّ

474
Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 9 - 11
وَمَنُ يَّفْعَلُ ذلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْحُسِرُونَ ﴿٩﴾ وَأَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَّا
رَزَقْنَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَّأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُوْلَ رَبِّ لَوْلًا آَخَّرْ تَنِىِّ
إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيْبٍ " فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُنُ مِّنَ الصُّلِحِيْنَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَلَنْ يُؤَخِّرَ
اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَاجَآءَ اَجَلُهَا وَاللّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعُمَلُونَ ﴿١١)
O those who believe, your riches and your children
must not divert you from the remembrance of Allah.
And those who do that are the losers. [9] And spend out
of what We have given to you before death overtakes
one of you and he says, "My Lord, would you not respite
me to a near term, and I will pay sadaqah (alms) and
will become one of the righteous." [10] And Allah will
never respite anyone, once his appointed time will
come. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. [11]
Commentary
Linkage between Sections [1] and [2]
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ آَمُوَالْكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ
O those who believe, your riches and your children must not
divert you from the remembrance of Allah. (63:9)
The preceding section dealt with the hypocrites, their false oaths and
their conspiracies. In sum, their nefarious activities were based on their
excessive love for the worldly gains. They outwardly claimed to be
Muslims, so that they might not suffer loss at the hands of the sincere
Muslims, and might share the spoils of war with them. One of the
consequences of this mentality was their design to stop spending on the
Emigrant Companions. Now, this second section addresses the sincere and
faithful believers, and warns them against being intoxicated with the love
of this world, as the hypocrites foolishly did. There are two major objects
in this world that divert a person from the remembrance of Allah: [1]
wealth; and [2] children. Therefore, these two things have been named in
particular. Otherwise, it refers to all the means of enjoyments in the
world. The import of the verse is that love of wealth and children to some
extent is not bad. Being engaged with them to a certain degree is not only
permissible but also obligatory. But there is a dividing line between
permissible and impermissible love that must always be borne in mind.

475
Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 9 - 11
The criterion is that this love must not deviate one from Allah's
remembrance. The word dhikr (remembrance) in this context has been
variously interpreted by different commentators. Some say it refers to the
five daily prayers, while others say it refers to Zakah or Hajj. Some refer
it to the Qur'an. Hasan Basri expresses the view that the word dhikr here
refers to all forms of obedience and worship. This is the most
comprehensive interpretation. [Qurțubi]
In short, we are permitted to be involved in the material wealth up to
the degree that it does not divert us from Allah's obedience. If one
becomes engrossed in the material wealth or become absorbed in the
forbidden or abominable things, which divert him from our duties and
obligations towards Allah, the sentence ◌َأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْحُسِرُون " ... they are the
losers" will apply, because he has sold the great and eternal reward of the
Hereafter for the petty and perishable enjoyment of this world. What loss
could be greater than this!
And spend out of what We have) وَاَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَّا رَزَقْنَكُمُ مِّنُ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَّأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ
given to you before death comes to one of you ... 63:10) 'Coming of death' in
this verse refers to 'witnessing the signs of death'. The verse exhorts the
believers to make the best of their opportunities to spend in the way of
Allah, in the state of good health and strength, before the signs of death
appear, and thus they should have their degrees of rank elevated in the
Hereafter. Once death overtakes them, the opportunity to spend will be
lost, and the wealth will be of no use. Earlier on it was learned that the
word dhikr (remembrance of Allah) refers to all forms of obedience and
following the dictates of Shari'ah, which include spending wealth as due.
Despite that, spending wealth on this occasion has been mentioned
separately. There may be two reasons for it: Firstly, one of the major
objects that divert man from acting upon the sacred laws of Shari'ah is
wealth. Therefore, spending wealth, in the form of Zakah, 'Ushr, Hajj and
so on, is specifically mentioned. Secondly, when a person sees the signs of
death, it is not in his power to perform his missed prayers, or his missed
Hajj, Ramadan fasts. However, the wealth is in front of him, and he is
sure that soon it will slip out of his hand. So he may spend the wealth to
compensate his shortfalls in worship and so attain salvation from such
shortcomings. Furthermore, charity [sadaqah] is efficacious in averting
calamities and punishment.

476
Surah Al-Munafiqun: 63 : 9 - 11
Şahin of Bukhari and Muslim record on the authority of Sayyidna
Abu Hurairah
that a person asked the Messenger of Allah
: "Which
sadaqah attracts most reward?" The Messenger of Allah
replied: "To
spend in Allah's way when a person is in a state of good health, and yet
he fears, in view of future needs, that if he spends the wealth he may
become poor." Then he continued: "Do not delay spending in Allah's way
until such time when your death reaches your throat, and at that moment
you instruct (your heirs), 'Give this much to so-and-so and give this much
for such and such work.""
and he says, "My Lord, would you not ... ) فَيَقُوُلَ رَبِّ لَوْلًا اخْرُتَنِىِّ إِلَّى اَجَلٍ قَرِيْبٍ
respite me to a near term, and I will pay sadaqah (alms) and will become
one of the righteous .... 63:10) Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4% says, in the
interpretation of this verse, that if Zakah was due on a person and he
failed to pay it, and Hajj was obligatory and he failed to perform it, he will
express this desire when death approaches him. He will want a little more
time so that he can give sadaqah and ◌َاكْنُ مِّنَ الصُلِحِين become one of the
righteous' [10] In other words, he will also desire that he is given a little
more time so that he may act righteously by fulfilling his obligations that
he has missed out and repent and ask pardon for the forbidden and
abominable acts he might have indulged in. But Allah makes it clear in
the next verse that once his time has come, He will not give any more
time to anyone. This desire at that stage is futile.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Munafiqun
Ends here

477
Surah At-Taghabun: 64 : 1 - 10
Surah At-Taghabun
(Loss and Gain)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 18 verses and 2 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 10
يُسَبِّحُ لِلهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ ◌َ لَهُ الْمُلُكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمُدُ:
وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿١) هُوَ الَّذِىُ خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ
وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ ، وَاللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِيْرٌ ﴿٢﴾ خَلَقَ السَّمُواتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَصَوَّرَكُمُ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيُّرُ ﴿٢﴾
يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمْوِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَاتُسِرُوْنَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ * وَاللهُ
عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ ﴿٤﴾ آلَمُ يَأْتِكُمُ نَبَؤُا الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ:
فَذَاقُوْا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمُ وَلَهُمُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٥﴾ ذلِكَ بِنَّهُ كَانَتْ تَّاتِيُهِمْ
رُسُلُهُمُ بِالْبَيِّئْتِ فَقَالُوْا أَبَشَرٌ يَّهُدُوْنَاء فَكَفَرُوا وَتَوَلَّوًا وَاسْتَغْتَى اللَّهُ
وَاللَّهُ غَنِىّ حَمِيْدٌ ﴿٢﴾ زَعَمَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْاْ أَنْ لَّنْ يُّيُعَثُوا ﴿ قُلُ بَلَى
وَرَبِىُ لَتُبْعَثُنَّ ثُمَّ لَتُنَبَّؤُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ ، وَذلِكَ عَلَى اللهِ يَسِيْرٌ ﴿٢﴾
فَامِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَالنُّوْرِ الَّذِ انْزَلْنَا ، وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيْرٌ
﴿٨) يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُكُمْ لِيَوْمِ الْجَمْعِ ذلِكَ يَوْمُ التَّغَابُنِ ، وَمَنْ يُؤُمِنْ)

478
Surah At-Taghabun: 64 : 1 - 10
بِاللَّهِ وَيَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا يُكَفِّرُ عَنْهُ سَيّاتِهٍ وَيُدْخِلُهُ جَنّتٍ تَجْرِىُ مِنْ
تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهُرُ لحِلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَآ أَبَدًا - ذلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿٤﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُواْ بِتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصُحِبُ النَّارِ جِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا وَبِئْسَ
الْمَصِيُرُ ﴿.١)
Allah's purity is pronounced by all that is in the
heavens and all that is in the earth. To Him belongs the
kingdom, and for Him is all praise, and He is powerful
over every thing. [1] He is the One who created you, then
some of you are disbelievers, and some of you are
believers. And Allah is Watchful of what you do. [2] He
has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and
shaped your figures, and made your figures good, and to
Him is the final return. [3] He knows all that is in the
heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you
conceal and whatever you reveal. And Allah is
All-Aware of what lies in the hearts. [4] Did the news of
those people not come to you who disbelieved earlier,
and tasted (in this world) the evil consequence of their
conduct, and for them (in the Hereafter) there is a
painful punishment? [5] That is because their
messengers used to bring them clear proofs, but they
said, "Shall some mortals give us guidance?" Thus they
disbelieved and turned away, and Allah did not care.
And Allah is All-Independent, Ever-Praised. [6] The
disbelievers claim that they will never be raised again
(after death). Say, "Why not? By my Lord, you will be
raised again, then you will be told about what you did.
And that is easy for Allah." [7] So, believe in Allah and
His Messenger, and in the light We have sent down. And
Allah is All-Aware of what you do. [8] (Be mindful of)
the day He will gather you for the Day of Gathering.
That will be the Day of loss and gain. And whoever
believes in Allah, and does righteously, He will write off
his evil deeds, and will admit him to gardens beneath
which rivers flow, where they will live forever. That is
the great achievement. [9] And those who disbelieve and
reject Our signs_they are the people of the Fire. And it
is an evil place to return. [10]
Commentary
He is the One who created you, then) هُوَالَّذِىُ خَلَقَكُمُ فَمِنْكُمُ كَافِرٌ وَّمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ

479
Surah At-Taghabun: 64 : 1 - 10
some of you are disbelievers, and some of you are believers ... 64:2) In the
phrase fa-minkum, the particle 'fa' [translated here as 'then'] denotes
'one thing happening after another '. In this instance, the phrase
'khalaqakum' [created you] indicates that at the inception of creation
there were no unbelievers [kafirs]. Human beings were, subsequently,
divided into believers and non-believers by their own free will and choice
with which Allah has invested them. They are rewarded or punished on
account of exercising the free will and choice. A Prophetic Tradition states:
Everyone is born a Muslim, but his) كُلُّ مَوْلُوُدٍ يُّوُلَدُ عَلَى الْفِطُرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ
parents make him a Jew, a Christian ... ) [Qurtubi].
Two Nations Theory
The Holy Qur'an has divided mankind here into two groups: a
believing group and a non-believing one. This indicates that the children
of 'Adam Meel is one single brotherhood, and all human beings are
members of this brotherhood. Kufr [unbelief] is the only dividing line that
severs relationship with this brotherhood and creates another group. He
who becomes a Kafir has severed the relationship of human brotherhood.
Thus group-formation can only take place on the basis of 'Iman and
Kufr. Neither colour nor language, neither lineage nor family, neither
land, territory or geographical region can divide human brotherhood into
rival groups. The offspring of one father may live in different cities, or use
different languages, or have different colours, but it does not divide them
into different groups. Despite differences of colour, language, country or
territory, they are members of the same brotherhood. No sane person will
ever regard them as different groups.
In the Days of Ignorance, ethnicity and tribal divisions had become
the basis of factionalism, but the Messenger of Allah g broke down these
idols, which they pursued. By the express text of the Holy Qur'an
All believers are but brothers' irrespective of their country or' الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ
territory, their colour or family, or their language. They all belong to one
brotherhood. So likewise, the non-believers, in the sight of Islam, belong
to a single community.
The above verse also bears evidence to the fact that Allah has divided
all mankind into two groups - the believers and the non-believers. The
variety of languages and colours, according to the Qur'an, is no doubt a
sign of the perfect power of Allah, and having many socio-economic

480
Surah At-Taghabun: 64 : 1 - 10
benefits, it is a great blessing, but it is not permitted to use it as the basis
of factionalism or group-formation among mankind.
Moreover, the binary division of mankind on the basis of 'Iman and
Kufr is a matter of free will and choice. Both 'Iman and Kufr may be
adopted by one's free will. If a person chooses out of his own free will to
abandon his group and join another, he can do it very easily: He may
give up his articles of faith, choose another faith and thus join the other
group. On the other hand, the affiliations of race, lineage, colour,
language or territory are not within the power or control of anyone. No
one can change his affiliation with his race, colour or language.
It was this Islamic brotherhood that, in a short span of time, joined
uncountable members of believers in a single string, from east to west,
north to south, white and black, and Arabs and non-Arabs, whose might
and power could not be resisted by the nations of the world, and therefore
they revived once again the idols that were shattered by the Messenger of
Allah
and Islam. They partitioned the one mighty ummah of Muslims
into small bits and pieces of nations based on territory, homeland,
language and colour, race and lineage, and caused them to collide with
one another. This cleared the way for the enemies of Islam to attack, the
consequences of which are visible to every eye today. The Muslims of east
and west were one nation and one heart, but are now divided into small
groups fighting one another. As against this, the Satanic forces of Kufr,
despite mutual disagreements, look like a united force against the
Muslims.
and shaped your figures, and made your figures ... ) وَصَوَّرَكُمُ فَاحُسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ
good ... 64:3) Shaping the figures of the creatures is one of the exclusive
attributes of Allah, That is why Al-Musawwiru [the Shaper] is one of His
attributive names. If we analyze or look carefully into the universe, there
are several classes of things. Each class has several species and each
species has several sexes. Each sex has billions of members. No single
shape ever resembles another shape. Among humankind, for instance, on
account of differences of country or territory, or differences of stock and
nations, there is clear distinction in the shapes and faces of individuals.
The face and shape of each individual is so amazingly unique and that it
baffles the human imagination. The human face is no more than six to
seven square inches, and there are uncountable faces of the same type,