قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُْ ْ 1377 المنافقون
إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ ﴿۱﴾ اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۲﴾
﴾1﴿ Izaa jaaa'akal munaafiqoona qaaloo nashhadu innaka la rasoolul laah; wallaahu ya'lamu innaka la rasooluhoo wallaahu yashhadu innal munaafiqeena lakaaziboon
﴾2﴿ Ittakhazoo aymaanahum junnatan fasaddoo 'an sabeelil laah; innahum saaa'a maa kaanoo ya'maloon
﴾1﴿ 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 indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars
﴾2﴿ They have taken their oaths as a shield, and so they hinder (others) from the path of Allah. Indeed, what they do is truly evil
Relevancy:
This surah is connected to the previous one in several ways. One aspect is that in Surah Al-Jumu'ah, there was a refutation of the lies of the Jews, while in this surah, there is a refutation of the lies of the hypocrites.
Claim of this surah:
It is a reprimand against the hypocrites for preventing charity, especially, and for other evils in general.
Summary of the surah:
First, it is a refutation of their false testimony of prophethood. Then, it mentions eighteen of their evils. Furthermore, it warns the believers against resembling the hypocrites by being overly occupied with wealth and children and encourages them to give in charity before death.
[1] This verse points to the definition of a hypocrite: outwardly, they bear witness to the truth, but inwardly, they deny it. It mentions one of their characteristics—that they lie. The phrase "قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ" (they said, "We bear witness") refers to legal testimony, which requires agreement between heart and tongue. However, when they uttered this statement, it was merely an imitation of the believers, who say "أَشْهَدُ" and "نَشْهَدُ". Alternatively, their "testimony" might refer to them swearing an oath.
The phrase "وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ" (and Allah knows) is an interjection to remove any misunderstanding, as Allah refutes their claim in the next part of the verse. One might question: Is the Prophet not truly the Messenger of Allah? The response is clear—he is indeed the Messenger of Allah with absolute certainty.
The phrase "وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ" (And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars) does not mean they are lying about "إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ" (Indeed, you are the Messenger of Allah). Instead, commentators have noted a specific incident: the hypocrites had previously said, "لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ" (Surely, the mightier will expel the weaker), as mentioned later in the surah. However, when they stood before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they swore they had never made such a statement and denied their own words. This denial is their lie.
[2] In this verse, three of their characteristics are mentioned:
"(أَيْمَانَهُمْ)" – When they say "نَشْهَدُ" (we bear witness), they do so with the intention of making an oath. According to the view of most scholars, this statement functions as an oath, which is why the verse refers to it as "أَيْمَانَ" (oaths).
"(جُنَّةً)" – Just as a person protects themselves from the strike of a sword, spear, or other weapons with a shield, they use these oaths as a means to shield themselves from worldly punishment, warfare, and the reprimand of the believers.