وَإِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورًا 12
Translations
And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, "Allāh and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion,"
Transliteration
Wa-idh yaqolu al-munafiquna wa-alladhina fee qulubihim maradun ma wa'adana Allahu wa-rasuluh illah ghurur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts who doubted Allah's promise of victory during the Battle of the Ahzab (Confederates), claiming that God and His Messenger had only deceived them with false hopes. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, these words were uttered when the Muslims faced overwhelming odds with the combined forces of Quraysh and their allies, and the hypocrites lost faith in divine protection. The ayah exposes how doubt and weak faith lead people to interpret hardship as evidence of deception rather than as a trial from Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed during or shortly after the Battle of the Ahzab (5 AH/627 CE), one of the most severe trials faced by the early Muslim community in Medina. The combined pagan Arab tribes and Jewish allies surrounded Medina with a massive army, creating extreme fear and testing the believers' conviction. The hypocrites' despair during this critical moment serves as a backdrop for revealing their true nature and lack of sincere faith.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari 4688 reports that during the Battle of the Ahzab, when fear was intense, some believers questioned their safety, demonstrating the historical reality of such doubts. Additionally, the general principle in Sahih Muslim 2999 about trials (fitna) separating believers from hypocrites relates thematically to this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that difficulties and trials are not signs of Allah's abandonment but tests of sincerity; true faith perseveres through hardship while hypocrisy reveals itself through despair. Modern Muslims should reflect on whether they trust Allah's promises during crises or succumb to doubt like those with diseased hearts.