وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ 13
Translations
And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.
Transliteration
Wa-idha qila lahum aminu kama amana al-nasu qalu a-numiniu kama amana al-sufaha ala innahum humu al-sufaha wa-lakin la ya'lamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrites' (munafiqun) arrogant rejection of faith when invited to believe as the believers do, contemptuously referring to the believers as 'fools' (sufaha). In reality, the hypocrites themselves are the true fools, though they lack the knowledge and understanding to recognize their own foolishness. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as Allah's exposure of the hypocrites' inverted logic and spiritual blindness—they mock the sincere believers while being ignorant of their own spiritual deficiency.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the opening section of Surah Al-Baqarah (verses 8-20) which specifically addresses the characteristics and deceptions of the hypocrites (munafiqun) of Medina. These were people who outwardly professed Islam while harboring disbelief inwardly, and this passage was revealed in the Medinan period to help the Muslim community recognize and understand hypocritical behavior.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays it' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Additionally, the Quran (2:8-9) directly discusses how hypocrites claim to believe while Allah knows they are liars.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true foolishness lies not in sincere faith but in the arrogance of rejecting truth while remaining ignorant of one's own spiritual state. As believers, we should seek knowledge and humility rather than pride, and recognize that mockery of faith often comes from those furthest from understanding divine guidance.