يَوْمَ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱنظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ٱرْجِعُوا۟ وَرَآءَكُمْ فَٱلْتَمِسُوا۟ نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُۥ بَابٌۢ بَاطِنُهُۥ فِيهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةُ وَظَـٰهِرُهُۥ مِن قِبَلِهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ 13
Translations
On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.
Transliteration
Yawma yaqoolu al-munafiqoona wa-al-munafiqatu lilladhina amanu anzuruna naqtabis min noorikum qila irjicu wara'akum faltamisu nooran fadariba baynahum bisurin lahu babun batinuhu fihi al-rahmatu wa-zahiruhu min qibalihi al-adhab
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, the hypocrites will desperately ask the believers to share their light, but they will be turned away with the command to seek their own light—a metaphor for guidance and righteous deeds that cannot be borrowed or transferred. A wall with a gate separating them will be erected, with mercy within (for the believers) and punishment without (for the hypocrites), symbolizing the eternal division between those who had true faith and those who merely feigned it. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this ayah illustrates the consequences of hypocrisy and the permanence of one's spiritual state in the afterlife.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Hadid (Chapter 57), a Medinan surah that extensively discusses the hypocrites (munafiqun) of Medina who professed Islam outwardly while harboring doubt and disbelief. The broader surah addresses the nature of hypocrisy and its severe punishment, providing context for the believers to be aware of internal spiritual dangers within the Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The example of a hypocrite is like a sheep standing between two flocks—it goes to one, then to the other.' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, Surah Al-Munafiqun (Chapter 63) contains multiple ahadith and Quranic references about hypocrites' characteristics and their fate.
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith and guidance cannot be obtained from others at the last moment—each individual must cultivate their own relationship with Allah and perform righteous deeds in this life. This ayah serves as a powerful reminder for believers to examine their hearts for hidden hypocrisy and to ensure their faith is sincere rather than superficial.