وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا 81
Translations
And they say, "[We pledge] obedience." But when they leave you, a group of them spend the night determining to do other than what you say. But Allāh records what they plan by night. So leave them alone and rely upon Allāh. And sufficient is Allāh as Disposer of affairs.
Transliteration
Wa-yaqooloon taa'ah fa-iza barazu min 'indika bayyat taa'ifah minhum ghayra alladhi taqool. Wallahu yaktub ma yubayytoon. Fa-a'rid 'anhum wa-tawakkal 'ala Allah. Wa-kafa billahi wakeel.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah exposes the hypocrisy of certain individuals who publicly claim obedience and compliance before the Prophet (peace be upon him), but once they depart from his presence, a faction among them plots and plans against his teachings and decisions. Allah emphasizes His all-encompassing knowledge of their secret machinations, recording every hidden intention, and instructs the Prophet to turn away from them while placing complete trust in Allah alone. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this verse particularly addresses the behavior of the hypocrites (munafiqun) of Medina who would feign loyalty while harboring treacherous intentions.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the broader Medinan context addressing the hypocrites and their duplicitous behavior toward the Prophet Muhammad. Surah An-Nisa (Chapter 4) was revealed in Medina and extensively discusses social ethics, legal matters, and the challenges posed by hypocrites who coexisted with the Muslim community. The specific verse addresses a recurring pattern where hypocrites would agree in public forums then contradict the Prophet's guidance in private gatherings.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The worst people are those who have two faces and two tongues; they come to some people with one face and one tongue, and to others with a different face and tongue.' This directly relates to the hypocrisy described in 4:81.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah is fully aware of all intentions and secret plots, providing comfort to believers facing betrayal or hypocrisy from others. It encourages us to maintain integrity, avoid duplicity in our dealings, and place our ultimate trust in Allah rather than being consumed by the actions of those who scheme against us.