يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ 2
Translations
O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu lima taquluna ma la tafʿalun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the believers for saying things they do not do, addressing the contradiction between speech and action. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse condemns hypocrisy and the lack of sincerity, urging Muslims to align their words with their deeds. The ayah serves as a moral exhortation against empty claims and calls for integrity in both profession and practice.
Revelation Context
Surah As-Saf was revealed in Madinah and addresses the believing community directly. This particular ayah follows the theme of the surah, which emphasizes the importance of steadfastness and action in faith. The context suggests it may address believers who were proclaiming faith verbally while failing to demonstrate it through struggle (jihad) and righteous action, though the broader application encompasses all forms of hypocrisy between word and deed.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The worst people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment will be those who were hypocrites' (Sahih Bukhari 3178). Additionally, 'Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise' (Sahih Bukhari 6094), emphasizing the positive counterpart to this warning.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must ensure their actions reflect their spoken convictions and religious claims, as God detests the hypocrisy of saying one thing while doing another. This ayah challenges us to examine our own lives and strive for congruence between our professions of faith and our actual conduct.