وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ 124
Translations
And whenever a sūrah is revealed, there are among them [i.e., the hypocrites] those who say, "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing.
Transliteration
Wa-idha ma unzilat sūratun fa-minhum man yaqūlu ayyukum zādat-hu hādhihī īmānan fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū fa-zādat-hum īmānan wa-hum yastabshirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the contrasting responses of believers and hypocrites when a new surah is revealed. The believers experience an increase in faith (īmān) and rejoice, while the hypocrites question whether the revelation strengthens anyone's faith at all. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this illustrates that the Qur'an acts as a touchstone—it increases the faith of sincere believers while exposing the doubt and skepticism of those with diseased hearts, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anfal (8:2).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tawbah (the Chapter of Repentance), a Medinan surah dealing extensively with the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) of Medina who outwardly professed Islam while harboring doubt. The ayah reflects the reality of how the hypocrites reacted to the constant revelation of Qur'anic verses during the Prophet's time in Medina, serving as a diagnostic tool to distinguish genuine believers from those pretending faith.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Verily, the most perfect in faith among believers are those best in character and kindest to their families.' This relates to the believers' positive response to revelation. Additionally, Surah Al-Anfal (8:2) is directly related: 'The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Our response to the Qur'an and Islamic knowledge reveals the true state of our hearts—genuine believers experience joy and spiritual growth when encountering divine guidance, while those with doubts remain unmoved. This teaches us to examine our own hearts: do we feel a tangible increase in faith and rejoicing when we encounter Qur'anic verses, or do we remain spiritually indifferent?
Related Ayahs
يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allāh is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people.
۞ أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ ٱلْحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَجَـٰهَدَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَا يَسْتَوُۥنَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Have you made the providing of water for the pilgrim and the maintenance of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām equal to [the deeds of] one who believes in Allāh and the Last Day and strives in the cause of Allāh? They are not equal in the sight of Allāh. And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَـٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَوِ ٱسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
Had it been a near [i.e., easy] gain and a moderate trip, they [i.e., the hypocrites] would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allāh, "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allāh knows that indeed they are liars.
لَقَدِ ٱبْتَغَوُا۟ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأُمُورَ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَـٰرِهُونَ
They had already desired dissension before and had upset matters for you until the truth came and the ordinance [i.e., victory] of Allāh appeared, while they were averse.