وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنكُمْ وَمَا هُم مِّنكُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ 56
Translations
And they swear by Allāh that they are from among you while they are not from among you; but they are a people who are afraid.
Transliteration
Wa yahlifuna billahi innahum lakum wa ma hum minkum wa lakin-nahum qawmun yafraqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrites (munafiqun) who swear by Allah that they are among the believers, yet Allah affirms they are not truly from the believers' ranks. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, their distinguishing characteristic is fear and cowardice—they are 'a people who fear' (qaum yafraqun), referring to their anxiety about being exposed or facing hardship for their faith. The swearing by Allah is an empty oath, as their hearts contradict their words, and their lack of true conviction manifests in their fearfulness and unreliability.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan surah At-Tawbah, which extensively addresses the hypocrites of Madinah who professed Islam outwardly while concealing disbelief. The broader context (ayaat 56-66) details the characteristics and behavior of hypocrites, particularly regarding the Battle of Tabuk. This passage was revealed to alert the Muslim community to the danger posed by those who claim faith without possessing sincere conviction.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he is entrusted, he betrays' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Additionally, the ayah relates to the hadith about the characteristics of hypocrites found in Sahih Muslim regarding their behavior in public versus private.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to be discerning about the difference between outward claims and inner sincerity; true faith requires both honest words and courageous action, and we should examine whether our own deeds and commitments reflect genuine conviction or mere pretense.
Related Ayahs
طَاعَةٌ وَقَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ ٱلْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ
Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allāh, it would have been better for them.
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا خَرَجُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ
And among them, [O Muḥammad], are those who listen to you, until when they depart from you, they say to those who were given knowledge, "What has he said just now?" Those are the ones of whom Allāh has sealed over their hearts and who have followed their [own] desires.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَـٰدِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ قَامُوا۟ كُسَالَىٰ يُرَآءُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allāh, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allāh except a little,
يُنَادُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَٱرْتَبْتُمْ وَغَرَّتْكُمُ ٱلْأَمَانِىُّ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَغَرَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْغَرُورُ
They [i.e., the hypocrites] will call to them [i.e., the believers], "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allāh. And the Deceiver [i.e., Satan] deceived you concerning Allāh.