يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا۟ وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا۟ كَلِمَةَ ٱلْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِسْلَـٰمِهِمْ وَهَمُّوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۚ فَإِن يَتُوبُوا۟ يَكُ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ 74
Translations
They swear by Allāh that they did not say [anything against the Prophet (ﷺ)] while they had said the word of disbelief and disbelieved after their [pretense of] Islām and planned that which they were not to attain. And they were not resentful except [for the fact] that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty. So if they repent, it is better for them; but if they turn away, Allāh will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And there will not be for them on earth any protector or helper.
Transliteration
Yahlifūna billāhi mā qālū wa laqad qālū kalimatal-kufri wa kafarū ba'da islāmihim wa hammū bimā lam yanālū. Wa mā naqamū illā an aghnāhumu allāhu wa rasūluh min fadlih. Fa in yatūbū yakun khayran lahum wa in yatawallū yu'adhdhibhumu allāhu adhāban alīman fil-dunyā wal-ākhirah. Wa mā lahum fil-ardi min waliyyin wa lā nasīr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses hypocrites (munāfiqūn) who swear false oaths denying they uttered words of disbelief, yet they had indeed apostasized after accepting Islam and conspired against the Prophet (ﷺ) without achieving their goal. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, their grievance stemmed not from religious principle but from envy that Allah and His Messenger enriched them from His bounty, revealing their corrupt intentions. The ayah warns that repentance remains open to them, but if they persist in rejection, they will face severe punishment in both this world and the Hereafter, with none to protect or help them.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), a Medinan surah dealing extensively with hypocrites and their false pledges. It specifically addresses incidents of hypocrites who feigned belief while harboring disbelief, particularly those who made treaties with the Prophet (ﷺ) insincerely. The broader context involves the expedition to Tabūk and the exposure of munāfiqīn's true nature.
Related Hadiths
The principle of detecting hypocrisy relates to the hadith: 'The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays.' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Additionally, Surah At-Tawbah 9:65-66 deals with those who mock the Prophet (ﷺ) and Quranic verses, which contextually relates to this ayah's discussion of hidden disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah is fully aware of hidden intentions and false oaths, and that material provisions are tests of faith, not signs of divine approval for one's beliefs. For modern believers, it emphasizes the importance of sincere repentance and the danger of allowing jealousy or worldly grievances to corrupt one's faith, while highlighting that the door to repentance remains eternally open for those who seek it genuinely.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ٱئْذَن لِّى وَلَا تَفْتِنِّىٓ ۚ أَلَا فِى ٱلْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا۟ ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And among them is he who says, "Permit me [to remain at home] and do not put me to trial." Unquestionably, into trial they have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْبَارِ وَٱلرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allāh. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allāh - give them tidings of a painful punishment.
لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ
Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allāh loves those who purify themselves.
قُلْ أَنفِقُوا۟ طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمْ ۖ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا فَـٰسِقِينَ
Say, "Spend willingly or unwillingly; never will it be accepted from you. Indeed, you have been a defiantly disobedient people."