سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ ۖ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ 95
Translations
They will swear by Allāh to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning.
Transliteration
Sayahlifūna billāhi lakum idhā inqalabatum ilayhim lituraḍū ʿanhum faʾaʿriḍū ʿanhum innahu m rijsun wa-maʾwāhum jahannamu jazāʾan bimā kānū yaksibūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) who will swear oaths by Allah to convince the believers of their loyalty upon the Muslims' return from the Tabuk expedition, hoping the believers will overlook their absence. The command to turn away from them reflects their spiritual filth and rejection of divine guidance. Ibn Kathir emphasizes that their destination is Hellfire as recompense for their deeds of hypocrisy and betrayal, while Al-Tabari notes this serves as both a punishment and a clear demarcation between the faithful and the insincere.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), which addresses events following the Tabuk expedition (9 A.H.). Some Muslims failed to participate without valid excuse, and the hypocrites attempted to make excuses upon the Prophet's return. This surah represents a turning point in how the Islamic community should treat those who display hypocrisy and lack of commitment to the faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding the hypocrites: 'The sign of a hypocrite is 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, the Prophet warned against accepting false oaths and excuses from those whose actions contradict their words.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims must develop discernment to recognize insincerity and hypocrisy, and should not be swayed by mere oaths and empty words when actions contradict claims of faith. The ayah reminds us that Allah's judgment transcends worldly deception—those who betray their commitments to faith will face inevitable divine accountability.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَىٰكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ ٱنصَرَفُوا۟ ۚ صَرَفَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
And whenever a sūrah is revealed, they look at each other, [as if saying], "Does anyone see you?" and then they dismiss themselves. Allāh has dismissed their hearts because they are a people who do not understand.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
That is because they disliked what Allāh revealed, so He rendered worthless their deeds.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allāh and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allāh testifies that indeed they are liars.
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.