أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ ٱللَّهُ أَضْغَـٰنَهُمْ 29
Translations
Or do those in whose hearts is disease think that Allāh would never expose their [feelings of] hatred?
Transliteration
Am hasibAllathīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun an lan yukhrijAllāhu aḍghānāhum
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah questions whether those with disease (hypocrisy and malice) in their hearts think that Allah will not expose their hidden grudges and enmities. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the 'disease' (maraḍ) refers to the spiritual sickness of hypocrisy and doubt that afflicts the munāfiqūn (hypocrites), and Allah will certainly bring forth their concealed malice and hatred on the Day of Judgment. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this is a rhetorical question implying certainty—Allah definitely will expose what they hide.
Revelation Context
Surah Muhammad is a Medinan surah that extensively addresses the hypocrites of Medina who outwardly claimed faith while harboring doubt and enmity toward the Prophet and believers. This ayah appears in a passage warning hypocrites that their hidden malice and grudges cannot remain concealed from Allah, fitting the surah's broader theme of exposing the hypocrisy prevalent during the Medinan period.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Beware of the suspicion of the believers, for suspicion is the most false of speech' (Sahih Bukhari 5143). Also relevant is the hadith about hearts being tested: 'Hearts are containers, and the best of them are those who remember Allah most' (Sunan Ibn Majah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah is fully aware of all hidden thoughts, intentions, and malice within hearts—nothing remains concealed from Him. For believers, this should inspire sincere introspection to purify one's heart from grudges and enmity, while serving as a warning that insincerity and hidden malice will ultimately be exposed.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ وَلَن يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا
Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allāh, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allāh will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allāh give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].
وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَـٰتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَـٰرِهُونَ
And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allāh and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling.
وَلَوْ دُخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَقْطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا۟ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ لَـَٔاتَوْهَا وَمَا تَلَبَّثُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَّا يَسِيرًا
And if they had been entered upon from all its [surrounding] regions and fitnah [i.e., disbelief] had been demanded of them, they would have done it and not hesitated over it except briefly.
لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةًۢ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ
Make no excuse; you have disbelieved [i.e., rejected faith] after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.