Surah Al-Munafiqoon

(The Hypocrites)

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Munafiqoon (the hypocrites) because of the significant signs of the hypocrites mentioned therein and the warnings that have been issued to them.

Chapter Number

Surah al-Munafiqoon is the 63rd chapter of the Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter has 11 verses.

Place of Revelation

All of the scholars are in agreement that this chapter is Madani.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-8

Describing the behaviour of the hypocrites with the believers and warning the believers about their conspiracies.

The chapter begins by describing the hypocrites as people who expressed belief in the Prophet in his presence, when in reality they believed the opposite. They used to get the believers to revert away from Islam by making false vows. The next few verses warn the Prophet about the danger presented by the hypocrites. The Quran considers the asking for forgiveness by the believers for the hypocrites to be useless because of their persistence in hypocrisy. It also mentions that izzah (dignity) belongs solely to Allah and His Messenger, and likewise, considers dhillah (disgrace) as the outcome of the hypocrites and the disbelievers.

Verses 9-11

Warns the believers to not neglect Allah due to the blessings of this world and urges them to spend in the way of Allah.

Verse 9 cautions the believers that being busy with the things of this world should not distract them from the remembrance of Allah. Afterwards, the believers are reminded that all of their opportunities will come to an end upon death, and they are therefore advised to spend in the way of Allah and give what is obligatory upon them.

Discussions on this Chapter

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه و سلم: من قرأ سورة المنافقين بري‏ء من النفاق

It has been narrated from the Prophet to have said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Munafiqoon, will be protected from hypocrisy.”

According to the Sunni Traditions

Verse 4: “When you see them, their bodies impress you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. Yet they are like dry logs set reclining [against a wall]. They suppose every cry is directed against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah assail them, where do they stray?!”

۞وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ تُعۡجِبُكَ أَجۡسَامُهُمۡۖ وَإِن يَقُولُواْ تَسۡمَعۡ لِقَوۡلِهِمۡۖ كَأَنَّهُمۡ خُشُبٞ مُّسَنَّدَةٞۖ يَحۡسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيۡحَةٍ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ هُمُ ٱلۡعَدُوُّ فَٱحۡذَرۡهُمۡۚ قَٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤۡفَكُونَ ٤ قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يزيد، حدثنا عبد الملك بن قدامة الجمحي عن إسحاق بن بكير بن أبي الفرات عن سعيد بن أبي سعيد المقبري، عن أبيه عن أبي هريرة رضي اللّه عنه أن النبي صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم قال: «إن للمنافقين علامات يعرفون بها: تحيتهم لعنة و طعامهم نهبة و غنيمتهم غلول و لا يقربون المساجد إلا هجرا، و لا يأتون الصلاة إلا دبرا، مستكبرين لا يألفون و لا .يؤلفون، خشب بالليل صخب بالنهار

Imam Ahmad (Ibn Hanbal) narrates from Yazeed, from Abdul Malek ibn Qudamah al-Juhmi, from Ishaaq ibn Bukair ibn Abi al-Furat, from Saeed ibn Abi Saeed al-Miqbari, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah who quotes the Prophet to have said: “Hypocrites have certain signs that they are known by. Their greeting is really a curse, their food is from stealing, and the war booty that they collect is from theft. They shun the masajid, and do not come to the prayer except at its end. They are arrogant so it is neither easy for them to blend in, nor it is easy for people to blend in with them. They are like pieces of wood by night and are noisy by day.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Verse 8: “They say, ‘When we return to the city, the mighty will surely expel the weak from it.’ Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Apostle and the faithful, but the hypocrites do not know.”

يَقُولُونَ لَئِن رَّجَعۡنَآ إِلَى ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ لَيُخۡرِجَنَّ ٱلۡأَعَزُّ مِنۡهَا ٱلۡأَذَلَّۚ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٨ و في الكافي، بإسناده إلى سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَوَّضَ إِلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ أُمُورَهُ كُلَّهَا وَ لَمْ يُفَوِّضْ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يُذِلَّ نَفْسَهُ أَ لَمْ يَرَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ هَاهُنَا- وَ لِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ‏ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُ‏ يَنْبَغِي‏ لَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَزِيزاً وَ لَا يَكُونَ ذَلِيلًا

It has been narrated in the book Al-Kafi, with his chain of narrations to Samaah, from Abu Abdullah to have said: “Allah has handed over to a believer the control over all of one’s actions, but has not handed him the right to weaken himself. Has one not heard what Allah said: ‘Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Apostle and the faithful.’ The believer deserves to be mighty and not weak.”

Verse 11: “But Allah will never respite anyone when his time has come, and Allah is well aware of what you do.”

وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَاۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١١ عَنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ، عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ‏ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ لَنْ يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُها قَالَ: إِنَّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ، كُتُباً مَوْقُوفَةً، يُقَدِّمُ‏ مِنْهَا مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُؤَخِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ، فَإِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ أَنْزَلَ فِيهَا مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى مِثْلِهَا فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: لَنْ يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُها إِذَا نَزَلَ وَ كَتَبَهُ كُتَّابُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي لَا يُؤَخِّرُهُ

It has been narrated from al-Nadhr, from Yahya al-Halabi, from Harun ibn Kharijah, from Abu Baseer, from Abu Jafar about the words of Allah: ‘But Allah will never respite anyone when his time has come’ to have said that: “Allah has a book of conditional incidents [which will take place based on certain conditions], He will prioritize some over others, and delay some. When the Night of Power [Laylatul Qadr] comes, He will send down [the book which contains] everything that will happen from that night until the next Night of Power (for one whole year). Therefore, the words of Allah which say: ‘But Allah will never respite anyone when his time has come’ refer to when the book is sent down and the writers of the heavens record them, that is when Allah will not respite anyone.”