إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ
WHEN THE HYPOCRITES come unto thee, they say, "We bear witness that thou art indeed God's Apostle!" But God knows that thou art truly His Apostle; and He bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed false [in their declaration of faith]. (1)
اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
They have made their oaths a cover [for their falseness], and thus they turn others away from the path of God. Evil, indeed, is all that they are wont to do: (2)
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ
this, because [they profess that] they have attained to faith, whereas [inwardly] they deny the truth – and so, a seal has been set on their hearts, so that they can no longer understand [what is true and what false]. (3)
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ وَإِنْ يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
Now when thou seest them, their outward appearance may please thee; and when they speak, thou art inclined to lend ear to what they say. [But though they may seem as sure of themselves] as if they were timbers [firmly] propped up, they think that every shout is [directed] against them. They are the [real] enemies [of all faith], so beware of them. [They deserve the imprecation,] "May God destroy them!" How perverted are their minds! – (4)
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُمْ مُسْتَكْبِرُونَ
for, when they are told, "Come, the Apostle of God will pray [unto God] that you be forgiven," they turn their heads away, and thou canst see how they draw back in their false pride. (5)
سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ
As for them, it is all the same whether thou dost pray that they be forgiven or dost not pray for them: God will not forgive them – for, behold, God does not bestow His guidance upon such iniquitous folk. (6)
هُمُ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَا تُنْفِقُوا عَلَىٰ مَنْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ حَتَّىٰ يَنْفَضُّوا وَلِلَّهِ خَزَائِنُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ
It is they who say [to their compatriots], "Do not spend anything on those who are with God's Apostle, so that they [may be forced to] leave." However, unto God belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth: but this truth the hypocrites cannot grasp. (7)
يَقُولُونَ لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
[And] they say, "Indeed, when we return to the City, [we,] the ones most worthy of honour, will surely drive out therefrom those most contemptible ones!" However, all honour belongs to God, and [thus] to His Apostle and those who believe [in God]: but of this the hypocrites are not aware. (8)
- this, because [they profess that] they have attained to faith, whereas2 [inwardly] they deny the truth - and so, a seal has been set on their hearts so that they can no longer understand [what is true and what false].3
- 2 The particle thumma ("and then") has often the same function as the simple conjunctive wa ("and"), which in this case may be properly rendered as "whereas".
- 3 See surah 2, note 7.
- That is because they believed, then they rejected Faith: So a seal was set5468 on their hearts: therefore they understand not.
- 5468 Cf. 2:7. Their double-dealing has fogged their understanding. In Arabic the heart is taken to be the seat of understanding as well as of affection.
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That is because they believed, then they rejected Faith: So a seal was set on their hearts: therefore they understand not.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed so that they understand not.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
That is because they believe, then disbelieve, so a seal is set upon their hearts so that they do not understand.
— M. Habib Shakir -
That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not.
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
That is, because they believed, and thereafter disbelieved, wherefore their hearts are sealed, so that they understand not.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
That is because they believed, then disbelieved, because of this a seal has been set upon their hearts so they are unable to understand.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
That is because they believed, then disbelieved, then a seal was set on their hearts, so they do not understand.
— Ayub Khan -
That is because they first believed and then disbelieved. So a seal was set upon their hearts and consequently they understand not.
— Sher Ali -
this, because [they profess that] they have attained to faith, whereas [inwardly] they deny the truth – and so, a seal has been set on their hearts, so that they can no longer understand [what is true and what false].
— Muhammad Asad -
That is because they have believed, then they have disbelieved; therefore a seal has been set on their hearts, and they do not understand.
— Arthur Arberry -
All that is because they first believed and then disbelieved, and therefore a seal was set on their hearts; as a result they understand nothing.{{4}}
— Abu'l Ala Maududi