The surah that declares that God bears witness that the false profession of faith by The Hypocrites is uttered only as a screen to hide their duplicity. It takes its name from its main topic, “the hypocrites” (munāfiqūn). The surah warns the believers about the treachery of the hypocrites and describes their behaviour in some detail. A specific occasion on which the hypocrites tried to stop anyone donating money to believers is described (verse 7 .) and God calls on the Muslims to compensate for this by giving more of their own funds to the needy (verse 9 .).
1
إِذا جاءَكَ المُنافِقونَ قالوا نَشهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشهَدُ إِنَّ المُنافِقينَ لَكاذِبونَ
ʾidhā jāʾaka l-munāfiqūna qālū nashhadu ʾinnaka la-rasūlu llāhi wa-llāhu yaʿlamu ʾinnaka la-rasūluhū wa-llāhu yashhadu ʾinna l-munāfiqīna la-kādhibūna
When the hypocrites come to youthey say, ‘We bear witnessthat you are indeed the apostle of Allah.’Allah knows that you are indeed His Apostle,and Allah bears witness thatthe hypocrites are indeed liars.
2
اتَّخَذوا أَيمانَهُم جُنَّةً فَصَدّوا عَن سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُم ساءَ ما كانوا يَعمَلونَ
ittakhadhū ʾaymānahum junnatan fa-ṣaddū ʿan sabīli llāhi ʾinnahum sāʾa mā kānū yaʿmalūna
They make a shield of their oaths,and bar from the way of Allah.Evil indeed is what they used to do.
3
ذٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُم آمَنوا ثُمَّ كَفَروا فَطُبِعَ عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم فَهُم لا يَفقَهونَ
dhālika bi-ʾannahum ʾāmanū thumma kafarū fa-ṭubiʿa ʿalā qulūbihim fa-hum lā yafqahūna
That is because they believed and then disbelieved,so their hearts were sealed.Hence they do not understand.
4
۞ وَإِذا رَأَيتَهُم تُعجِبُكَ أَجسامُهُم ۖ وَإِن يَقولوا تَسمَع لِقَولِهِم ۖ كَأَنَّهُم خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ ۖ يَحسَبونَ كُلَّ صَيحَةٍ عَلَيهِم ۚ هُمُ العَدُوُّ فَاحذَرهُم ۚ قاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ أَنّىٰ يُؤفَكونَ
wa-ʾidhā raʾaytahum tuʿjibuka ʾajsāmuhum wa-ʾin yaqūlū tasmaʿ li-qawlihim ka-ʾannahum khushubun musannadatun yaḥsabūna kulla ṣayḥatin ʿalayhim humu l-ʿaduwwu fa-ḥdharhum qātalahumu llāhu ʾannā yuʾfakūna
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?!
5
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم تَعالَوا يَستَغفِر لَكُم رَسولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوا رُءوسَهُم وَرَأَيتَهُم يَصُدّونَ وَهُم مُستَكبِرونَ
wa-ʾidhā qīla lahum taʿālaw yastaghfir lakum rasūlu llāhi lawwaw ruʾūsahum wa-raʾaytahum yaṣuddūna wa-hum mustakbirūna
When they are told, ‘Come,that Allah’s Apostle may plead for forgiveness for you,’they twist their heads,and you see them turn away while they are disdainful.
6
سَواءٌ عَلَيهِم أَستَغفَرتَ لَهُم أَم لَم تَستَغفِر لَهُم لَن يَغفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الفاسِقينَ
sawāʾun ʿalayhim ʾa-staghfarta lahum ʾam lam tastaghfir lahum lan yaghfira llāhu lahum ʾinna llāha lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīna
It is the same for themwhether you plead for forgiveness for them,or do not plead for forgiveness for them:Allah will never forgive them.Indeed Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.
7
هُمُ الَّذينَ يَقولونَ لا تُنفِقوا عَلىٰ مَن عِندَ رَسولِ اللَّهِ حَتّىٰ يَنفَضّوا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ خَزائِنُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَلٰكِنَّ المُنافِقينَ لا يَفقَهونَ
humu lladhīna yaqūlūna lā tunfiqū ʿalā man ʿinda rasūli llāhi ḥattā yanfaḍḍū wa-li-llāhi khazāʾinu s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi wa-lākinna l-munāfiqīna lā yafqahūna
They are the ones who say, ‘Do not spendon those who are with the Apostle of Allahuntil they scatter off.’Yet to Allah belong the treasuries of the heavensand the earth,but the hypocrites do not understand.
8
يَقولونَ لَئِن رَجَعنا إِلَى المَدينَةِ لَيُخرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنهَا الأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ العِزَّةُ وَلِرَسولِهِ وَلِلمُؤمِنينَ وَلٰكِنَّ المُنافِقينَ لا يَعلَمونَ
yaqūlūna la-ʾin rajaʿnā ʾilā l-madīnati la-yukhrijanna l-ʾaʿazzu minhā l-ʾadhalla wa-li-llāhi l-ʿizzatu wa-li-rasūlihī wa-li-l-muʾminīna wa-lākinna l-munāfiqīna lā yaʿlamūna
They say, ‘When we return to the city,the mighty will surely expel the abased from it.’1Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Apostle,and the faithful,but the hypocrites do not know.Or, ‘the mighty will surely expel the weak from it.’
9
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تُلهِكُم أَموالُكُم وَلا أَولادُكُم عَن ذِكرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفعَل ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الخاسِرونَ
yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū lā tulhikum ʾamwālukum wa-lā ʾawlādukum ʿan dhikri llāhi wa-man yafʿal dhālika fa-ʾulāʾika humu l-khāsirūna
O you who have faith!Do not let your possessions and children distract youfrom the remembrance of Allah,and whoever does that—it is they who are the losers.
10
وَأَنفِقوا مِن ما رَزَقناكُم مِن قَبلِ أَن يَأتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ المَوتُ فَيَقولَ رَبِّ لَولا أَخَّرتَني إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ قَريبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِنَ الصّالِحينَ
wa-ʾanfiqū min mā razaqnākum min qabli ʾan yaʾtiya ʾaḥadakumu l-mawtu fa-yaqūla rabbi law-lā ʾakhkhartanī ʾilā ʾajalin qarībin fa-ʾaṣṣaddaqa wa-ʾakun mina ṣ-ṣāliḥīna
Spend from what We have provided youbefore death comes to any of you,whereat he will say, ‘My Lord,why did You not respite me for a short timeso that I might have given charityand become one of the righteous!’
11
وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفسًا إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُها ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَبيرٌ بِما تَعمَلونَ
wa-lan yuʾakhkhira llāhu nafsan ʾidhā jāʾa ʾajaluhā wa-llāhu khabīrun bi-mā taʿmalūna
But Allah shall never respite a soulwhen its time has come,and Allah is well aware of what you do.