Tafsir

Exposing the Deceitful Ways of Hypocrites

Allah said that when the believers go back to Al-Madinah, the hypocrites will begin apologizing to them. قُل لاَّ تَعْتَذِرُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ(Say "Present no excuses, we shall not believe you."), we shall not believe what you say, قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا اللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ(Allah has already informed us of the news concerning you.) Allah has exposed your news to us, وَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ(Allah and His Messenger will observe your deeds.) your actions will be made public to people in this life, ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَـلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ(In the end you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He (Allah) will inform you of what you used to do.) Allah will inform you of your deeds, whether they were good or evil, and will recompense you for them. Allah said that the hypocrites will swear to the believers in apology, so that the believers turn away from them without admonishing them.

Therefore, Allah ordered disgracing them by turning away from them, for they are, رِجْسٌ(Rijs) meaning, impure inwardly and in their creed. Their destination in the end will be Jahannam, جَزَآءً بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ(a recompense for that which they used to earn.) of sins and evil deeds. Allah said that if the believers forgive the hypocrites when they swear to them, فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَـسِقِينَ(certainly Allah is not pleased with the people who are Fasiqin.) who rebel against the obedience of Allah and His Messenger . `Fisq', means, `deviation'.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses were hypocrites who came up with false excuses at the time Jihad forces were getting ready to march out and succeeded in being allowed to stay behind. The present verses mention those who visited the Holy Prophet ﷺ after his return from Jihad and offered false excuses for their absence from it. These verses had been revealed before his return to Madinah and had told him beforehand about the forthcoming event, that is, the hypocrites will come to him as soon as he reaches Madinah and will offer their excuses. And so it happened.

Three instructions about them have been given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the verses cited above. These are as follows:1. When they come to make excuses, they should be told that they do not have to make false excuses for they were not going to be believed in their word. Allah Ta` ala had already told the Holy Prophet ﷺ about the condition of their thinking and doing including the details of their wicked plans and secret intentions. This was enough to prove that they were liars, therefore, offering excuses makes no sense. After that, it was said: وَسَيَرَ‌ى اللَّـهُ عَمَلَكُمْ (And Allah will see what you do...). Here, respite has been given to them so that they could still make their Taubah (repentance), renounce Nifaq (hypocrisy) and become true Muslims - because, the wording of the text stipulates that Allah and His Messenger shall see what they do and how they do it. In other words, action shall be taken in consonance with their behavior pattern. If they repented sincerely and became true Muslims, their sins shall stand forgiven.

Otherwise, these false excuses were not going to do them any good.

يعتذر إليكم -أيها المؤمنون- هؤلاء المتخلفون عن جهاد المشركين بالأكاذيب عندما تعودون مِن جهادكم من غزوة (تبوك) ، قل لهم -أيها الرسول-: لا تعتذروا لن نصدقكم فيما تقولون، قد نبأنا الله من أمركم ما حقق لدينا كذبكم، وسيرى الله عملكم ورسوله، إن كنتم تتوبون من نفاقكم، أو تقيمون عليه، وسيُظهر للناس أعمالكم في الدنيا، ثم ترجعون بعد مماتكم إلى الذي لا تخفى عليه بواطن أموركم وظواهرها، فيخبركم بأعمالكم كلها، ويجازيكم عليها.

خبر تعالى عن المنافقين بأنهم إذا رجعوا إلى المدينة أنهم يعتذرون إليهم ، ( قل لا تعتذروا لن نؤمن لكم ) أي : لن نصدقكم ، ( قد نبأنا الله من أخباركم ) أي : قد أعلمنا الله أحوالكم ، ( وسيرى الله عملكم ورسوله ) أي : سيظهر أعمالكم للناس في الدنيا ، ( ثم تردون إلى عالم الغيب والشهادة فينبئكم بما كنتم تعملون ) أي : فيخبركم بأعمالكم ، خيرها وشرها ، ويجزيكم عليها .