When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muḥammad], they say, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allāh." And Allāh knows that you are His Messenger, and Allāh testifies that the hypocrites are liars.
And when you see them, their forms please you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. [They are] as if they were pieces of wood propped up - they think that every shout is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?
And when it is said to them, "Come, the Messenger of Allāh will ask forgiveness for you," they turn their heads aside and you see them evading while they are arrogant.
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sawāon ʿalayhim astaghfarta lahum am lam tastaghfir lahum lan yaghfira l-lahu lahum inna l-laha lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīna
It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; never will Allāh forgive them. Indeed, Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
They are the ones who say, "Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allāh until they disband." And to Allāh belong the depositories of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand.
They say, "If we return to al-Madīnah, the more honored [for power] will surely expel therefrom the more humble." And to Allāh belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.
O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that - then those are the losers.
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wa-anfiqū min mā razaqnākum min qabli an yatiya aḥadakumu l-mawtu fayaqūla rabbi lawlā akhartanī ilā ajalin qarībin fa-aṣṣaddaqa wa-akun mina l-ṣāliḥīna
And spend [in the way of Allāh] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be of the righteous."
When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muḥammad], they say, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allāh." And Allāh knows that you are His Messenger, and Allāh testifies that the hypocrites are liars.
Surah Al-Munafiqun — the Hypocrites — opens by pulling back the curtain on a dangerous group in Madinah. When the hypocrites come to the Prophet, they make grand declarations: 'We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.' Sounds great, right? But look at what Allah says next — He already knows Muhammad is His Messenger, that's not the point. The point is that these people are liars. Their words are technically correct but spiritually empty. They're performing faith without actually having it. This is one of the Quran's sharpest distinctions — saying the right thing and meaning it are two entirely different matters.
They have taken their oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allāh. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.
The hypocrites use their oaths — their declarations of faith — as a shield, a cover for their true intentions. Behind that shield, they actively work against Islam, blocking people from Allah's path. It's a classic wolf-in-sheep's-clothing situation. And Allah's judgment is blunt: 'evil is what they used to do.' Hypocrisy is considered worse than outright disbelief in the Quran because at least the open disbeliever is honest. The hypocrite corrodes the community from within, smiling to your face while undermining everything behind your back.
That is because they believed, and then they disbelieved; so their hearts were sealed over, and they do not understand.
Here's the tragic trajectory of hypocrisy — they believed, then they disbelieved, and as a result, their hearts were sealed. There's debate about whether they ever truly believed or just claimed to, but either way, the repeated choice to reject truth eventually made them incapable of recognizing it. This is one of the Quran's recurring themes: spiritual faculties can atrophy. If you keep ignoring your conscience, eventually you stop hearing it altogether. The phrase 'they do not understand' isn't just an insult — it's a diagnosis. They've lost the ability to process truth because they chose comfort over conviction too many times.
And when you see them, their forms please you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. [They are] as if they were pieces of wood propped up1 - they think that every shout is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?
This ayah paints a fascinating portrait of the hypocrites — physically impressive, well-spoken, the kind of people who command attention when they walk into a room. Their bodies please you, and when they talk, you listen. But Allah compares them to propped-up pieces of wood — beautiful on the outside, hollow on the inside, no life in them. And here's a telling detail: they think every shout is directed against them. That's the paranoia of a guilty conscience. They know they're frauds, so they're constantly anxious about being exposed. Allah calls them 'the enemy' and warns believers to be on guard. Charisma is not the same as sincerity.
And when it is said to them, "Come, the Messenger of Allāh will ask forgiveness for you," they turn their heads aside and you see them evading while they are arrogant.
When the hypocrites are invited to come to the Prophet so he can ask Allah's forgiveness for them, they literally turn their heads away. Picture that physical gesture — the deliberate neck turn of arrogance and dismissal. They can't even bring themselves to accept help when it's offered. Pride is the lock on their hearts, and humility is the only key that would open it. But they refuse to use it. This is especially sad because the Prophet's intercession was a real opportunity for them, and they threw it away because seeking forgiveness felt beneath them.
It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; never will Allāh forgive them. Indeed, Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
Allah makes a definitive statement here — it doesn't matter whether the Prophet asks forgiveness for them or not. Allah will never forgive them. That sounds harsh, but understand the context: this isn't about people who sincerely struggle with faith. This is about people who have made a deliberate, conscious choice to oppose the truth while pretending to follow it. They are 'defiantly disobedient' — the Arabic word 'fasiqun' implies someone who has knowingly broken out of the bounds of obedience. When someone refuses every lifeline thrown to them, at some point, the lifelines stop coming.
They are the ones who say, "Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allāh until they disband." And to Allāh belong the depositories of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand.
The hypocrites tried economic warfare — telling people not to financially support those around the Prophet, hoping to starve the Muslim community into disbanding. It's a cold, calculated strategy: cut off the resources and the movement dies. But Allah's response puts things in perspective — the treasures of the heavens and earth belong to Him. You can't bankrupt God's cause. The early Muslims were often poor and outnumbered, but divine support carried them through. The hypocrites didn't understand this because they measured everything in material terms. They couldn't fathom a movement sustained by something they couldn't see or count.
They say, "If we return to al-Madīnah, the more honored [for power] will surely expel therefrom the more humble." And to Allāh belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.
This ayah references something the chief hypocrite Abdullah ibn Ubayy actually said — that when they return to Madinah, 'the more honorable' (meaning himself and his allies) would expel 'the more humble' (meaning the Prophet and the believers). It was a brazen power play rooted in tribal arrogance. Allah's response is devastating: true honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers. Not to those with the loudest mouths or the biggest egos. History proved this completely — Abdullah ibn Ubayy died disgraced, while the 'humble' believers went on to build one of history's greatest civilizations. Honor defined by God looks very different from honor defined by people.
O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that - then those are the losers.
Now Allah turns to address the believers directly with a warning that's incredibly relevant today. Don't let your wealth and children distract you from remembering Allah. Notice it doesn't say wealth and children are bad — they're blessings. But when they become so consuming that you forget why you're here, they've shifted from blessing to distraction. The person who's so busy working that they never pray, or so wrapped up in their kids' activities that they lose their own spiritual practice — that's who this ayah is talking to. And whoever lets that happen, Allah calls them 'the losers,' which is strong language meant to shake us awake.
And spend [in the way of Allāh] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be of the righteous."
This ayah captures a moment of regret that happens at death — 'My Lord, why didn't You delay me just a little longer? I would have given charity and been among the righteous.' It's heartbreaking because everyone who has wasted time thinks they just need a little more of it. But here's the truth the ayah reveals: we all have that 'little more time' right now, today, and we're spending it on other things. The person at the edge of death isn't asking for more wealth or more entertainment — they're begging for more chances to do good. That tells you everything about what actually matters when the fog of daily life finally clears.
But never will Allāh delay a soul when its time has come. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
And the answer to that desperate plea? No delays. When your time comes, it comes, and Allah doesn't push it back for anyone. This is the surah's closing punch — don't wait. Don't assume you have tomorrow. The phrase 'Allah is All-Aware of what you do' serves as both a warning and a comfort. A warning because nothing escapes His notice, and a comfort because every small act of goodness you do right now is seen and recorded. The entire surah builds to this point: hypocrisy wastes time, sincerity saves it, and time itself is running out for all of us.