Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (8/126)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah al-Munafiqun is Medinan. (1)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“When the hypocrites come to you, they say, ‘We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.’ Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars. (1) They have taken their oaths as a shield, and thus turn people away from the way of Allah. Evil indeed is what they do. (2) That is because they professed faith and then disbelieved; so their hearts have been sealed, and they do not understand. (3) When you see them, their appearance pleases you; and when they speak, you listen to what they say. Yet they are like propped-up logs, thinking every cry is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How are they turned away! (4)”

“When the hypocrites come to you,” refers to Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul and his companions. “They say, ‘We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.’ Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars,” because they concealed the opposite of what they outwardly professed. “They have taken their oaths as a shield,” that is, as a covering; “and thus turn people away from the way of Allah”: they prevented people from jihad and from believing in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

“Evil indeed is what they do. That is because they professed faith”: they verbally professed faith whenever they met the believers; “then disbelieved”: whenever they were alone with the polytheists. “So their hearts have been sealed” with disbelief, “and they do not understand” ⦗165/b⦘ faith. “When you see them, their appearance pleases you”: that is, they have impressive physiques and bearing. “And when they speak, you listen to what they say,” and so you think it is true. Abd Allah ibn Abbas said: “Abd Allah ibn Ubayy was a large, eloquent man, with a ready

(1) Ibn al-Durays, al-Nahhas, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi, in al-Dala'il, narrated from Ibn Abbas that Surat al-Munafiqun was revealed in Medina. Ibn Mardawayh also narrated the same from Ibn al-Zubayr. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 8:170.

سُورَةُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ مَدَنِيَّةٌ (١) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ (١) اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (٢) ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ (٣) وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ وَإِنْ يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ (٤) ﴾ ﴿إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ﴾ يَعْنِي عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُبَيٍّ بن سَلُولَ وَأَصْحَابَهُ، ﴿قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ﴾ لِأَنَّهُمْ أَضْمَرُوا خِلَافَ مَا أَظْهَرُوا. ﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً﴾ سُتْرَةً، ﴿فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ﴾ مَنَعُوا النَّاسَ عَنِ الْجِهَادِ وَالْإِيمَانِ بِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ. ﴿إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا﴾ أَقَرُّوا بِاللِّسَانِ إِذَا رَأَوْا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، ﴿ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا﴾ إِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ، ﴿فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ﴾ بِالْكَفْرِ، ﴿فَهُمْ لا يَفْقَهُونَ﴾ ١٦٥/ب الْإِيمَانَ. ﴿وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْسَامًا وَمَنَاظِرَ، ﴿وَإِنْ يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ﴾ فَتَحَسَبُ أَنَّهُ صِدْقٌ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أُبَيٍّ جَسِيمًا فَصِيحًا ذَلِقَ

(١) أخرجه ابن الضريس والنحاس وابن مردويه والبيهقي في الدلائل عن ابن عباس قال: نزلت سورة المنافقيتن بالمدينة. وأخرج ابن مردويه عن ابن الزبير مثله. انظر: الدر المنثور: ٨ / ١٧٠.