“And Allah will never grant the disbelievers a way against the believers.” That is, He will not grant them dominion or mastery over the believers. Rather, a group of believers will always remain upon the truth, granted victory; neither those who forsake them nor those who oppose them will harm them. Allah will continue to bring about plainly visible causes by which the believers attain victory and the disbelievers’ domination is repelled. Indeed, even [some] (1) Muslims who are ruled by factions of disbelievers have continued to be respected: their religion is not interfered with, nor are they regarded as insignificant. Rather, Allah has granted them complete honor. Thus, to Him (2) belongs all praise at the beginning and the end, outwardly and inwardly. ⦗211⦘
(142, 143) “Indeed, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but He turns their deception against them. When they rise for prayer, they rise reluctantly, showing off before people, and they remember Allah only a little. * They waver in between, belonging neither to these nor those. Whoever Allah leaves to stray, you will never find a way for him.”
The Most High informs us of the reprehensible qualities and shameful traits of the hypocrites. Their way is to seek to deceive Allah Most High: by displaying faith while concealing disbelief, they suppose that this will pass unnoticed by Allah, that He does not know it, and that He will not expose it to His servants. Yet it is Allah who turns their deception against them. Their mere adoption of this state and persistence in it constitutes self-deception. What deception could be greater than that of someone whose very efforts bring him humiliation, disgrace, and deprivation?
This alone demonstrates the deficiency of such a person’s reason: he combines disobedience with regarding it as good, and imagines it to be a sign of intelligence and cunning. How ruinous are the effects of ignorance and being forsaken upon a person!
Among the ways He turns their deception against them on the Day of Resurrection is what Allah mentions in His words: “On that Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, ‘Wait for us so that we may acquire some of your light.’ It will be said, ‘Go back behind you and seek light.’ Then a wall with a gate will be erected between them. Its inner side will contain mercy, while its outer side will face the punishment. They will call out to them, ‘Were we not with you? …’” to the end of the verses.
Another of their characteristics is that “when they rise for prayer”—if indeed they rise at all, though it is the greatest practical act of obedience—“they rise reluctantly,” dragging themselves to it and resenting having to perform it. Laziness arises only when desire is absent from the heart. Had their hearts not been devoid of longing for Allah and what is with Him, and bereft of faith, such laziness would not have issued from them. They are “showing off before people.” That is what lies hidden within them and is the source of their deeds: showing off to people. Their aim is that people should see, admire, and respect them; they do not act sincerely for Allah. Therefore, “they remember Allah only a little,” because their hearts are filled with ostentation. Constant remembrance of Allah Most High comes only from a believer whose heart is filled with love and reverence for Allah.
“They waver in between, belonging neither to these nor those.” That is, they vacillate between the believers and the disbelievers. They are not fully among the believers, both outwardly and inwardly, nor are they fully among the disbelievers, both outwardly and inwardly. They have given their inner selves to the disbelievers and their outward appearance to the believers. This is the greatest misguidance imaginable. He therefore said: “Whoever Allah leaves to stray, you will never find a way for him.” That is, you will find no path by which he may be guided and no means by which he may abandon his error, for the gate of mercy has been closed to him and every form of punishment has taken its place.
By implication, these blameworthy qualities show that the believers possess their opposites: truthfulness both outwardly and inwardly, sincerity, that their true state is not concealed, vigor in their prayers and acts of worship, and abundant remembrance of Allah Most High. Allah has guided them and granted them success upon the straight path. Let the person of sound reason measure himself against these two conditions and choose whichever is more fitting for him. Allah (3) is the One whose help is sought.