Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Hypocrites rely on False, Misguided Excuses `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "During the battle of Tabuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said, `I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.' A man in the Masjid said, `You lie. You are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ' This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and also a part of the Qur'an was revealed about it."' `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "I have seen that man afterwards holding onto the shoulders of the Messenger's camel while stones were falling on him, declaring, `O Allah's Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,' while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reciting, أَبِاللَّهِ وَءَايَـتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ("Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking") 9:65."' Allah said, لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ (Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.) on account of your statement and mocking, إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنْكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةً (If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you) for not all of you will be forgiven, some will have to taste the torment, بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ مُجْرِمِينَ (because they were criminals), they were criminals because of this terrible, sinful statement.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Other Characteristics of Hypocrites Allah admonishes the hypocrites who, unlike the believers, who enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ (they enjoin evil, and forbid the good, and they close their hands), from spending in Allah's cause, نَسُواْ اللَّهَ (They have forgotten Allah), they have forgotten the remembrance of Allah, فَنَسِيَهُمْ (so He has forgotten them.), by treating them as if He has forgotten them. Allah also, وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا (And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours) 45:34. Allah said, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ (Verily, the hypocrites are the rebellious) the rebellious from the way of truth who embrace the wicked way, وَعَدَ الله الْمُنَـفِقِينَ وَالْمُنَـفِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ (Allah has promised the hypocrites -- men and women -- and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell), on account of their evildoing mentioned here, خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ (therein shall they abide.), for eternity, they and the disbelievers, هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ (It will suffice them.), as a torment, وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ (Allah has cursed them), He expelled and banished them from His mercy, وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and for them is the lasting torment.)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Other Characteristics of Hypocrites Allah admonishes the hypocrites who, unlike the believers, who enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ (they enjoin evil, and forbid the good, and they close their hands), from spending in Allah's cause, نَسُواْ اللَّهَ (They have forgotten Allah), they have forgotten the remembrance of Allah, فَنَسِيَهُمْ (so He has forgotten them.), by treating them as if He has forgotten them. Allah also, وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا (And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours) 45:34. Allah said, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ (Verily, the hypocrites are the rebellious) the rebellious from the way of truth who embrace the wicked way, وَعَدَ الله الْمُنَـفِقِينَ وَالْمُنَـفِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ (Allah has promised the hypocrites -- men and women -- and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell), on account of their evildoing mentioned here, خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ (therein shall they abide.), for eternity, they and the disbelievers, هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ (It will suffice them.), as a torment, وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ (Allah has cursed them), He expelled and banished them from His mercy, وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ (and for them is the lasting torment.)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

بِخَلَـقِهِمْ (their portion), means, they mocked their religion, according to Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah's statement, وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُواْ (and you indulged in play and pastime as they indulged in play and pastime), indulged in lies and falsehood, أُوْلَـئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ (Such are they whose deeds are in vain), their deeds are annulled; they will not acquire any rewards for them because they are invalid, فِي الدنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ (in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.) because they will not acquire any rewards for their actions. Ibn `Abbas commented, "How similar is this night to the last night, كَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ (Like those before you...) These are the Children of Israel, with whom we were compared. The Prophet said, «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّهُمْ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ جُحْرَ ضَبَ لَدَخَلْتُمُوه» (By He in Whose Hand is my life! You will imitate them, and even if a man of them entered the den of a lizard, you will enter it likewise!)" Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ، وَبَاعًا بِبَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبَ لَدَخَلْتُمُوه» قالوا: ومن هم يا رسول الله، أهل الكتاب؟ قال: «فَمَنْ؟» (By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will follow the traditions of those who were before you a hand span for a hand-span and forearm's length for forearm's length, and an arm's length for an arm's length. And even if they enter the den of a lizard, you will also enter it.) They asked, "Who, O Allah's Messenger, the People of the Book" He said, (Who else)" This Hadith is similar to another Hadith collected in the Sahih.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Advising the Hypocrites to learn a Lesson from Those before Them Allah advises the hypocrites who reject the Messengers, أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ (Has not the story reached them of those before them) have you (hypocrites) not learned the end of the nations before you who rejected the Messengers, قَوْمُ نُوحٍ (The people of Nuh), and the flood that drowned the entire population of the earth, except those who believed in Allah's servant and Messenger Nuh, peace be upon him, وَعَادٌ (and `Ad), who perished with the barren wind when they rejected Hud, peace be upon him, وَثَمُودُ (and Thamud), who were overtaken by the Sayhah (awful cry) when they denied Salih, peace be upon him, and killed the camel, وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَهِيمَ (and the people of Ibrahim), over whom He gave Ibrahim victory and the aid of clear miracles. Allah destroyed their king Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Koch from Canaan, may Allah curse him, وِأَصْحَـبِ مَدْيَنَ (and the dwellers of Madyan), the people of Shu`ayb, peace be upon him, who were destroyed by the earthquake and the torment of the day of the Shade, وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَـتِ (and the overturned cities), the people of Lut who used to live in Madyan. Allah said in another Ayah, وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى (And He destroyed the overturned cities) 53:53, meaning the people of the overturned cities in reference to Sadum Sodom, their major city. Allah destroyed them all because they rejected Allah's Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, and because they committed the sin that none before them had committed homosexuality. أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ (to them came their Messengers with clear proofs.), and unequivocal evidence, فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ (So it was not Allah Who wronged them), when He destroyed them, for He established the proofs against them by sending the Messengers and dissipating the doubts, وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ (but they used to wrong themselves), on account of their denying the Messengers and defying the Truth; this is why they earned the end, torment and punishment, that they did.