Surah Munafiqun

Surah Munafiqun (سُورَةُ المُنَافِقُون), meaning hypocrites is the 63^rd surah of the Noble Quran that Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s) in Medina located in juz 28. Surah Munafiqun mostly talks about the animosity that the hypocrites bore toward Prophet Muhammad. It also describes the hypocrites and mentions their characteristics.

Facts about Surah Munafiqun

Arabic Text and Translation of Surah Munafiqun

Benefits of Surah Munafiqun

Just like all other surahs of the Noble Quran, one can derive enormous benefits by reciting surah Munafiqun. Let us take a look at some of the benefits of reciting this surah.

1. Being Immune From Hypocrisy: The Noble Prophet [peace be upon him and his progeny] has said, “Whoever recites surah Munafiqun will be immune from becoming a hypocrite.” ²

2. A Cure for Boils and Internal Diseases: If a boil has erupted on someone’s body, reciting surah Munafiqun remedies it. Moreover, reciting this surah is beneficial for the treatment of any disease that is inside the body. ³

3. A Cure for Pain in the Eye: It has been narrated from Jafar ibn Muhammad that reciting surah Munafiqun alleviates pain in the eye. ⁴

The Occasion of Revelation of Surah Munafiqun

In one of the battles that Prophet Muhammad fought against his enemies, there was a quarrel between two of his companions over who should draw water from the well. Meanwhile, one of the Ansar (اَنصار: lit. Helpers), that is, those who were from Medina became injured. Abdullah ibn Ubayy (عبدالله ابن اُبَيّ) became extremely upset at hearing this news and threatened them that when he returns to Medina, he would expel the weak from the city.

This meant that he wanted to expel the Muhajirun, that is, those who had immigrated to Medina from Mecca. This saying of Abdullah has been mentioned in the eighth verse of surah Munafiqun:

يَقُولُونَ لَئِن رَّجَعْنَآ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ ٱلْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا ٱلْأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّـهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿8﴾

They say, “If we return to Medina, the mightier [and the honorable group1] will drive away the weaker” [but they should know that] might [and honor] is with God, His messenger, and the believers, however, the hypocrites do not know. ⁵

Zayd ibn Arqam who was a witness to this incident informed the Prophet. However, Abdullah went to the Prophet and bore witness that he believes in Allah and the Prophet. He also denied what Zayd had said. This was when Allah revealed verses 1-8 of surah Munafiqun to the Prophet.

Tafseer of Surah Munafiqun

إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ قَالُوا۟ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ ٱللَّـهِ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱللَّـهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ ﴿1﴾

When the hypocrites come to you they say, “We bear witness that you are truly God’s messenger. And God knows that you are truly His messenger, and God witnesses that the hypocrites are liars.”

ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿2﴾

They take [and apply] their oath as a shield [to conceal their hypocrisy and protect themselves], so they ban God’s path. Indeed, it is evil what they used to perpetrate. ⁶

The first two verses of surah Munafiqun describe the hypocrites during the time of the Prophet. They would go to the Prophet and bear witness to Allah and His Apostle, but behind their back, they would go against them. Allah says to His Prophet, there is no need for such two-faced people to bear testimony that you are His Apostle; Allah knows that you are His Apostle and that suffices. Furthermore, hypocrites are liars. This is a stark reality that most liars tend to be hypocrites and vice versa.

By hypocrites, it does not necessarily mean they do not believe in Allah and His Messenger. In other words, they claim to believe in Allah, but in secret, they do certain things that show either their belief in Allah and His Apostle is weak, or they do not believe in them whatsoever. Therefore, a hypocrite includes a broad spectrum of people. It may be that even so-called believers have some hypocrisy in their heart.

The second verse talks about how they swear by Allah that what they are saying is true, whereas by doing this they are posing obstacles in the path of Allah. This act is indeed very evil in the eye of Allah. We can witness this behavior in many people even today. It is not necessary for a hypocrite to even be a Muslim. If they strongly make a claim that they will do something, yet do the exact opposite in secret, they are also hypocrites. That is why disbelievers, Christians, Jews, and followers of other religions could also be hypocrites.

Believers Who Became Hypocrites in Surah Munafiqun

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا۟ فَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ ﴿3﴾

This is because they first believed then abandoned belief, so their hearts were sealed, therefore, they do not comprehend. ⁷

In general, there are two types of hypocrites:

1. Those who pretentiously profess their faith in Islam from the very beginning
2. Those who are first believers but later disbelieve, yet act like believers

The above verse is talking about the second group of hypocrites. One thing that is very important to note about this verse in specific and this surah in general is that during the time of the Prophet, some of those who had seen the Prophet and were considered as his companions or Sahabah (صَحابَة) were actually hypocrites. Therefore, the idea that all those who had seen the Prophet are pious and good people without exception is completely unacceptable. Further, the narrations that say all of the companions of the Prophet were good or even infallible are fabricated because they are in direct contradiction to the Quran in general, and the above verse in specific.

Surah Munafiqun Says Hypocrites Seem Attractive yet They Are Your Pessimistic Enemy

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَقُولُوا۟ تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ۖ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ ۖ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ هُمُ ٱلْعَدُوُّ فَٱحْذَرْهُمْ ۚ قَـٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّـهُ ۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿4﴾

And when you see them, their physical appearances impress you, and you listen to their words when they speak, [but in fact] they are like leaning timbers. They imagine that every cry is [raised] against them. They are the enemy, beware of them. May God destroy them! Where do they go wrong? ⁸

Allah here is addressing the Noble Prophet. He is saying that when the hypocrites come to you, you notice that physically they are very attractive. They wear elegant clothes and are tidy. When they speak, you listen to them with rapt attention because of their superficial eloquence. However, they are hollow from the inside. They are like pieces of wood that have been leaned against the wall, meaning they have no spirit, no faith in God, no reliance and trust in Him, and no value.

Their reliance on Allah is so weak that with every cry that is raised, they think it is against them. In other words, they suffer from paranoia. This is owing to their lack of tawakkul (تَوَکُّل), meaning their reliance on and confidence in God to take care of their affairs and support them. Then, Allah says they are your enemies and you must beware of them. Their only aim is to destroy Islam. That is why Allah says: May they be destroyed!

Arrogant Hypocrites in Surah Munafiqun

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّـهِ لَوَّوْا۟ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿5﴾

When are told, “Come that the messenger of God, pray [to God] for your forgiveness, they [refuse and] twist their heads, and you see them turning away arrogantly.”

سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّـهُ لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ ﴿6﴾

It is the same whether you pray for their forgiveness or not. God never forgives them. [Because] God never guides the transgressors [who knowingly neglect and ignore the truth].

هُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَا تُنفِقُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَنْ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّـهِ حَتَّىٰ يَنفَضُّوا۟ ۗ وَلِلَّـهِ خَزَآئِنُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ ﴿7﴾

They [are the group] who say, “Do not spend on [the believers] who are with the messenger of God, that they may disperse [and leave the Prophet alone, but they are unaware that] treasuries of the heavens and the earth belong to God, however, the hypocrites do not comprehend.”

يَقُولُونَ لَئِن رَّجَعْنَآ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ ٱلْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا ٱلْأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّـهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿8﴾

They say, “If we return to Medina, the mightier [and the honorable group1] will drive away the weaker” [but they should know that] might [and honor] is with God, His messenger, and the believers, however, the hypocrites do not know. ⁹

As we said, Abdullah ibn Ubayy lied to the Prophet when the Prophet asked him, “Did you say that you would let the honorable expel the weak (i.e. the Muhajirun) from Medina?” He said, “No I did not say such a thing. Whoever told you I said that lied to you.” It was Zayd ibn Arqam (زيد ابن ارقم) who had heard this from Abdullah and told the Prophet. Zayd became very upset. Shortly thereafter, Allah revealed these verses of surah Munafiqun to the Prophet, which showed that Zayd was telling the truth and Abdullah was the liar.

Then, Allah says might only belongs to Him, His messenger, and the believers; not to a group of hypocrites that have wealth but no spirit and belief in Allah. So, the Prophet sent a group of people to Abdullah to summon him so that he may ask Allah to forgive him. However, Abdullah twisted his head and refused to do such a thing. Allah says in verse six that it will not make a difference whether the Prophet asks forgiveness for them or does not; Allah will not forgive them either way.

The seventh verse is also related to the dispute that existed between the Muhajirun and Ansar. Essentially, some hypocrites among the Ansar were saying why should we help the Muhajirun? They told people not to help them so that they would go away. However, Allah says in this verse that just as might and glory belongs to Allah, the treasuries of the heavens and earth, too, belong to Allah, and if they are receiving the Muhajirun and helping them, it is because Allah has given them wealth and honored them. Therefore, it is for their own good. We already talked about verse eight and how Abdullah ibn Ubayy made those snide remarks.

What Does this Surah Say About Wealth and Children?

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ ﴿9﴾

O You Who Believe! [Beware of worldly desires] lest your wealth or your children divert you from remembrance of God, and whoever does, so they are definitely losers. ¹⁰

The above verse is actually an answer to and conclusion of the previous verse. Allah is telling us believers that we be careful that we do not become proud of our wealth or children so as to distract us from remembering Allah. Moreover, if our children are not righteous, we must be extra careful that we avoid being deceived and misled by them. Throughout history, many righteous individuals were misled by their children. On the contrary, a prophet such as Noah (Nuh) did not allow his unrighteous son to stop him from paying heed to Allah. Of course, if someone allows such a thing to happen, they will be losers in both worlds.

Allah in Surah Munafiqun Enjoins Us to Help Those in Need in His Way

وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿10﴾

Spend from that which We have provided you, before death arrives to any one of you and says, “O my Lord! Why did you not postpone [my death] until a near time that I give charity and be one of the righteous.” God is aware of what you do. ¹¹

If Allah has provided us with many blessings and great wealth and it is a means for testing us. In fact, He wants to see how we spend our wealth and possessions. Do we waste them on useless things that bring us no benefit in either worlds or do we spend them on activities that would benefit us in the Hereafter? The above verse shows the significance of charity and spending money on helping the poor and needy. Of course, by poor and needy people, beggars are not necessarily intended. Many poor people live with dignity and do not ask for anything from anyone.

However, it is the duty of believers to be conscious of them and help them by giving them money and anything that can help them live an easier life, albeit in a way that does not humiliate them or ruin their reputation. The reward of such an act is so much that a dead person wishes he lives again to give alms because he sees how much it could have helped him in the afterlife.

One’s Ultimate Fate is Sealed

وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّـهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿11﴾

And God never postpones the death of a soul when its term has come. God is fully aware of what you do. ¹²

There is a specific and fixed time for everyone in terms of when they are going to die. Allah and His Awliyā’ (اَولیاء: intimate friends e.g. prophets and Imams) are the only ones who know when someone’s death will arrive. This fixed term is known as ajal (اَجَل) in Quranic and Islamic terminology. This term is predetermined by Allah and will never be delayed, but may be advanced depending on the deeds of the individual. For example, someone may sacrifice his life in the way of Allah, and in this way his ajal is advanced, or someone may advance his ajal owing to his evil deeds. Finally, Allah declares that He knows every single thing that you do because He is both omniscient and omnipotent, meaning He has knowledge and power over everything.

 Conclusion

Surah Munafiqun, the 63^rd surah of the Quran that Allah revealed to the Prophet in Medina with 11 verses, describes the characteristics of the hypocrites and tells us to beware of them and be careful that we do not become one of them. Allah also says that might and glory belong solely to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers. This surah also enjoins believers to give zakat and help the poor before their death. The benefits of reciting this surah are also many such as being cured of diseases. Moreover, the Prophet has said that by reciting this surah, we will be safe from becoming a hypocrite, insha’Allah.

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