Surah Al Mujadila Tafseer

Chastising the Hypocrites

Allah chastises the hypocrites for secretly aiding and supporting the disbelievers even though, in reality, they were neither with the disbelievers nor with the Muslims. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ لَا إِلَى هَـوُلاءِ وَلَا إِلَى هَـوُلاءِ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلً

(They are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those; and he whom Allah sends astray, you will not find for him a way. (4:143)

Allah said here,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم

Have you not seen those who take as friends a people upon whom is the wrath of Allah?

referring to the Jews with whom the hypocrites were allies in secret.

Allah said,

مَّا هُم مِّنكُمْ وَلَا مِنْهُمْ

They are neither of you nor of them,

meaning, that these hypocrites are neither with the believers, nor with their allies the Jews,

وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

and they swear to a lie while they know.

meaning, the hypocrites lie when they vow, knowing that they are lying, which is called the vow of Al-Ghamus. We seek refuge with Allah from their ways.

When the hypocrites met the believers they said that they believed and when they went to the Messenger, they swore to him by Allah that they were believers. They knew that they were lying in their vow, and they knew that they did not declare their true creed. This is why Allah witnessed here that they lie in their vows and know that they are lying, even though their statement (about the Prophet being Allah's Prophet) is true in essence.

Allah the Exalted said,

أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا إِنَّهُمْ سَاء مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ