ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ
When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." And Allah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are liars.
Tafsir
Verse range: 63:1
Verse 1
{ When the hypocrites come to you, they say, "We testify that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." But Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are surely liars. }
Scholarly Notes (Based on Al-Razi's approach):
Connection between this Surah and the previous one:
The connection is that the preceding Surah (Al-Jumu'ah) mentioned those who outwardly deny the Prophet (PBUH) through both heart and tongue, using the example of those burdened with the Torah (who did not act upon it). This Surah, however, deals with those who deny inwardly but profess outwardly (saying what they do not believe).
Furthermore, the end of the previous Surah admonishes the believers to revere the Prophet (PBUH) and uphold his rights, especially after the call to Friday prayer, prioritizing obedience to him over other matters. It notes that neglecting reverence and obedience is a characteristic of the hypocrites.
Analysis of the opening verses:
The hypocrites are the liars. As stated at the beginning of this Surah: {When the hypocrites come to you}—meaning 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his companions—{they say, "We testify that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah."}
The statement about them ends there, and then Allah begins: {And Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger.} Meaning, He sent you, and therefore He knows you are His Messenger. {And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.} They concealed what they did not reveal in their hearts.
This proves that true faith resides in the heart, and the reality of any statement depends on this. Whoever reports something while believing the opposite is a liar. Lying is defined by the contradiction between the spoken reality (the utterance) and the mental reality (the belief). Just as ignorance is the contradiction between the mental reality and the external reality.
Do you not see that they said with their tongues, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah," yet Allah called them liars? He called them liars because their statement contradicted their belief.
Allah did not call them liars regarding their statement, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah," in the sense that they were lying about that specific statement being uttered. Rather, He called them liars concerning other falsehoods they uttered, such as in the verse: {They swear by Allah that they did not say [what is attributed to them]} (At-Tawbah: 74), and {They swear by Allah that they are surely among you} (At-Tawbah: 56).
The response to Idha (When) is {they say, "We testify..."} meaning, when they come to you, they testify to your prophethood. They are liars in that testimony because, as established, their speech contradicts their belief.
Discussions within the verse:
First Inquiry: They said, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." If they had said, "We know that you are the Messenger of Allah," would it convey the same meaning?
Answer: No, it would not convey the same meaning. Their statement, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah," is explicit in bearing witness to the establishment of prophethood. Their statement, "We know," is not explicit in establishing knowledge, as their knowledge concerning the unseen is considered by others (i.e., they claim knowledge they do not truly possess).
Then the Almighty said:
{They have taken their oaths as a shield, thus turning [people] away from the way of Allah. Indeed, evil is that which they used to do.} (63:2)
{That is because they believed, then disbelieved; so a seal has been placed upon their hearts, and they do not understand.} (63:3)
