Tafsir of Al-Munafiqun 63:7

The Narrative: It is reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encountered the Banu al-Mustaliq at al-Muraysi‘—a watering hole belonging to them—and defeated them, killing some, a dispute broke out at the water. Jahjah bin Sa‘id, a hired hand of ‘Umar who led his horse, and Sinan al-Juhani, an ally of ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy, clashed. Jahjah cried out, "O for the Emigrants (Muhajirun)!" and Sinan cried out, "O for the Helpers (Ansar)!"

Ju‘al, one of the poor Emigrants, helped Jahjah and struck Sinan. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy said to Ju‘al, "Are you there?" and added, "We have only accompanied Muhammad to be struck! By Allah, our likeness and theirs is as the saying goes: 'Fatten your dog and it will eat you.' By Allah, if we return to Medina, the more honorable (the 'Aziz) will surely drive out the more abject (the Adhall) from it." By the "more honorable," he meant himself, and by the "more abject," he meant the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

He then said to his people, "What have you done to yourselves? You let them into your lands and shared your wealth with them. By Allah, if you had withheld your surplus food from Ju‘al and his ilk, they would not have ridden upon your necks, and they would have soon moved away from you. So, do not spend on them until they disperse from around Muhammad."

Zayd bin Arqam, who was a youth, heard this and said, "By Allah, you are the abject, the few, and the hated among your people, while Muhammad is in the honor of the All-Merciful and the strength of the believers." ‘Abdullah replied, "Be quiet, I was only joking."

Zayd informed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). ‘Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite!" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Then many noses in Yathrib would tremble." ‘Umar said, "If you dislike that a Muhajir kills him, then command an Ansari to do it." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "How then would it be if people said that Muhammad kills his companions?"

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked ‘Abdullah, "Are you the one who said what has reached me?" He replied, "By the One who sent down the Book upon you, I said nothing of the sort, and Zayd is a liar." This is the meaning of the verse: {They have taken their oaths as a shield} (63:2). Those present said, "O Messenger of Allah, he is our elder and our leader; do not believe the word of a boy against him; perhaps he was mistaken." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, "Perhaps you were angry with him?" He said, "No." "Perhaps you misheard?" "No." "Perhaps you were confused?" "No."

When the revelation came down, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) caught up with Zayd from behind, pulled his ear, and said, "Your ear has fulfilled its duty, O boy. Allah has confirmed you and proven the hypocrites liars."

When ‘Abdullah wanted to enter Medina, his son Hubab (whose name the Prophet changed to ‘Abdullah, saying "Hubab is the name of a devil")—who was a sincere believer—blocked his path and said, "By Allah, you shall not enter it until you say: 'The Messenger of Allah is the more honorable, and I am the more abject.'" He remained held by his son until the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered him to be released. It is reported that he said to him, "If you do not acknowledge the honor of Allah and His Messenger, I will strike your neck." He asked, "Woe to you, would you really do that?" He replied, "Yes." When he saw his son's resolve, he said, "I bear witness that honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to the son, "May Allah reward you well on behalf of His Messenger and the believers."

When ‘Abdullah’s lie was exposed, it was said to him, "Verses have been revealed about you; go to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) so he may ask forgiveness for you." He turned his head away and said, "You ordered me to believe, and I believed; you ordered me to pay Zakat, and I paid it; what remains but that I prostrate to Muhammad?" Then the verse was revealed: {And when it is said to them, "Come, the Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you..."} (63:5). He lived only a few days before falling ill and dying.

{It is the same for them} whether there is seeking of forgiveness or not, because they do not turn to it nor count it as anything due to their disbelief, or because Allah will not forgive them.

Linguistic Notes:

• "Istaghfarta" (Did you ask for forgiveness?): Read with the interrogative particle omitted, as the balancing "am" (or) implies it. Abu Ja‘far read it as A-istaghfarta, lengthening the hamza for clarity, not changing the connecting hamza into an alif.
• "Yanfaḍḍu" (They disperse): Meaning to scatter. It is also read as yanfaḍḍu from the phrase "the people's provisions were exhausted."
• "To Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth": He holds the provisions and the distribution; He is their Provider from them. Even if the people of Medina refused to spend on them, ‘Abdullah and his ilk are ignorant—{they do not understand}—and thus they rave with what Satan adorns for them.
• "Liyukhrijanna al-a‘azzu minha al-adhall": Read with a fatha on the ya (active voice). Al-Hasan and Ibn Abi ‘Abla read it as lanukhrijanna (with a nun), meaning the exit of the abject or the expulsion of the abject.
• "To Allah belongs the honor": Meaning victory and power, and to those whom Allah has honored and supported—His Messenger and the believers. They are the ones specifically entitled to this, just as humiliation and disgrace belong to Satan and his followers among the disbelievers and hypocrites.

Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali (ra) was once told by a man, "People claim you have arrogance." He replied, "It is not arrogance, but honor," and he recited this verse.