They seek to deceive God & the believers, but they are only ...

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 2:9


They seek to deceive God & the believers,
but they are only deceiving themselves,
though they may not realize it. (9)



Typically, the hypocrites claim belief in God and the Last Day when they in fact
entertain no such belief. They simply do not possess the resolve to declare their true
feelings and convictions.

They delude themselves into thinking that they are so clever and cunning as to be
able to deceive the ‘naive’ believers, but God uncovers the truth about their actions.
They are trying to deceive not only believers, but God Himself: “They seek to deceive
God and the believers.” (Verse 9)

This and similar Qur’ānic verses reveal a great truth and an honour that God has
bestowed on believers, for they emphasize the special relationship He has with them.
God always takes the believers’ side and makes their concern His concern. He
protects them and stands against their enemy, and repels any attacks directed at
them. This great honour elevates the status of believers among the rest of mankind,
and affirms the fact that belief in God is the noblest and most honourable of all
concepts in this life. It is the source of boundless reassurance to the believer that God
supports his cause, nurtures him and fights on his side. The scheming and intrigue of
other mortals is not to be feared.

Both aspects of this fact should be appreciated and carefully considered by
believers, so that they may be fully satisfied and reassured of their ultimate success.
They need not be perturbed by the scheming and hostility of their detractors or the
harm that these people may inflict upon them. Equally, the enemies of the believers
should reflect on them, in order to appreciate the true nature and magnitude of the
force they are contending with.

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 2:9



(9. They try to deceive Allah and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!)



(They try to deceive Allah and those who believe). The hypocrites show belief outwardly while concealing disbelief. They think that by doing this, they will mislead Allah, or that the statements they utter will help them with Allah, and this is an indication of their total ignorance. They think that such behavior will deceive Allah, just as it might deceive some of the believers. Similarly, Allah said,

﴿يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ أَلاَ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْكَـذِبُونَ ﴾

(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you. And they think that they have something (to stand upon). Verily, they are liars!) (58:18). aHence, Allah refuted their way by saying,

﴿وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾

(While they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!) Allah stated that the hypocrites only deceive themselves by this behavior, although they are unaware of this fact. Allah also said,

﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ﴾

(Verily, the hypocrites try to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them) (4:142).

Also, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn Jurayj commented on Allah's statement,

﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ﴾

(Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them), "The hypocrites pronounce, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah' seeking to ensure the sanctity of their blood and money, all the while concealing disbelief.''Sa`id said that Qatadah said,

﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ - يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴾

(And of mankind, there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day'' while in fact they believe not. They try to deceive Allah and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!) "This is the description of a hypocrite. He is devious, he says the truth with his tongue and defies it with his heart and deeds. He wakes up in a condition other than the one he goes to sleep in, and goes to sleep in a different condition than the one he wakes up in. He changes his mind just like a ship that moves about whenever a wind blows.''

zonan

Hypocrite equal to munafiq. Trully Quran is the words of God. It is as if Allah is 'talking' to human kind through Quran. Imagine no human being (except few choosen Messengers) ever saw Allah neither heard His 'Voice'. But with His Merciful He granted us human kind with Quran where it is the ONLY source of God's Devine Words for us to get to know Him of what He likes and what He dislikes.

Good job joe1982. Although you seems to be monologue (i don't really mind coz maybe you have your own reason) but what you had provided here in this forum so far really worth of reading and i'm sure a lot of people here who mostly are silent reader would appreciate and benefited from it. Keep on writing.

joe1982

Edit Post 1#

Going back to the verse, we find that it mocks their behaviour, pointing out that
“they are only deceiving themselves, though they may not realize it.” (Verse 9) They are so
oblivious of the reality of their position, and so careless, that they deceive no one but
themselves. God is aware of their schemes and deception. The believers are under
God’s protection. The thinking of these foolish hypocrites is so warped that they
believe they have triumphed and achieved their goal, whereas in fact they have
earned themselves nothing but doom and have condemned themselves to a terrible
fate.

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 47:30



(30. Had We so willed, We could have shown them clearly to you, so that you would know them by their marks; but you will know them by the tone of their speech! & Allah knows (all) your deeds.)



(Had We so willed, We could have shown them clearly to you, so that you would know them by their marks.) Allah is telling His Messenger , "Had We willed, O Muhammad, We would have shown you the specific individuals who are hypocrites, so that you would plainly know them.'' However, Allah did not do that in regard to all of the hypocrites. He conceals His creation, lets their affairs run according to apparent purity, and leaves the inner secrets to the One Who is well aware of them. Allah then adds,

﴿وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ﴾

(But you will know them by the tone of their speech!) which means, `you will know them by their speech that reveals their intentions.' A person declares his association through the context and meaning of his words -- as the Commander of the faithful `Uthman bin `Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Never would one conceal a secret but Allah will expose it by the look on his face and the uncontrolled words of his tongue.''

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu katsir 4:142


(142. Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them...



In the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah ﴿2﴾, we mentioned Allah's statement,

﴿يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا﴾

(They (think to) deceive Allah and those who believe). Here, Allah states,

﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ﴾

(Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them.) There is no doubt that Allah can never be deceived, for He has perfect knowledge of the secrets and what the hearts conceal. However, the hypocrites, due to their ignorance, scarce knowledge and weak minds, think that since they were successful in deceiving people, using Islamic Law as a cover of safety for themselves, they will acquire the same status with Allah on the Day of Resurrection and deceive Him too. Allah states that on that Day, the hypocrites will swear to Him that they were on the path of righteousness and correctness thinking that such statement will benefit them with Allah. For instance, Allah said,

﴿يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ﴾

(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you) Allah's statement,

﴿وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ﴾

(but it is He Who deceives them) means, He lures them further into injustice and misguidance. He also prevents them from reaching the truth in this life and on the Day of Resurrection.

. . .

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 4:142

Whom Do They Deceive?

The sūrah moves on to paint another ugly picture of the hypocrites, adding further
facts that show their designs to be hollow. It reiterates God’s warnings to them:


“The hypocrites seek to deceive God, the while it is He who causes them to be deceived [by
themselves]...(142)



These verses again touch believing hearts, which will undoubtedly feel disgust
with people who try to deceive God. A believer knows that God, limitless is He in
His glory, cannot be deceived. How could that be possible when He knows the
innermost secrets of people’s hearts and what is even more deeply concealed.
Believers realise that a person who tries to deceive God must have within him a great
measure of evil, ignorance and naivety. Hence, they are disgusted with such people
and look upon them with contempt.

The sūrah states that while they try to deceive God, it is indeed He who causes
them to be deceived. He simply allows them to travel along their erring way, without
alerting them by a calamity that opens their eyes. He leaves them to go along until
they fall into the abyss towards which they aim. Calamities and trials can often be an
act of mercy, as they deter people from going further into error, or they alert them to
what they have overlooked. Favours and affluence may also be a temptation for
those who have been hardened in sin. As a result, they are left without any shock to
wake them up to the realities of which they have become oblivious to. They continue
in their sinning ways until they reach their most evil destination.

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu katsir 4:63



(63. They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish them, & speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves.)



(They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts;) These people are hypocrites, and Allah knows what is in their hearts and will punish them accordingly, for nothing escapes Allah's watch. Consequently, O Muhammad! Let Allah be sufficient for you in this regard, because He has perfect knowledge of their apparent and hidden affairs. This is why Allah said,

﴿فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ﴾

(so turn aside from them (do not punish them)) meaning, do not punish them because of what is in their hearts.

﴿وَعِظْهُمْ﴾

(but admonish them) means, advise them against the hypocrisy and evil that reside in their hearts,

﴿وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغاً﴾

(and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves) advise them, between you and them, using effective words that might benefit them.

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 4:63


"As for them — God knows all that is in their hearts. So leave them alone, and
admonish them, & speak to them a word to reach their very souls. (63)"


Limitless in His glory, God exposes their reality, and tells His Messenger that He
knows the reality of what they harbour in their hearts. He, nevertheless, directs him
to be gentle with them and to admonish them so that they may stop their double
dealings: “As for them — God knows all that is in their hearts. So leave them alone, and
admonish them, and speak to them a word to reach their very souls.” (Verse 63) There is no
doubt that God knows their real beliefs, motives and intentions, and how false their
excuses are. Yet the policy He tells His Messenger to follow is to overlook their real
attitude and to continue to treat them gently, so trying to teach and admonish them.

Here the verse uses a remarkable expression: “Speak to them a word to reach their
very souls.” (Verse 63) A literal translation would render the sentence: “Tell them, in
their very souls, something highly effective.” This portrays a very powerful action,
showing the words as being directed to their very hearts and souls.

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 63:2

The Case of the Hypocrites & their Behavior



(2. They have made their oaths a screen. Thus they hinder (others) from the path of Allah. Verily, evil is what they used to do.)



(They have made their oaths a screen. Thus they hinder (others) from the path of Allah.) meaning, the hypocrites shield themselves from Muslims when they falsely and sinfully swear to be what they are not in reality. Some Muslims were deceived because they did not know their falsehood, and thus, thought that they were Muslims. Some Muslims believed what hypocrites say and even imitated them in their outward behavior. However, inwardly, hypocrites seek the destruction of Islam and its people, and this is why trusting them might bring great harm to many people. This is why Allah said next,

﴿فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(Thus they hinder (others) from the path of Allah. Verily, evil is what they used to do.)

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 58:14-16



(14... , and they swear to a lie while they know.) (15. Allah has prepared for them a severe torment. Evil indeed is that which they used to do.) (16. They have made their oaths a screen. Thus they hinder (others) from the path of Allah, so they shall have a humiliating torment.)



(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 عَذَاباً شَدِيداً إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

(Allah has prepared for them a severe torment. Evil indeed is that which they used to do.) meaning, Allah has prepared a painful torment for the hypocrites on account of their evil deeds, their aid and support of the disbelievers and their deceit and betrayal of the believers. The statement of Allah the Exalted,

﴿اتَّخَذْواْ أَيْمَـنَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ﴾

(They have made their oaths a screen. Thus they hinder (others) from the path of Allah,) meaning, the hypocrites pretended to be believers and concealed disbelief under the shield of their false oaths. Many were unaware of their true stance and were thus deceived by their oaths. Because of this, some people were hindered from the Path of Allah

﴿فَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ﴾

(so they shall have a humiliating torment.) meaning, as recompense for belittling the significance of swearing by the Mighty Name of Allah, while lying and concealing betrayal.

joe1982

Tafsir Qurtubi 2:9

2:9 "They think they deceive Allah & those who believe.
They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it."


Our scholars have said that their imagined deceit of Allah is in
themselves and in their thinking. It is said that it is by their actions
which are those of a deceiver. It is said that there is something
elided here, and that what is really meant is deceit of the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-
Hasan and others said that. Allah has made their deceit of His
Messenger equivalent to deceit of Himself because the Prophet
called them using Allah's Words. The same applies to their deceit
of the believers as a whole: in reality they are deceiving Allah.
Their deceit lies in their display of faith which differs from the dis-
belief they conceal. This results in their lives and property being
spared and makes them think that they are safe and have been suc-
cessful in deceiving the believers. Some interpreters said that.

Linguists say that the root of the word "khada'cT (deceit)
means corruption. So the meaning is that they corrupt their faith
and actions, in respect of what is between them and Allah, by
showing off. This is explained by the Prophet. Its root is also said
to signify concealment, from which comes mikhda \ the cabinet in
which something is kept in the house. One form of the word is
used of a hyena concealing itself in its den.


The words, "They deceive no one but themselves, " mean that
the end result of what they do is that only they are deceived. There
is a saying: "Whoever tries to deceive someone who is not
deceived has deceived himself." This is true because deceit can
only occur in respect of someone who does not know the inward
reality. Any attempt to deceive someone who knows what is really
going on is inevitably self-deceit. This is proof that the hypocrites
do not recognise Allah since they do not know that He is not
deceived. The Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said, "Do
not deceive Allah. If anyone deceives Allah, Allah deceives him
and his self deceives him while he is not aware." They said,
"Messenger of Allah, how can Allah be deceived?" He replied,
"By your doing what Allah has commanded while seeking the
pleasure of another by it." The full extent of this deception will be
seen in the interpretation of Allah's words: "Allah is mocking
them." (2:15)  

This means that they do not understand that the evil of their
deception will come back on them; they think that they will be
saved and win by their deceit. That may seem to be the case in this
world but in the Next World they will be told, "Go back and look
forlight." (51:13)

joe1982

Tafsir Qurtubi 2:10


2:10 "There is a sickness in their hearts & Allah has increased their
sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial."


In the words "a sickness in their hearts", sickness is a metaphor
for the corruption caused by their lack of faith. That is either doubt
and hypocrisy or denial and repudiation. The meaning is that their
hearts are sick since they lack the protection, success and support
which come from true faith. Ibn Faris, the linguist, says that sick-
ness is that which brings man out from health through illness,
hypocrisy, or shortcoming in something.


The meaning of these words is that Allah has increased them in
doubt and hypocrisy on top of their disbelief and lack of support
and lack of power. So this ayat indicates the permission to pray
against the hypocrites and expel them because they are the worst
of Allah's creatures. Indeed one possibility is that the words actu-
ally are a supplication against them with the meaning, "May Allah
increase their sickness". It is said that the phrase is simply infor-
mation from Allah about their increased sickness, meaning sick-
ness on top of their sickness. He says in another ayat, "It adds
defilement to their defilement. " (9: 125)

Those with knowledge of the precise use of language say that
the first "sickness in their hearts" is because of their reliance on
this world and their love for it and their neglect of the Next World
and their turning away from it. Then Allah's words "Allah has
increased their sickness" mean that He has thrown them back on
themselves and loaded them with the cares of this world, so that
they are unable to break through them and turn to concern for the
Next World. Al-Junayd said, "Sickness of the heart comes from
following the lower desires, and sickness of the limbs comes from
the sickness of the body itself."