Surah Hujurat ayat 14 Tafsir Quran 49:14

﴿۞ قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
[ الحجرات: 14]

49:14 The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

The Bedouins — a group of men from among the Banū Asad — say ‘We believe’ we affirm the truth in our hearts. Say to them ‘You do not believe; but rather say “We have submitted” we are outwardly compliant; for faith has not yet entered into your hearts’ hitherto; however it is expected of you. Yet if you obey God and His Messenger by embracing faith and in other ways He will not diminish for you read ya’litkum or yalitkum by making the hamza an alif anything of your deeds that is of the reward for them. God is indeed Forgiving to believers Merciful to them.

(The desert Arabs say to the Messenger); We are strongly disposed to believe in Allah and obey His ordinances. Say to them O Muhammad: You have not yet been absorbed in the Faith, but you may say; We have conformed to Islam. But not yet have your hearts been impressed with the image of religious and spiritual virtues. If you obey Allah and the voice and reason of His Messenger, Allah will not depreciate the reward of your good deeds; Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun

There is a Difference between a Believer and a Muslim Allah chastises the bedouins who, when they embraced Islam, claimed for themselves the grade of faithful believers.
However, Faith had not yet firmly entered their hearts, قَالَتِ الاٌّعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ( The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You do not believe, but say, `We have submitted,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts..." ) This honorable Ayah provides proof that Faith is a higher grade than Islam, according to the scholars of the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah.
This is also demostrated in the Hadith of Jibril, peace be upon him, when he questioned the Prophet about Islam, then Iman then Ihsan.
Thus moving the general matter to one more specific, then even more specific.
Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amir bin Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave ( something to ) some men and did not give one of them.
Sa`d said, `O Allah's Messenger, you gave to so-and-so and so-and-so.
However, you gave nothing to so-and-so, even though he is a believer.' The Prophet said,
«أَوْ مُسْلِمٌ؟»
( Or say, a Muslim. ) Sa`d repeated his statement thrice each time the Prophet answered,
«أَوْ مُسْلِمٌ؟»
( Or say, a Muslim. ) The Prophet then said,
«إِنِّي لَأُعْطِي رِجَالًا وَأَدَعُ مَنْ هُوَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْهُمْ،فَلَمْ أُعْطِهِ شَيْئًا مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُكَبُّوا فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِم»
( I might give some men and give nothing to others, even though the latter are dearer to me than the former.
I do not give them things for fear that they might be thrown on their faces in the Fire. )" This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Therefore, the Prophet made a distinction between the grade of believer and the grade of Muslim, indicating that Iman is a more exclusive grade than Islam.
I mentioned this subject in detail supported by evidence, in the beginning of the explanation of the chapter on Iman in Sahih Al-Bukhari, all praise is due to Allah and all the favors are from Him.
So this proves that the bedouins whom the Ayah mentioned were not hypocrites, rather they were Muslims in whose hearts Faith was not yet firmly established.
They claimed a higher grade for themselves than the grade that they earned, and they were taught a lesson as a consequence.
This meaning agrees with the meaning given by Ibn `Abbas, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Qatadah and that preferred by Ibn Jarir.
These bedouins were taught a lesson, قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ( Say: "You do not believe, but say `We are Muslims,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts..." ) meaning, `you have not yet achieved the reality of Faith.' Allah the Exalted said, وَإِن تُطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لاَ يَلِتْكُمْ مِّنْ أَعْمَـلِكُمْ شَيْئاً ( But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds... ) `He will not decrease any of your rewards,' as Allah said; وَمَآ أَلَتْنَـهُمْ مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ ( We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. ) ( 52:21 ) Allah said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) for those who repent and return to Him.
Allah's statement, إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ( Only those are the believers ), who have perfect Faith, الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُواْ ( who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not ) They do not have doubts and their Faith was not shaken.
Rather, their Faith remained on conviction, وَجَـهَدُواْ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ( but strive for the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives ) meaning, they gladly gave away their life and the most precious of their wealth in obedience to Allah as a means of seeking His pleasure, أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الصَّـدِقُونَ ( Those! They are the truthful.
) `in their statement if they say that they are believers, unlike some bedouins who are faithful only by words outwardly!' Allah said, قُلْ أَتُعَلِّمُونَ اللَّهَ بِدِينِكُمْ ( Say: "Will you inform Allah of your religion..." ) `will you inform Allah of what is in your hearts,' وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( while Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, ) Nothing in the heavens and earth, even the weight of a speck of dust, all that is bigger or smaller, ever escapes His observation, وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ( and Allah is All-Aware of everything. ) Allah said, يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُواْ قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ ( They regard as a favor to you that they have embraced Islam.
Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me..." ) meaning the bedouins who considered embracing Islam, following and supporting the Messenger ﷺ as a favor to him.
Allah the Exalted refuted their false statement, قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ ( Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me..." ) `for the benefit of your Islam will only be yours, and this is a favor from Allah to you,' بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَداكُمْ لِلايمَـنِ إِنُ كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( Nay, but Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the Faith if you indeed are true. ) `in your claim that you are believers.' The Prophet said to the Ansar on the day of the battle of Hunayn,
«يَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟ وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟ وَكُنْتُمْ عَالَةً فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟»
( O Ansar! Have I not found you astray and Allah guided you through me Were you not divided and Allah united you around me Were you not poor and Allah gave you riches through me ) Whenever the Prophet asked them any of these questions, they would reply, "Allah and His Messenger have most favored us." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Banu Asad came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, `O Allah's Messenger! We embraced Islam, and before that, the Arabs fought against you, yet we did not fight against you.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ فِقْهَهُمْ قَلِيلٌ وَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْطِقُ عَلَى أَلْسِنَتِهِم»
( Verily, they understand but little and the Shaytan speaks through their words. ) This Ayah was later revealed, يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُواْ قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَداكُمْ لِلايمَـنِ إِنُ كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( They regard as a favor to you that they have embraced Islam.
Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me." Nay, but Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the Faith if you indeed are true." )"' Then Allah reminds that He has complete knowledge of all creations and that He sees them all; إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ( Verily, Allah knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.
And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do. ) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Hujurat.
Verily, all praise is due to Allah, all the favors are from Him, and from Him comes the success and protection from error.

(49:14) The Bedouins say: 'We believe.'(O Prophet), *30 say to them: 'You do not believe; you should rather say: 'We have submitted''; *31 for belief has not yet entered your hearts. If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish anything from the reward of any of your deeds. Surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate.

The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, meaning

*30) This does not imply alI the desert Arabs but only a few particular groups of the Bedouins who had become Muslims, seeing the increasing power of Islam, thinking that they would not only remain safe from any attack by the Muslims but would also gain materially from the Islamic conquests.
These people had not embraced Islam sincerely but had professed faith only verbally in order to be counted among the Muslims, and their this inner state became exposed whenever they would come before the Holy Prophet with different sorts of demands and would enumerate and mention their rights as if they had done him a great favor by accepting Islam.
Traditions mention several of such tribal groups, e.g.
Muzainah, Juhainah, Aslam, Ashja', Ghifar, etc.
About the Bani Asad bin Khuzaimah in particular, Ibn 'Abbas and Said bin Jubair have stated that once during a drought they came to Madinah and making a demand for financial help they said to the Holy Prophet again and again: " We became Muslims without any conflict: we did not fight against you as have such and such other tribes fought. " By this they clearly meant to point out that their refraining from fighting against the Messenger of Allah and their accepting Islam was a favour for which they must be rewarded by the Messenger and the Muslims.
It was this same attitude and conduct of the Bedouin group living around Madinah, which has been commented upon in these verses.
One can understand this appraisal better if one reads it together with vv.
90-110 of At-Taubah and vv.
11-17 of AI-Fat-h.

*31) Another translation of the words qulu aslamna can be; " Say: we have become Muslims.
" From these words some people have concluded that in the language of the Qur'an, " Mu 'min " and " Muslim " are two opposite terms.
A " Mu'min " is he who has believed sincerely and a " Muslim " he who might have accepted Islam only verbally without true faith.
But, in fact, this is an absolutely wrong idea.
No doubt the word iman here has been used for sincere affirmation by the heart and the word islam for only outward and external submission but to understand them as two independent and mutually contradictory terms of the Qur'an is not correct.
A study of the Qur'anic verses in which the words Islam and Muslim have been used, shows that in the Qur'anic terminology " Islam " is the name of the the Faith, which Allah has sent down for mankind; it comprehends the faith and obedience both, and a 'MuslIm " is he who believes with a sincere heart and obeys the Commands practically.
This is borne out by the following verses:
"Indeed, Islam is the only right way of life in the sight of Allah." ( AI'Imran: 19 )
"And whoever adopts any other than this way of submission ( Islam ), that way shall not be accepted from him," ( Al-'Imran: 85 )
And I have approved Islam as the way of life for you. " ( Al-Ma'idah: 3 )
`Whomever Allah wills to guide aright, He makes his breast wide open to Islam." ( Al-An'am: 125 )
Obviously, in these verses Islam " does not imply obedience without the Faith.
Here are some other verses:
'Say ( O Prophet ): I have been enjoined to be the first one to affirm ( faith in ) Islam.
" ( AI-An'am: 14 ) '
"If they have surrendered ( to Islam ), they are rightly guided." ( AI-'Imran: 20 )
All the Prophets, who were Muslims, judged the cases according to the Torah. " ( AI-Ma'idah: 44 )
Here, and at scores of other places, acceptance of Islam cannot mean adopting obedience without the the faith.
Likewise, here are a few verses in which the word " Muslim " has occurred signifying the meaning in which it has been used repeatedly in the Qur'an:
" O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should truly be feared and see that you do not die save as true Muslim.
" ( AI-`Imran: 102 )
`Allah had called you " Muslims " before this and has called you ( by the same name ) in this Qur'an, too." ( AI-Hajj: 78 )
"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Muslim, sound in the faith." ( AI-i-'Imran: 67 )
`And remember that when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the walls of this House, they prayed: ...
Lord, make us Thy Muslims and also raise from our offspring a community which should be Muslim.
" ( AI-Baqarah: 128 )
( The Prophet Jacob's will for his children: ) " O my children, AIIah has chosen the same way of life for you Hence remain Muslims up to your last breath.
( AI-Baqarah: 132 )
After a study of these verses who can say that in these the word "Muslim" implies a person who does not believe sincerely but has accepted Islam only outwardly? Therefore, to make the claim that in the Qur'anic terminology "Islam" implies obedience without the faith and the "Muslim" in the language of the Qur'an is he who accepts Islam only outwardly is absolutely wrong.
Likewise, this claim also is wrong that the words iman and mu'min have been used in the Qur'an necessarily in the sense of believing sincerely.
No doubt, at most places these words have occurred to express the same meaning, but there are many places where these words have also been used for outward affirmation of the faith, and aII those who might have entered the Muslim Community with verbal profession have been addressed with.
"O you who have believed", no matter whether they arc the true believers, or people with a weak faith, or mere hypocrites.
For a few instances of this, sec Al-i-`Imran: 156, An-Nisa' :13t5, AI-Ma'idah: 54, Al-Anfal: 20-27, At-Taubah: 38, Al-Hadid: 28, As-Saff: 2.

 

There is a Difference between a Believer and a Muslim Allah chastises the bedouins who, when they embraced Islam, claimed for themselves the grade of faithful believers.
However, Faith had not yet firmly entered their hearts, قَالَتِ الاٌّعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ( The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You do not believe, but say, `We have submitted,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts..." ) This honorable Ayah provides proof that Faith is a higher grade than Islam, according to the scholars of the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah.
This is also demostrated in the Hadith of Jibril, peace be upon him, when he questioned the Prophet about Islam, then Iman then Ihsan.
Thus moving the general matter to one more specific, then even more specific.
Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amir bin Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave ( something to ) some men and did not give one of them.
Sa`d said, `O Allah's Messenger, you gave to so-and-so and so-and-so.
However, you gave nothing to so-and-so, even though he is a believer.' The Prophet said, «أَوْ مُسْلِمٌ؟» ( Or say, a Muslim. ) Sa`d repeated his statement thrice each time the Prophet answered, «أَوْ مُسْلِمٌ؟» ( Or say, a Muslim. ) The Prophet then said, «إِنِّي لَأُعْطِي رِجَالًا وَأَدَعُ مَنْ هُوَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْهُمْ،فَلَمْ أُعْطِهِ شَيْئًا مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُكَبُّوا فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِم» ( I might give some men and give nothing to others, even though the latter are dearer to me than the former.
I do not give them things for fear that they might be thrown on their faces in the Fire. )" This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Therefore, the Prophet made a distinction between the grade of believer and the grade of Muslim, indicating that Iman is a more exclusive grade than Islam.
I mentioned this subject in detail supported by evidence, in the beginning of the explanation of the chapter on Iman in Sahih Al-Bukhari, all praise is due to Allah and all the favors are from Him.
So this proves that the bedouins whom the Ayah mentioned were not hypocrites, rather they were Muslims in whose hearts Faith was not yet firmly established.
They claimed a higher grade for themselves than the grade that they earned, and they were taught a lesson as a consequence.
This meaning agrees with the meaning given by Ibn `Abbas, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Qatadah and that preferred by Ibn Jarir.
These bedouins were taught a lesson, قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ( Say: "You do not believe, but say `We are Muslims,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts..." ) meaning, `you have not yet achieved the reality of Faith.' Allah the Exalted said, وَإِن تُطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لاَ يَلِتْكُمْ مِّنْ أَعْمَـلِكُمْ شَيْئاً ( But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds... ) `He will not decrease any of your rewards,' as Allah said; وَمَآ أَلَتْنَـهُمْ مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ ( We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. ) ( 52:21 ) Allah said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ( Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ) for those who repent and return to Him.
Allah's statement, إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ( Only those are the believers ), who have perfect Faith, الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُواْ ( who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not ) They do not have doubts and their Faith was not shaken.
Rather, their Faith remained on conviction, وَجَـهَدُواْ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ( but strive for the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives ) meaning, they gladly gave away their life and the most precious of their wealth in obedience to Allah as a means of seeking His pleasure, أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الصَّـدِقُونَ ( Those! They are the truthful.
) `in their statement if they say that they are believers, unlike some bedouins who are faithful only by words outwardly!' Allah said, قُلْ أَتُعَلِّمُونَ اللَّهَ بِدِينِكُمْ ( Say: "Will you inform Allah of your religion..." ) `will you inform Allah of what is in your hearts,' وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( while Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, ) Nothing in the heavens and earth, even the weight of a speck of dust, all that is bigger or smaller, ever escapes His observation, وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ( and Allah is All-Aware of everything. ) Allah said, يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُواْ قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ ( They regard as a favor to you that they have embraced Islam.
Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me..." ) meaning the bedouins who considered embracing Islam, following and supporting the Messenger ﷺ as a favor to him.
Allah the Exalted refuted their false statement, قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ ( Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me..." ) `for the benefit of your Islam will only be yours, and this is a favor from Allah to you,' بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَداكُمْ لِلايمَـنِ إِنُ كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( Nay, but Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the Faith if you indeed are true. ) `in your claim that you are believers.' The Prophet said to the Ansar on the day of the battle of Hunayn, «يَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟ وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟ وَكُنْتُمْ عَالَةً فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟» ( O Ansar! Have I not found you astray and Allah guided you through me Were you not divided and Allah united you around me Were you not poor and Allah gave you riches through me ) Whenever the Prophet asked them any of these questions, they would reply, "Allah and His Messenger have most favored us." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Banu Asad came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, `O Allah's Messenger! We embraced Islam, and before that, the Arabs fought against you, yet we did not fight against you.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «إِنَّ فِقْهَهُمْ قَلِيلٌ وَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْطِقُ عَلَى أَلْسِنَتِهِم» ( Verily, they understand but little and the Shaytan speaks through their words. ) This Ayah was later revealed, يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُواْ قُل لاَّ تَمُنُّواْ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـمَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَداكُمْ لِلايمَـنِ إِنُ كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ( They regard as a favor to you that they have embraced Islam.
Say: "Do not count your Islam as a favor to me." Nay, but Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the Faith if you indeed are true." )"' Then Allah reminds that He has complete knowledge of all creations and that He sees them all; إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ( Verily, Allah knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.
And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do. ) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Hujurat.
Verily, all praise is due to Allah, all the favors are from Him, and from Him comes the success and protection from error.

( The wandering Arabs say: We believe ) this was revealed about Banu Asad who had suffered a very hard year and consequently joined Islam and moved with all their families and children to Medina to benefit from the Prophet’s donations. But their presence in Medina caused a rise in the price of foodstuffs and the streets of Medina became full of their impurities. In fact, these people were hypocrites who kept reiterating: O Messenger of Allah! We are true believers, so do feed us and be generous with us. When Allah mentioned their claim, the wandering Arabs of Banu Asad said: We are genuine in our faith in Allah and His Messenger. But Allah said: ( Say ) to them, O Muhammad: ( Ye believe not ) you are not genuine in your faith in Allah and His Messenger, ( but rather say We submit ) we submit so that we may be spared from the sword and captivity, ( for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts ) for love and sincerity of faith have not entered your hearts. ( Yet, if ye obey Allah and His messenger ) inwardly as you obey him outwardly and repent of inward disbelief and hypocrisy, ( He will not withhold from you aught of (the reward of ) your deeds) He will not diminish the reward of your works. ( Lo! Allah is Forgiving ) He forgives whoever repent of you, ( Merciful ) towards whoever dies repentant.

The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You believe not but you only say, 'We have surrendered (in Islam),' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger (SAW), He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

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