Surah Al Hashr ayat 16 Tafsir Quran 59:16

﴿كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَانِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّنكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾
[ الحشر: 16]

59:16 [The hypocrites are] like the example of Satan when he says to man, "Disbelieve." But when he disbelieves, he says, "Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds."

In addition their likeness in heeding the words of the hypocrites and their forsaking of them is like Satan when he says to man ‘Disbelieve!’; so that when he man disbelieves he says ‘Lo! I am absolved of you. Indeed I fear God the Lord of the Worlds’ out of mendacity and dissimulation on his part.

In a like manner did AL-Shaytan (Satan) incite man to deny Allah, and when man did deny Allah and was confronted with the fatal consequences, there came AL-Shaytan in apparition and said to him: I am innocent of your ills and I fear Allah, Creator of the worlds

The False Promise of Support the Hypocrites gave to the Jews Allah states that the hypocrites, `Abdullah bin Ubayy and his like, sent a messenger to Bani An-Nadir promising them help.
Allah the Exalted said, أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَـفَقُواْ يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ نُطِيعُ فيكُمْ أَحَداً أَبَداً وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ ( Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the People of the Scripture who disbelieve: "If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you." ) Allah then said, وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars. ) meaning, the hypocrites lied when they issued this promise, because it was just words that they did not intend to fulfill.
Also, what they said they would do, would never have been fulfilled by them, and this is why Allah said, وَلَئِن قُوتِلُواْ لاَ يَنصُرُونَهُمْ ( and if they are attacked, they will never help them. ) meaning, the hypocrites will not fight along with the Jews, وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ ( And (even ) if they do help them, ) and even if the hypocrites did fight along their side, لَيُوَلُّنَّ الاٌّدْبَـرَ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنصَرُونَ ( they will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious. ) This Ayah contains good news, just as the good news that this following Ayah conveys, لاّنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِى صُدُورِهِمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ( Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah. ) meaning, the hypocrites fear you more than they fear Allah, as He says; إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً ( Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more. )( 4:77 ) This is why Allah said, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ ( That is because they are a people who comprehend not. ) Allah then said, لاَ يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعاً إِلاَّ فِى قُرًى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ جُدُرٍ ( They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. ) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims.
They only fight when they have to defend themselves ( even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals ).
Allah the Exalted said, بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌ ( Their enmity among themselves is very great. ) meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense, وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ( And make you to taste the violence of one another. )( 6:65 ) Allah said in the Ayah, تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى ( You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. ) meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely.
Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures, ذلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ ( That is because they are a people who understand not. ) Allah said, كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيباً ذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment. ) referring to the Jewish tribe of Bani Qaynuqa`, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq. The Parable of the Hypocrites and the Jews Allah said, كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَـنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإِنسَـنِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّنكَ ( Like Shaytan, when he says to man: "Disbelieve." But when (man ) disbelieves, Shaytan says: "I am free of you...") meaning, the example of the Jews being deceived by the promises of the hypocrites, who said that they will help them if Muslims fight them, is that of the devil.
When matters got serious and the Jews were besieged, the hypocrites betrayed them and abandoned them to taste utter defeat.
Likewise, the devil lures mankind into disbelief and when they obey him, he disowns them and declares himself free of their actions, saying, إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists! ) Allah said, فَكَانَ عَـقِبَتَهُمَآ أَنَّهُمَا فِى النَّارِ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا ( So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. ) meaning, the end of both he, Shaytan, who commanded that dis- belief be committed, and those who accep- ted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever, وَذَلِكَ جَزَآءُ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers.
) means, this is the recompense of every unjust person.

(59:16) Their parable is that of Satan when he says to man: 'Disbelieve,' but when he disbelieves, he says: 'I am quit of you. Verily I fear Allah, the Lord of the Universe.' *27

[The hypocrites are] like the example of meaning

*27) That is, " These hypocrites arc treating the Bani an-Nadir in much the same way as Satan treats men.
Today they are urging them to stand firm and go forth and clash with the Muslims making them believe that they would come to their aid, but when they actually clash with the Muslims, they would renounce their pledges and promises and would never even look back to see their fate.
The same way does Satan treat every disbeliever, and a similar treatment had he given to the disbelieving Quraish at Badr, as has been mentioned in Surah al-Anfal: 48 above.
First.
he incited them with false hopes and brought them out to confront the Muslims, saying: `Today no one can overcome you, for I am with you. " But when the two forces met in battle, he took to his heels, saying: " I have nothing to do with you.
1 see that which you cannot see.
Indeed, 1 fear Allah. "
 

The False Promise of Support the Hypocrites gave to the Jews Allah states that the hypocrites, `Abdullah bin Ubayy and his like, sent a messenger to Bani An-Nadir promising them help.
Allah the Exalted said, أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَـفَقُواْ يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ نُطِيعُ فيكُمْ أَحَداً أَبَداً وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ ( Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the People of the Scripture who disbelieve: "If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you." ) Allah then said, وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars. ) meaning, the hypocrites lied when they issued this promise, because it was just words that they did not intend to fulfill.
Also, what they said they would do, would never have been fulfilled by them, and this is why Allah said, وَلَئِن قُوتِلُواْ لاَ يَنصُرُونَهُمْ ( and if they are attacked, they will never help them. ) meaning, the hypocrites will not fight along with the Jews, وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ ( And (even ) if they do help them, ) and even if the hypocrites did fight along their side, لَيُوَلُّنَّ الاٌّدْبَـرَ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنصَرُونَ ( they will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious. ) This Ayah contains good news, just as the good news that this following Ayah conveys, لاّنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِى صُدُورِهِمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ( Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah. ) meaning, the hypocrites fear you more than they fear Allah, as He says; إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً ( Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more. )( 4:77 ) This is why Allah said, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ ( That is because they are a people who comprehend not. ) Allah then said, لاَ يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعاً إِلاَّ فِى قُرًى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ جُدُرٍ ( They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. ) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims.
They only fight when they have to defend themselves ( even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals ).
Allah the Exalted said, بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌ ( Their enmity among themselves is very great. ) meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense, وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ( And make you to taste the violence of one another. )( 6:65 ) Allah said in the Ayah, تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى ( You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. ) meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely.
Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures, ذلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ ( That is because they are a people who understand not. ) Allah said, كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيباً ذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment. ) referring to the Jewish tribe of Bani Qaynuqa`, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq. The Parable of the Hypocrites and the Jews Allah said, كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَـنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإِنسَـنِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّنكَ ( Like Shaytan, when he says to man: "Disbelieve." But when (man ) disbelieves, Shaytan says: "I am free of you...") meaning, the example of the Jews being deceived by the promises of the hypocrites, who said that they will help them if Muslims fight them, is that of the devil.
When matters got serious and the Jews were besieged, the hypocrites betrayed them and abandoned them to taste utter defeat.
Likewise, the devil lures mankind into disbelief and when they obey him, he disowns them and declares himself free of their actions, saying, إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists! ) Allah said, فَكَانَ عَـقِبَتَهُمَآ أَنَّهُمَا فِى النَّارِ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا ( So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. ) meaning, the end of both he, Shaytan, who commanded that dis- belief be committed, and those who accep- ted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever, وَذَلِكَ جَزَآءُ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers.
) means, this is the recompense of every unjust person.

( (And the hypocrites ) with the Banu Qurayzah upon failing them ( (are ) on the likeness of the devil) with the monk ( when he telleth man ) the monk Barsisa ( to disbelieve ) in Allah, ( then, when he disbelieveth ) he lets him down and ( says: Lo! I am quit of thee ) and of your religion. (Lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

(Their allies deceived them) like Shaitan (Satan), when he says to man: "Disbelieve in Allah." But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Shaitan (Satan) says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!"

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