Surah Munafiqun ayat 3 Tafsir Quran 63:3

﴿ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ﴾
[ المنافقون: 3]

63:3 That is because they believed, and then they disbelieved; so their hearts were sealed over, and they do not understand.

That namely their evil deed is because they believed by affirming faith only with the tongue then disbelieved in their hearts that is to say they persist in harbouring disbelief in it; therefore their hearts have been stamped sealed with disbelief. Hence they do not understand faith.

They adopted the faith and then they dropped it -Simpletons- their hearts ears are closed and their breasts are filled with irreverence imposed upon their hearts by the evil hand

Which was revealed in Al-Madinah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Case of the Hypocrites and their Behavior Allah the Exalted states that the hypocrites pretended to be Muslims when they went to the Prophet .
In reality, they were not Muslims, but rather the opposite.
This is why Allah the Exalted said, إِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( When the hypocrites come to you, they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." ) meaning, `when the hypocrites come to you, they announce this statement and pretend to believe in it.' Allah informs that there is no substance to their statement, and this is why He said, وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ ( Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, ) then said, وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed. ) meaning, their claims, even though it is true about the Prophet.
But they did not believe inwardly in what they declared outwardly, and this is why Allah declared their falsehood about their creed.
Allah's statement, 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 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.) Allah said, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يَفْقَهُونَ ( That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not. ) meaning, He has decreed them to be hypocrites because they reverted from faith to disbelief and exchanged guidance for misguidance.
Therefore, Allah stamped and sealed their hearts and because of it, they cannot comprehend the guidance, nor any goodness can reach their hearts.
Truly, their hearts neither understand, nor attain guidance.
Allah said, وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَـمُهُمْ وَإِن يَقُولُواْ تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ( And when you look at them, their bodies please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. ) meaning, hypocrites have a graceful outer appearance and are eloquent.
When one hears them speak, he will listen to their eloquent words, even though hypocrites are truly weak and feeble, full of fear, fright and cowardice.
Allah's statement, يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ( They think that every cry is against them. ) means, every time an incident occurs or something frightening happens, they think that it is headed their way.
This is indicative of their cowardice, just as Allah said about them, أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ فَإِذَا جَآءَ الْخَوْفُ رَأَيْتَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدورُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ كَالَّذِى يُغْشَى عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ الْخَوْفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى الْخَيْرِ أوْلَـئِكَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ فَأَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيراً ( Being miserly towards you then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like (those of ) one over whom hovers death; but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards good.
Such have not believed.
Therefore Allah makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allah.) ( 33:19 ) They are shapes that do not have much substance, and this is why Allah said, هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ ( They are the enemies, so beware of them.
May Allah curse them! How are they denying the right path ) means, how they are being led astray to the misguidance, away from the guidance.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,
«إِنَّ لِلْمُنَافِقِينَ عَلَامَاتٍ يُعْرَفُونَ بِهَا: تَحِيَّتُهُمْ لَعْنَةٌ وَطَعَامُهُمْ نُهْبَةٌ وَغَنِيمَتُهُمْ غُلُولٌ لَا يَقْرَبُونَ الْمَسَاجِدَ إِلَّا هَجْرًا، وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا دَبْرًا، مُسْتَكْبِرِينَ لَا يَأْلَفُونَ وَلَا يُؤْلَفُونَ، خُشُبٌ بِاللَّيْلِ صُخُبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ وفِي رِوَايَةٍ سُخُبٌ بِالنَّهَار»
( Hypocrites have certain signs that they are known by.
Their greeting is really a curse, their food is from stealing and the war booty they collect is from theft.
They shun the Masjid and they do not come to the prayer but at its end.
They are arrogant; it is neither easy for them to blend in, nor it is easy for people to blend with them.
They are like pieces of wood by night and are noisy by day. )

(63:3) All that is because they first believed and then disbelieved, and therefore a seal was set on their hearts; as a result they understand nothing. *4

That is because they believed, and then meaning

*4) In this verse " believing " means professing the faith in order to be counted among Muslims, and 'disbelieving" means not to believe sincerely and to persist in disbelief as usual.
The verse means to say that when they, after due thought, decided to adopt this hypocritical attitude instead of adopting either belief or disbelief plainly, Allah caused a seal to be set on their hearts and deprived them of the grace to adopt the attitude and conduct of a true, sincere and noble person.
Now, their power of understanding has been lost, their moral sense has become dead, and while following this way they never even feel that their habit of always telling lies, their deceitful behaviour and the ever present contradictions between their word and deed is a wretched state in which they have involved themselves.
This is one of those verses in which the meaning of ';causing a seal to be set on the heart of somebody by Allah " has been made clear.
These people did not become hypocrites because Allah .had set a seal on their hearts; so faith did not enter them, and they became hypocrites under compulsion.
But, in fact, Allah set a seal on their hearts only when they decided to persist in disbelief in spite of professing the faith outwardly.
Then, they were deprived of the capacity to believe sincerely and of the grace of the moral attitude resulting from it.
and were helped to persist in the hypocrisy and hypocritical morals, which they had chosen to adopt for themselves.

 

Which was revealed in Al-Madinah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Case of the Hypocrites and their Behavior Allah the Exalted states that the hypocrites pretended to be Muslims when they went to the Prophet .
In reality, they were not Muslims, but rather the opposite.
This is why Allah the Exalted said, إِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( When the hypocrites come to you, they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." ) meaning, `when the hypocrites come to you, they announce this statement and pretend to believe in it.' Allah informs that there is no substance to their statement, and this is why He said, وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ ( Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, ) then said, وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed. ) meaning, their claims, even though it is true about the Prophet.
But they did not believe inwardly in what they declared outwardly, and this is why Allah declared their falsehood about their creed.
Allah's statement, 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 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.) Allah said, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يَفْقَهُونَ ( That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not. ) meaning, He has decreed them to be hypocrites because they reverted from faith to disbelief and exchanged guidance for misguidance.
Therefore, Allah stamped and sealed their hearts and because of it, they cannot comprehend the guidance, nor any goodness can reach their hearts.
Truly, their hearts neither understand, nor attain guidance.
Allah said, وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَـمُهُمْ وَإِن يَقُولُواْ تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ( And when you look at them, their bodies please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. ) meaning, hypocrites have a graceful outer appearance and are eloquent.
When one hears them speak, he will listen to their eloquent words, even though hypocrites are truly weak and feeble, full of fear, fright and cowardice.
Allah's statement, يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ( They think that every cry is against them. ) means, every time an incident occurs or something frightening happens, they think that it is headed their way.
This is indicative of their cowardice, just as Allah said about them, أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ فَإِذَا جَآءَ الْخَوْفُ رَأَيْتَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدورُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ كَالَّذِى يُغْشَى عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ الْخَوْفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى الْخَيْرِ أوْلَـئِكَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ فَأَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيراً ( Being miserly towards you then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like (those of ) one over whom hovers death; but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards good.
Such have not believed.
Therefore Allah makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allah.) ( 33:19 ) They are shapes that do not have much substance, and this is why Allah said, هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ ( They are the enemies, so beware of them.
May Allah curse them! How are they denying the right path ) means, how they are being led astray to the misguidance, away from the guidance.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said, «إِنَّ لِلْمُنَافِقِينَ عَلَامَاتٍ يُعْرَفُونَ بِهَا: تَحِيَّتُهُمْ لَعْنَةٌ وَطَعَامُهُمْ نُهْبَةٌ وَغَنِيمَتُهُمْ غُلُولٌ لَا يَقْرَبُونَ الْمَسَاجِدَ إِلَّا هَجْرًا، وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا دَبْرًا، مُسْتَكْبِرِينَ لَا يَأْلَفُونَ وَلَا يُؤْلَفُونَ، خُشُبٌ بِاللَّيْلِ صُخُبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ وفِي رِوَايَةٍ سُخُبٌ بِالنَّهَار» ( Hypocrites have certain signs that they are known by.
Their greeting is really a curse, their food is from stealing and the war booty they collect is from theft.
They shun the Masjid and they do not come to the prayer but at its end.
They are arrogant; it is neither easy for them to blend in, nor it is easy for people to blend with them.
They are like pieces of wood by night and are noisy by day. )

( That ) which I have mentioned regarding the hypocrites ( is because they believed ) outwardly, ( then disbelieved ) and became firm in their disbelief inwardly, ( therefore their hearts are sealed ) as a punishment for their disbelief and hypocrisy ( so that they understand not ) the Truth or guidance.

That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not.

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