Surah Nisa ayat 81 Tafsir Quran 4:81

﴿وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾
[ النساء: 81]

4:81 And they say, "[We pledge] obedience." But when they leave you, a group of them spend the night determining to do other than what you say. But Allah records what they plan by night. So leave them alone and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.

They say that is the hypocrites say when they come to you ‘Our affair is all about Obedience to you’; but when they sally forth when they depart from you a party of them harbour the final tā’ of the feminine-ending in bayyatat ‘harbour’ can either be elided with the following tā’ of tā’ifa ‘a party’ or simply omitted they entertain secretly feelings other than what they say to you in your presence in the way of their obedience in other words they hide disobedience to you. God writes down He commands that it be written what they harbour in their scrolls of deeds so that they will be requited for it. So turn away from them in forgiveness rely on God put your trust in Him for He will suffice you; and God suffices as a Guardian to Whom matters are entrusted.

They -whose faith is greatly shaken- show obedience in your presence O Muhammad and say to you: We obey all that you exhort us to do. But when they depart from where you are, some of them design by night a scheme of action not in accord with your principles, and Allah puts in writing all that they propose to do. Therefore, disregard them and rely upon Allah, and enough is He to be your Tutelary Guardian Who exercises protecting vigilance over you

Obeying the Messenger ﷺ is Obeying Allah Allah states that whoever obeys His servant and Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ , obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys him, disobeys Allah.
Verily, whatever the Messenger ﷺ utters is not of his own desire, but a revelation inspired to him.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللهَ، وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ، وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ الْأَمِيرَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَنِي، وَمَنْ عَصَى الْأَمِيرَ فَقَدْ عَصَانِي»
( Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah.
Whoever obeys the Amir (leader, ruler ), obeys me; and whoever disobeys the Amir, disobeys me.) This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Allah's statement, وَمَن تَوَلَّى فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظاً ( But he who turns away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them. ) means, do not worry about him.
Your job is only to convey, and whoever obeys you, he will acquire happiness and success and you will gain a similar reward to that he earns.
As for the one who turns away from you, he will gain failure and loss and you will not carry a burden because of what he does.
A Hadith states,
«مَنْ يُطِعِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ رَشَدَ، وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَضُرُّ إِلَّا نَفْسَه»
( Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, will acquire guidance; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, will only harm himself. ) The Foolishness of the Hypocrites Allah said, وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ ( They say: "We are obedient," ).
Allah states that the hypocrites pretend to be loyal and obedient. فَإِذَا بَرَزُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ ( but when they leave you ), meaning, when they depart and are no longer with you, بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِى تَقُولُ ( a section of them spends all night in planning other than what you say ).
They plot at night among themselves for other than what they pretend when they are with you.
Allah said, وَاللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ( But Allah records their nightly (plots ).) meaning, He has full knowledge of their plots and records it through His command to His scribes, the angels who are responsible for recording the actions of the servants.
This is a threat from Allah, stating that He knows what the hypocrites try to hide, their plotting in the night to defy the Messenger ﷺ and oppose him, even though they pretend to be loyal and obedient to him.
Allah will certainly punish them for this conduct.
In a similar Ayah, Allah said, وَيِقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالرَّسُولِ وَأَطَعْنَا ( They (hypocrites ) say: "We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey,") until the end of the Ayah.
Allah's statement, فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ( So turn aside from them ) means, pardon them, be forbearing with them, do not punish them, do not expose them to the people and do not fear them. وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً ( and put your trust in Allah.
And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs. ) meaning, He is sufficient as Protector, Supporter and Helper for those who rely on Him and return to Him. أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ اخْتِلَـفاً كَثِيراً

Obeying the Messenger ﷺ is Obeying Allah Allah states that whoever obeys His servant and Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ , obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys him, disobeys Allah.
Verily, whatever the Messenger ﷺ utters is not of his own desire, but a revelation inspired to him.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللهَ، وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ، وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ الْأَمِيرَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَنِي، وَمَنْ عَصَى الْأَمِيرَ فَقَدْ عَصَانِي» ( Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah.
Whoever obeys the Amir (leader, ruler ), obeys me; and whoever disobeys the Amir, disobeys me.) This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Allah's statement, وَمَن تَوَلَّى فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظاً ( But he who turns away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them. ) means, do not worry about him.
Your job is only to convey, and whoever obeys you, he will acquire happiness and success and you will gain a similar reward to that he earns.
As for the one who turns away from you, he will gain failure and loss and you will not carry a burden because of what he does.
A Hadith states, «مَنْ يُطِعِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ رَشَدَ، وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَضُرُّ إِلَّا نَفْسَه» ( Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, will acquire guidance; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, will only harm himself. ) The Foolishness of the Hypocrites Allah said, وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ ( They say: "We are obedient," ).
Allah states that the hypocrites pretend to be loyal and obedient. فَإِذَا بَرَزُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ ( but when they leave you ), meaning, when they depart and are no longer with you, بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِى تَقُولُ ( a section of them spends all night in planning other than what you say ).
They plot at night among themselves for other than what they pretend when they are with you.
Allah said, وَاللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ( But Allah records their nightly (plots ).) meaning, He has full knowledge of their plots and records it through His command to His scribes, the angels who are responsible for recording the actions of the servants.
This is a threat from Allah, stating that He knows what the hypocrites try to hide, their plotting in the night to defy the Messenger ﷺ and oppose him, even though they pretend to be loyal and obedient to him.
Allah will certainly punish them for this conduct.
In a similar Ayah, Allah said, وَيِقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالرَّسُولِ وَأَطَعْنَا ( They (hypocrites ) say: "We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey,") until the end of the Ayah.
Allah's statement, فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ( So turn aside from them ) means, pardon them, be forbearing with them, do not punish them, do not expose them to the people and do not fear them. وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً ( and put your trust in Allah.
And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs. ) meaning, He is sufficient as Protector, Supporter and Helper for those who rely on Him and return to Him. أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ اخْتِلَـفاً كَثِيراً

( And they say ) i.e. the hypocrites ’Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his followers: ( (It is ) obedience) your command is obeyed, O Muhammad. Command us with whatever you will and we shall comply; ( but when they have gone forth from thee a party of them ) of the hypocrites ( spend the night in planning other than what thou sayest ) what you command. ( Allah recordeth what they plan by night ) He records their planning to change your command. ( So oppose them ) but do not punish them ( and put thy trust in Allah ) rely on Allah regarding that which they are good for. ( Allah is sufficient as Trustee ) He is sufficient to give you triumph and sovereignty over them.

They say: "We are obedient," but when they leave you (Muhammad SAW), a section of them spend all night in planning other than what you say. But Allah records their nightly (plots). So turn aside from them (do not punish them), and put your trust in Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.

Page 91 English transliteration