Tafseer of Muhammad · Muhammad · 47:20
Those who believe say, "Why has a surah not been sent down? But when a precise surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose hearts is hypocrisy looking at you with a look of one overcome by death. And more appropriate for them [would have been]
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His saying, the Exalted: وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ (20) ("And those who believe say: 'If only a sūra were sent down.' But when an unambiguous sūra is sent down in which fighting (qitāl) is mentioned, you see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at you with the look of one overcome by death. Woe, then, to them.")
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: And those who hold Allah and His Messenger to be truthful say: If only a sūra were sent down from Allah commanding us to wage struggle (jihād) against the enemies of Allah among the unbelievers. فَإِذَا أُنزلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ ("But when an unambiguous sūra is sent down") — that is to say: that it is unambiguous through clear exposition and obligations. And it is reported that in the reading of ʿAbd Allāh this reads: فَإِذَا أُنزلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْدَثَةٌ ("But when a newly revealed sūra is sent down").
And His saying وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ ("and in which fighting is mentioned"). He says: and in which the command to fight (qitāl) against the polytheists (mushrikīn) is mentioned.
And Qatāda used to say concerning this what Bishr related to me, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلا نزلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَإِذَا أُنزلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ ("And those who believe say: 'If only a sūra were sent down.' But when an unambiguous sūra is sent down in which fighting is mentioned"), he said: Every sūra in which struggle (jihād) is mentioned is unambiguous, and it is the heaviest part of the Qurʾān for the hypocrites.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ ("and in which fighting is mentioned"), he said: Every sūra in which fighting (qitāl) is mentioned is unambiguous.
And His saying رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ ("you see those in whose hearts is a disease"). He says: You see those in whose hearts is doubt concerning the religion of Allah and weakness, يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ ("looking at you"), O Muḥammad, نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ ("with the look of one overcome by death"), out of fear that you might send them out to battle and command them to wage struggle (jihād) together with the Muslims; thus they look at you out of fear of that and out of cowardice before the encounter with the enemy, with the look of one who is overcome and struck down. And by His saying مِنَ الْمَوْتِ ("by death") only this is meant: out of fear of death. And this was the manner of the people of hypocrisy (nifāq).
As is that which Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ ("looking at you with the look of one overcome by death"), he said: These are the hypocrites; Allah has sealed their hearts, so that they do not understand what the Prophet ﷺ says.
And His saying فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ ("Woe, then, to them"). The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: Woe, then, to these in whose hearts is a disease.
And His saying فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ ("Woe, then, to them") is a threat with which Allah has threatened these hypocrites.
As Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ ("Woe, then, to them"), he said: This is a threat — "woe, then, to them" — then the discourse ceased, and then He said: طَاعَةٌ وَقَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ ("obedience and a fitting word").
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ ("Woe, then, to them"), he said: A threat, as you hear.
