Tafseer of The Pleading Woman · Al-Mujaadila · 58:14
Have you not considered those who make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to untruth while they know [they are lying].
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 the saying of the Exalted: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا هُمْ مِنْكُمْ وَلا مِنْهُمْ وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ (58:14) (Have you not seen those who have allied themselves with a people upon whom Allah is wrathful? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to a falsehood while they know.)
The Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Have you not looked with the eye of your heart, O Muḥammad, so that you see the people who have allied themselves with a people upon whom Allah is wrathful — and these are the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) who allied themselves with the Jews and gave them their counsel and support.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: ( أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ) (Have you not seen those who have allied themselves with a people upon whom Allah is wrathful) to the end of the verse, he said: These are the hypocrites who allied themselves with the Jews and gave them their counsel and support.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ( تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ) (they have allied themselves with a people upon whom Allah is wrathful) he said: These are the Jews, with whom the hypocrites allied themselves.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He: ( أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا هُمْ مِنْكُمْ وَلا مِنْهُمْ ) (Have you not seen those who have allied themselves with a people upon whom Allah is wrathful? They are neither of you nor of them) he said: These are the unbelievers among the People of the Book, the Jews, and those who allied themselves with them, the hypocrites — they allied themselves with the Jews. And he recited the saying of Allah: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ (Have you not seen those who are hypocrites, who say to their brothers who disbelieve among the People of the Book) until he reached: وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ (and Allah bears witness that they are indeed liars) "if that comes to pass, they will not do it." And he said: These hypocrites said: "We will not forsake our allies and protectors; let them be together with us for our victory and our power, and whoever defends us — we fear that a turn of fortune may befall us." Then Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, said: فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ (But perhaps Allah will bring the victory or a decree from Him) until he reached: فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ (in their hearts than Allah). And he recited until he reached: أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ جُدُرٍ (or from behind walls) he said: They do not come out into the open.
And His saying: ( مَا هُمْ مِنْكُمْ ) (They are not of you) the Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says: These who have allied themselves with that people upon whom Allah is wrathful are not of you — that is to say: not of the people of your religion and your community — and neither of them, that is to say: they are not of the Jews upon whom Allah is wrathful. And He, mighty is His praise, described them in this manner with "of you" because they are hypocrites: when they meet the Jews, they say وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ (And when they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe," but when they are alone with their devils, they say: "We are with you; we are only mocking").
And His saying: ( وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ) (and they swear to a falsehood while they know) the Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says: And they swear by a falsehood — and that is their saying to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "We bear witness that you are truly the Messenger of Allah," while they are liars who do not hold him to be truthful and do not believe in him, as He, mighty is His praise, said: وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ (and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars). And it has been mentioned that this verse was revealed concerning a man among them, who rebuked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ over a matter that had reached him about him, whereupon he swore falsely.
* Mention of the report that has been transmitted concerning this:
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Simāk, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "There will enter upon you a man who looks with the eye of a devil" — or: "with the two eyes of a devil." He said: Then a blue-eyed man entered, and he said to him: "Why do you slander or revile me?" He said: Then he began to swear. He said: Then this verse was revealed, which is in [Sūrat] al-Mujādala: ( وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ) (and they swear to a falsehood while they know), and the other verse.
