Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:56
And they swear by Allah that they are from among you while they are not from among you; but they are a people who are afraid.
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 word: وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنْكُمْ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْكُمْ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ (56) (And they swear by Allah that they are indeed of you, while they are not of you, but they are a people who are afraid. (56))
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: And these hypocrites (munāfiqūn) swear by Allah before you, O believers, lyingly and falsely, out of fear of you: (that they are indeed of you) in religion and in the religious community. Allah the Exalted says, while declaring them to be liars: (while they are not of you), that is to say: they do not belong to the adherents of your religion and your religious community, but they are people of doubt and hypocrisy (nifāq) = (but they are a people who are afraid). He says: but they are a people who fear you, and out of fear of you they say with their tongues: "We belong to you," so that they may be safe among you and not be killed.
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