Surah Muhammad (Muhammad ) 47 : 29
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
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| Word | Arabic word | |
| (47:29:1) am Or do |
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| (47:29:2) ḥasiba think |
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| (47:29:3) alladhīna those who |
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| (47:29:4) |
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| (47:29:5) qulūbihim their hearts |
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| (47:29:6) maraḍun (is) a disease |
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| (47:29:7) |
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| (47:29:8) |
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| (47:29:9) yukh'rija will Allah bring forth |
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| (47:29:10) l-lahu will Allah bring forth |
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| (47:29:11) aḍghānahum their hatred |
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Explanatory Note
At the end of this passage, they are warned that God may decide to expose them to the Prophet and the Muslims. They will then be known to all for what they really are: hypocrites living among Muslims, pretending to belong to them but conspiring against them:
Do those who are sick at heart assume that God will never bring their malice to light? Had We so willed, We could have pointed them out to you, and you would have recognised them by their marks; but you will most certainly recognise them by the tone of their speech. God knows all that you people do. Most certainly We shall put you to the proof to see who of you strive hard and remain firm; and We shall test the truth of your assertions. (Verses 29-31)
3. Surah Overview
The contents of this Surah testify that it was sent down after the Hijrah at Madinah at the time when the fighting had been enjoined, though active fighting had not yet been undertaken.
The conditions at the time when this Surah was sent down were such that the Muslims were being made the target of persecution and tyranny in Makkah in particular and in Arabia in general, and life had become miserable for them. Although the Muslims had emigrated to the haven of Madinah from every side, the disbelieving Quraysh were not prepared to leave them alone and let them live in peace even there. Thus, the small settlement of Madinah was hemmed in by the enemy, who was bent upon exterminating it completely. The only alternative left with the Muslims were that either they should surrender to the forces of ignorance, giving up their mission of preaching the true Faith, or even following it in their private lives, or should rise to wage a war at the cost of their lives to settle finally and forever whether Islam would stay in Arabia or the creed of ignorance. On this occasion God showed the Muslims the same way of resolution and will, which is the only way for the true believers. He first permitted them to fight in Surah 22: al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage): 39 and then enjoined fighting in Surah 2: al-Baqarah (The Cow): 190. But at that time everyone knew full well what it meant to wage a war in those conditions. There were only a handful of Muslims in Madinah, who could not muster even a thousand soldiers; yet they were being urged to take up the sword and clash against the pagan forces of the whole of Arabia. Then the kind of the weapons needed to equip its soldiers for war could hardly be afforded by the town in which hundreds of emigrants were still homeless and unsettled even by resort to starving its members at a time when it had been boycotted economically by the Arabs on all sides.
10. Wiki Forum
11. Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 29 - 31) The Threat of Exposure At the end of this passage, they are warned that God may decide to expose them to the Prophet and the Muslims. They will then be known to all for what they really are: hypocrites living among Muslims, pretending to belong to them but conspiring against them: Do those who are sick at heart assume that God will never bring their malice to light? Had We so willed, We could have pointed them out to you, and you would have recognised them by their marks; but you will most certainly recognise them by the tone of their speech. God knows all that you people do. Most certainly We shall put you to the proof to see who of you strive hard and remain firm; and We shall test the truth of your assertions. (Verses 29-31) The hypocrites thought that they were adept in hiding their reality, making the Muslims think they were like them, true believers. The surah shows how naïve their thinking is and threatens them with an exposure that makes all their grudges known to the Muslims. God says to His messenger: "Had We so willed, We could have pointed them out to you, and you would have recognised them by their marks." (Verse 30) This means that if God so wishes, He could point them out to the Prophet by name and position so he can recognise them from their features. This verse was revealed before God actually made some of them known to him by name. Nevertheless, the way they speak and their twisting of words and meanings, and the manner in which they address you tells you of their hypocrisy: "but you will most certainly recognise them by the tone of their speech." (Verse 30) A comment is then added emphasising God's knowledge of every deed and its motives: "God knows all that you people do." (Verse 30) Nothing escapes His perfect knowledge. Then follows God's promise to test the Muslim community as a whole so as to distinguish those who strive for His cause and remain steadfast through all difficulties. These people will then be known to all, with everything about them made clear. No confusion will persist, and the whole issue of hypocrisy and the hypocrites will be sorted out: "Most certainly We shall put you to the proof to see who of you strive hard and remain firm; and We shall test the truth of your assertions." (Verse 31) God is fully aware of everyone's true nature, as well as of their thoughts and inner feelings. He knows all this just as He knows what happens and what will happen. What need is there, then, for such a test? Who needs to know what the test will prove? In His infinite wisdom, God deals with human beings on the basis of their nature, ability and potential. They do not know what He knows of inner facts. These must come into the open before they can know and understand them, and then make use of them. Testing people with what is good or bad, affluence and poverty, comfort and hardship certainly proves everyone's metal. Through such tests people may even come to know certain things about themselves of which they were otherwise unaware. As for God's knowledge of what the test reveals of people's nature, this refers only to His knowledge of their reality as it is exposed to people and they too are able to see it. It is when people see this in a form they can comprehend that they are influenced by it. It shapes their feelings and charts the direction in which their lives move according to the means available to them. In this way God's purpose of testing people produces its results. Nevertheless, believers always hope that they will not be put to God's tests and also hope that they will be spared such difficulties. Yet, should they be tested with hardship, they remain patient in adversity, aware that there is a good purpose behind this test. They submit to God's will, assured of His wisdom, and looking forward to His grace that follows the test. One devoted person, named al-Fudayl, was said to be in tears whenever he read this verse. He would appeal to God, saying: "My Lord, do not test us, because if You do, the truth about us will be known and the curtains we put up will be drawn apart. We will then be in trouble. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 29 - 31) The Threat of Exposure At the end of this passage, they are warned that God may decide to expose them to the Prophet and the Muslims. They will then be known to all for what they really are: hypocrites living among Muslims, pretending to belong to them but conspiring against them: Do those who are sick at heart assume that God will never bring their malice to light? Had We so willed, We could have pointed them out to you, and you would have recognised them by their marks; but you will most certainly recognise them by the tone of their speech. God knows all that you people do. Most certainly We shall put you to the proof to see who of you strive hard and remain firm; and We shall test the truth of your assertions. (Verses 29-31) The hypocrites thought that they were adept in hiding their reality, making the Muslims think they were like them, true believers. The surah shows how naïve their thinking is and threatens them with an exposure that makes all their grudges known to the Muslims. God says to His messenger: "Had We so willed, We could have pointed them out to you, and you would have recognised them by their marks." (Verse 30) This means that if God so wishes, He could point them out to the Prophet by name and position so he can recognise them from their features. This verse was revealed before God actually made some of them known to him by name. Nevertheless, the way they speak and their twisting of words and meanings, and the manner in which they address you tells you of their hypocrisy: "but you will most certainly recognise them by the tone of their speech." (Verse 30) A comment is then added emphasising God's knowledge of every deed and its motives: "God knows all that you people do." (Verse 30) Nothing escapes His perfect knowledge. Then follows God's promise to test the Muslim community as a whole so as to distinguish those who strive for His cause and remain steadfast through all difficulties. These people will then be known to all, with everything about them made clear. No confusion will persist, and the whole issue of hypocrisy and the hypocrites will be sorted out: "Most certainly We shall put you to the proof to see who of you strive hard and remain firm; and We shall test the truth of your assertions." (Verse 31) God is fully aware of everyone's true nature, as well as of their thoughts and inner feelings. He knows all this just as He knows what happens and what will happen. What need is there, then, for such a test? Who needs to know what the test will prove? In His infinite wisdom, God deals with human beings on the basis of their nature, ability and potential. They do not know what He knows of inner facts. These must come into the open before they can know and understand them, and then make use of them. Testing people with what is good or bad, affluence and poverty, comfort and hardship certainly proves everyone's metal. Through such tests people may even come to know certain things about themselves of which they were otherwise unaware. As for God's knowledge of what the test reveals of people's nature, this refers only to His knowledge of their reality as it is exposed to people and they too are able to see it. It is when people see this in a form they can comprehend that they are influenced by it. It shapes their feelings and charts the direction in which their lives move according to the means available to them. In this way God's purpose of testing people produces its results. Nevertheless, believers always hope that they will not be put to God's tests and also hope that they will be spared such difficulties. Yet, should they be tested with hardship, they remain patient in adversity, aware that there is a good purpose behind this test. They submit to God's will, assured of His wisdom, and looking forward to His grace that follows the test. One devoted person, named al-Fudayl, was said to be in tears whenever he read this verse. He would appeal to God, saying: "My Lord, do not test us, because if You do, the truth about us will be known and the curtains we put up will be drawn apart. We will then be in trouble. |
