The Hypocrites (Al-Munaafeqoon)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
WHEN THE HYPOCRITES come to you, they say: "We affirm that you are the Apostle of God." God indeed knows you are His Apostle. God bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars. 1 they use their oaths as a cover and thus they bar others from God's way: what they have been doing is truly evil -- 2 That is because they believe, then disbelieve, so a seal is set upon their hearts so that they do not understand. 3 ۞ When thou seest them, their bodies please thee; but when they speak, thou listenest to their speech, and it is as they were propped-up timbers. They think every cry is against them. They are the enemy; so beware of them. God assail them! How they are perverted! 4 for, when they are told, "Come, the Apostle of God will pray [unto God] that you be forgiven", they turn their heads away, and thou canst see how they draw back in their false pride. 5 It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people. 6 It is they who say, "Give nothing to those who are around the Messenger of God so that they will desert him." To God belongs the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites have no understanding. 7 They say, “If we return to Medinah, then indeed the honourable group will soon expel the lowly one”; whereas all honour belongs to Allah and to His Noble Messenger and to the Muslims, but the hypocrites do not know. 8