يَقُولُونَ لَئِن رَّجَعْنَآ إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ ٱلْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا ٱلْأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 8
Translations
They say, "If we return to al-Madīnah, the more honored [for power] will surely expel therefrom the more humble." And to Allāh belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.
Transliteration
Yaqooloon la-in raja'naa ilal-Madinati layukhrijanna al-a'azzu minhaa al-adhall. Wa-lillahi al-izzatu wa-li-Rasoolihi wa-lilmu'mineen wa-laakinna al-munafiqeena la ya'lamoon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The hypocrites arrogantly boast that if they return to Madinah, the mighty among them will expel the weak (referring to the Prophet ﷺ and the believers). Allah responds with decisive affirmation that all honor and power belong to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers—not to the hypocrites. As Ibn Kathir notes, this verse exposes the hypocrites' delusion and false confidence, reminding them that true might rests only with Allah and those who follow His guidance, while their ignorance blinds them to this reality.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Madinah regarding the hypocrites (munafiqun) of that time, particularly their duplicitous behavior and hidden enmity toward Islam. The context of this specific ayah relates to the hypocrites' boastfulness and their plots to undermine the Prophet's authority in Madinah, likely following a military expedition where their true character was exposed.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, while disgrace belongs to the disbelievers and hypocrites' (reported in various forms in the Tafsir literature). Also relevant is the hadith that hypocrisy is 'the lesser shirk' as it involves hidden rejection of Allah's authority.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true power and dignity come from faith in Allah and obedience to His Messenger, not from worldly strength, numbers, or social status. Believers should place their trust in Allah's promise rather than in their own limited resources, knowing that honor ultimately belongs to those who truly submit to Him.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And spend [in the way of Allāh] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be of the righteous."
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
They have taken their oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allāh. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.
وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
But never will Allāh delay a soul when its time has come. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
۞ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَقُولُوا۟ تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ۖ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ ۖ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ هُمُ ٱلْعَدُوُّ فَٱحْذَرْهُمْ ۚ قَـٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
And when you see them, their forms please you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. [They are] as if they were pieces of wood propped up - they think that every shout is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?