وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ 124
Translations
And whenever a sūrah is revealed, there are among them [i.e., the hypocrites] those who say, "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing.
Transliteration
Wa-idha ma unzilat sūratun fa-minhum man yaqūlu ayyukum zādat-hu hādhihī īmānan fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū fa-zādat-hum īmānan wa-hum yastabshirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the contrasting responses of believers and hypocrites when a new surah is revealed. The believers experience an increase in faith (īmān) and rejoice, while the hypocrites question whether the revelation strengthens anyone's faith at all. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this illustrates that the Qur'an acts as a touchstone—it increases the faith of sincere believers while exposing the doubt and skepticism of those with diseased hearts, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anfal (8:2).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tawbah (the Chapter of Repentance), a Medinan surah dealing extensively with the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) of Medina who outwardly professed Islam while harboring doubt. The ayah reflects the reality of how the hypocrites reacted to the constant revelation of Qur'anic verses during the Prophet's time in Medina, serving as a diagnostic tool to distinguish genuine believers from those pretending faith.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Verily, the most perfect in faith among believers are those best in character and kindest to their families.' This relates to the believers' positive response to revelation. Additionally, Surah Al-Anfal (8:2) is directly related: 'The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Our response to the Qur'an and Islamic knowledge reveals the true state of our hearts—genuine believers experience joy and spiritual growth when encountering divine guidance, while those with doubts remain unmoved. This teaches us to examine our own hearts: do we feel a tangible increase in faith and rejoicing when we encounter Qur'anic verses, or do we remain spiritually indifferent?
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Then Allāh will accept repentance after that for whom He wills; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Do they not know that it is Allāh who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allāh who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful?
وَمِنْهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ ۚ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And among them are those who abuse the Prophet and say, "He is an ear." Say, "[It is] an ear of goodness for you that believes in Allāh and believes the believers and [is] a mercy to those who believe among you." And those who abuse the Messenger of Allāh - for them is a painful punishment.
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allāh has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allāh is greater. It is that which is the great attainment.