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
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ ٱلْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَـٰذَا ۚ وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً فَسَوْفَ يُغْنِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ إِن شَآءَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Ḥarām after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allāh will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرْضُوهُ إِن كَانُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ
They swear by Allāh to you [Muslims] to satisfy you. But Allāh and His Messenger are more worthy for them to satisfy, if they were to be believers.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ مَن يُحَادِدِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَأَنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدًا فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخِزْىُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Do they not know that whoever opposes Allāh and His Messenger - that for him is the fire of Hell, wherein he will abide eternally? That is the great disgrace.
يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
They will make excuses to you when you have returned to them. Say, "Make no excuse - never will we believe you. Allāh has already informed us of your news [i.e., affair]. And Allāh will observe your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger; then you will be taken back to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."