يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ 96
Translations
They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allāh is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people.
Transliteration
Yahlifuna lakum litardaw 'anhum fa-in tardaw 'anhum fa-inna Allaha la yarda 'ani al-qawmi al-fasiqin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrites (munafiqun) swearing oaths to the believers to gain their approval and acceptance, yet Allah makes clear that even if the believers are satisfied with them, Allah's pleasure cannot be obtained by those who persist in transgression and disobedience. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes that the judgment of Allah supersedes human approval, and no amount of false oaths or clever deception can substitute for genuine faith and righteous conduct. The verse serves as a warning that hypocrisy and deception are futile before Allah's absolute knowledge and justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Tawbah, revealed in the 9th year of Hijrah during the Medinan period. It specifically addresses the situation of the hypocrites who refused to participate in the Tabuk expedition and later attempted to appease the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the believers through false oaths and excuses. The surah as a whole deals with the distinction between genuine believers and hypocrites, and this ayah reinforces that external acceptance by humans cannot replace divine approval.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding the hypocrites: 'The sign of a hypocrite is three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays it.' (Sahih Bukhari 33) This directly relates to the false oaths mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must understand that seeking approval through deception or false promises is spiritually hollow, and that sincere obedience to Allah's commands matters infinitely more than gaining temporary human acceptance. This teaches discernment in evaluating others' sincerity and reminds us that our primary concern should be pleasing Allah rather than appearing righteous before people.