Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 10

Mufti Taqi Usmani

In their hearts there is a malady, so Allah has made them grow in their malady; and for them there is a grievous punishment, because they have been lying.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

There is sickness in their hearts, and Allah ˹only˺ lets their sickness increase. They will suffer a painful punishment for their lies.

Ruwwad Translation Center

In their hearts is a sickness, and Allah increased their sickness, and they will have a painful punishment for their persistent lying.

A. J. Arberry

In their hearts is a sickness, and God has increased their sickness, and there awaits them a painful chastisement for that they have cried lies.

Abdul Haleem

There is a disease in their hearts, to which God has added more: agonizing torment awaits them for their persistent lying.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

In their hearts is a disease, so Allah hath increased unto them that disease; and unto them shall be a torment afflictive, for they have been lying.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease; And grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).

Abul Ala Maududi

In their hearts is a disease which Allah has increased all the more and a painful doom is in store for them for the lie they utter.

Ahmed Ali

Sick are their hearts, and God adds to their malady. For them is suffering for they lie.

Ahmed Raza Khan

In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment, because of their lies.

Ali Quli Qarai

There is a sickness in their hearts; then Allah increased their sickness, and there is a painful punishment for them because of the lies they used to tell.

Ali Ünal

In the very center of their hearts is a sickness (that dries up the source of their spiritual life, extinguishes their power of understanding and corrupts their character), and (because of their moral corruption and the tricks they deploy out of envy and malice) God has increased them in sickness. For them is a painful punishment because they habitually lie.

Amatul Rahman Omar

In their hearts was a disease (of hypocrisy), and Allâh has increased their disease (by making Islam triumphant). A woeful punishment awaits them because of their persistent lies.

English Literal

In their hearts/minds (is) sickness/disease, so God increased them sickness/disease, and for them (is a) painful torture because (of) what they were lying/denying/falsifying .

Faridul Haque

In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment, because of their lies.

Hamid S. Aziz

In their heart is a sickness, and Allah has made them still more sick, and for them is grievous woe because they lied.

Hilali & Khan

In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allah has increased their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their disease, and for them is a painful chastisement because they lie.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they lied.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.

Muhammad Sarwar

A sickness exists in their hearts to which God adds more sickness. Besides this, they will suffer a painful punishment as a result of the lie which they speak.

Qaribullah & Darwish

There is a sickness in their hearts which Allah has increased. For them there is a painful punishment because they lie.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

In their hearts is a disease and Allah has increased their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies.

Wahiduddin Khan

In their hearts is a disease, which God has increased. They will have a painful punishment, because they have been lying.

Talal Itani

In their hearts is sickness, and God has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment because of their denial.

Tafsir jalalayn

In their hearts is a sickness; doubt and hypocrisy, which ails their hearts, debilitating them; and God has increased their sickness with what He has revealed in the Qur'n, since they disbelieve it; and there awaits them a painful chastisement because they used to lie (read yukadhdhibn to imply [that they used to call] the Prophet of God [a liar], or yakdhibn to imply their [mendacity when] saying `we believe').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Meaning of `Disease' in this Ayah

Allah said,

فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّهُ مَرَضاً وَلَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

In their hearts is a disease and Allah has increased their disease. A painful torment is theirs,

because they used to tell lies.

As-Suddi narrated from Abu Malik and (also) from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, and (also) Murrah Al-Hamdani from Ibn Mas`ud and other Companions that this Ayah,
فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ
(In their hearts is a disease),

means, `doubt',

and,

فَزَادَهُمُ اللّهُ مَرَضاً
(And Allah has increased their disease) also means `doubt'.

Mujahid, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Abu Al-Aliyah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas and Qatadah also said similarly.

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam commented on,
فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ
(In their hearts is a disease),

"A disease in the religion, not a physical disease. They are the hypocrites and the disease is the doubt that they brought to Islam.

فَزَادَهُمُ اللّهُ مَرَضاً
(And Allah has increased their disease) meaning, increased them in shameful behavior."

He also recited,

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ


وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَى رِجْسِهِمْ

As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it will add disgrace to their disgrace. (9;124-125)

and commented,

"Evil to their evil and deviation to their deviation."

This statement by Abdur-Rahman is true, and it constitutes a punishment that is compatible to the sin, just as the earlier scholars stated.

Similarly, Allah said,

وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ

While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and grants them their piety. (47;17)

Allah said next,

بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ



Because they used to tell lies.

The hypocrites have two characteristics, they lie and they deny the Unseen.

The scholars who stated that the Prophet knew the hypocrites of his time have only the Hadith of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman as evidence. In it the Prophet gave him the names of fourteen hypocrites during the battle of Tabuk. These hypocrites plotted to assassinate the Prophet during the night on a hill in that area. They planned to excite the Prophet's camel, so that she would throw him down the hill. Allah informed the Prophet about their plot, and the Prophet told Hudhayfah their names.

As for the other hypocrites, Allah said about them,

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الاٌّعْرَابِ مُنَـفِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى النَّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ

And among the Bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the people of Al-Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O Muhammad) know them not, We know them. (9;101)

and,

لَّيِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَا يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَأ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً

مَّلْعُونِينَ أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُواْ أُخِذُواْ وَقُتِّلُواْ تَقْتِيلً

If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread false news among the people in Al-Madinah do not cease, We shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbors but a little while. Accursed, they shall be seized wherever found, and killed with a (terrible) slaughter. (33;60-61)

These Ayat prove that the Prophet was not informed about each and everyone among the hypocrites of his time. Rather, the Prophet was only informed about their characteristics, and he used to assume that some people possessed these characteristics.

Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَوْ نَشَأءُ لَارَيْنَـكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُم بِسِيمَـهُمْ وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ

Had We willed, We could have shown them to you, and you should have known them by their marks; but surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech! (47;30)

The most notorious hypocrite at that time was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul; Zayd bin Arqam - the Companion - gave truthful testimony to that effect.

In addition, Umar bin Al-Khattab once mentioned the matter of Ibn Salul to the Prophet, who said,

إِنِّي أَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَتَحَدَّثَ الْعَرَبُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَه

I would not like the Arabs to say to each other that Muhammad is killing his Companions.

Yet, when Ibn Salul died, the Prophet performed the funeral prayer for him and attended his funeral just as he used to do with other Muslims. It was recorded in the Sahih that the Prophet said,

إِنِّي خُيِّرْتُ فَاخْتَرْت

I was given the choice (to pray for him or not), so I chose.

In another narration, the Prophet said,

لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي لَوْ زِدْتُ عَلَى السَّبْعِينَ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ لَزِدْت

If I knew that by asking (Allah to forgive Ibn Salul) more than seventy times that He would forgive him, then I would do that