Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Munafiqun Verse 8

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They say, “If we return to Madīnah, the more honorable ones will drive out the meaner ones from there.” And to Allah belongs the honour, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They say, “If we return to Medina, the honourable will definitely expel the inferior.” But all honour and power belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, yet the hypocrites do not know.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They say, “When we return to Madinah, the mightier will surely expel the weaker therefrom.” In fact, all might belongs to Allah and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

A. J. Arberry

They say, 'If we return to the City, the mightier ones of it will expel the more abased'; yet glory belongs unto God, and unto His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know it.

Abdul Haleem

They say, ‘Once we return to Medina the powerful will drive out the weak,’ but power belongs to God, to His Messenger, and to the believers, though the hypocrites do not know this.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They say: surely, if we return to Madina the mightier shall drive out the meaner thence: whereas might is Allah's and His apostle's and the believers; yet the hypocrites know not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They say, "If we return to Medina, surely the more honourable (element) will expel therefrom the meaner." But honour belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not.

Abul Ala Maududi

They say: “When we return to Madinah, the honourable ones will drive out from it those that are abject.” In truth, all honour belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers. But the hypocrites do not know.

Ahmed Ali

They say: "If we now go back to Madina, the stronger will turn the weaker out." But power belongs to God, His Apostle and the faithful, though the hypocrites do not know.

Ahmed Raza Khan

They say, “If we return to Medinah, then indeed the honourable group will soon expel the lowly one”; whereas all honour belongs to Allah and to His Noble Messenger and to the Muslims, but the hypocrites do not know.

Ali Quli Qarai

They say, ‘When we return to the city, the mighty will surely expel the weak from it.’ Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Apostle and the faithful, but the hypocrites do not know.

Ali Ünal

They say: "For certain, if we return to Madinah, those with more status and power will drive out from it the weaker and lowlier ones." But all glory and might belong to God, and (by His leave) to His Messenger and the believers. But (being incapable of knowledge of the truth) the hypocrites do not know this.

Amatul Rahman Omar

They say, `If we return to Madînah, the most honourable and mightier will drive out the most mean from there.´ But (true) power and honour belongs to Allâh and His Messenger and to the believers. Yet the hypocrites do not know (it).

English Literal

They say: "If (E) we returned to the city/town, the more dignified/honoured will bring out (exile) the most humiliated/weakest ." And to God (is) the glory/might/power , and to His messenger, and to the believers, and but the hypocrites do not know.

Faridul Haque

They say, “If we return to Medinah, then indeed the honourable group will soon expel the lowly one”; whereas all honour belongs to Allah and to His Noble Messenger and to the Muslims, but the hypocrites do not know.

Hamid S. Aziz

They say, "If we return to Medina, the mighty will surely drive out the weaker there from; but Might belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.

Hilali & Khan

They (hyprocrites) say: "If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honourable ('Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, the chief of hyprocrites at Al-Madinah) will expel therefrom the meaner (i.e. Allah's Messenger SAW)." But honour, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They it is who say: Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse. And Allah’s are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites understand not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They say: If we return to Medina, the mighty will surely drive out the meaner therefrom; and to Allah belongs the might and to His Apostle and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They say: Surely, if we return to Al-Madinah the mightier will soon drive out the weaker; when might belongeth to Allah and to His messenger and to the believers; but the hypocrites know not.

Muhammad Sarwar

They say, "When we return to Medina, the honorable ones will certainly drive out the mean ones." Honor belongs to God, His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They say: 'If we return to the City, the strong will expel the humiliated' But the might belongs to Allah, and His Messenger and the believers, but thehypocrites do not know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They say: "If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the weaker." But Al-`Izzah belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.

Wahiduddin Khan

[and] they say, "Indeed, when we return to Madinah, [we] the ones most worthy of honour, will surely drive out from there the contemptible ones!" [referring to poor Muslims]. However, all honour belongs to God, and to His Messenger and those who believe [in God]: but of this the hypocrites are not aware.

Talal Itani

They say, “If we return to the City, the more powerful therein will evict the weak.” But power belongs to God, and His Messenger, and the believers; but the hypocrites do not know.

Tafsir jalalayn

They say, `Surely if we return, from the raid against the Ban al-Mustaliq, to Medina, the powerful, by which they meant themselves, will [soon] expel from it the weaker', by which they meant the believers. Yet [the real] might, victory, belongs to God and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know, that.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

They say;"If we return to Al-Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel therefrom the weaker."

But Al-`Izzah belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.

In his book, As-Sirah, Muhammad bin Ishaq said,

"After the battle of Uhud ended, the Prophet returned to Al-Madinah. Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul -- as Ibn Shihab narrated to me -- would stand up every Friday, without objection from anyone because he was a chief of his people, when the Prophet would sit on the Minbar, just before he delivered the Jumu`ah Khutbah to the people. Abdullah bin Ubay would say,

`O people! This is the Messenger of Allah with you. Allah has honored us by sending him and gave you might through him. Support him, honor him and listen to and obey him.'

He would then sit down. So after the battle of Uhud, even after he did what he did, that is, returning to Al-Madinah with a third of the army, he stood up to say the same words. But the Muslims held on to his clothes and said to him,

`Sit down, O enemy of Allah! You are not worthy to stand after you did what you did.'

Abdullah went out of the Masjid crossing people's lines and saying,

`By Allah, it is as if I said something awful when I wanted to support him.'

Some men from Al-Ansar met him at the gate of the Masjid and asked him what happened. He said,

`I just stood up to support him and some men, his Companions, jumped at me, pulled me back and admonished me, as if what I said was an awful thing; I merely wanted to support him.'

They said to him, `Woe to you! Go back so that Allah's Messenger asks Allah to forgive you.'

He said, `By Allah, I do not wish that he ask Allah to forgive me."'

Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "This Ayah was revealed about Abdullah bin Ubay.

A young relative of his went to Allah's Messenger and conveyed to him an awful statement that Abdullah said.

The Messenger called Abdullah, who swore by Allah that he did not say anything.

The Ansar went to that boy and admonished him. However, Allah sent down what you hear about Abdullah's case and Allah's enemy was told,

`Go to Allah's Messenger,' but he turned his head away, saying that he will not do it."

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Muhammad bin Yahya bin Hibban, Abdullah bin Abi Bakr and Asim bin Umar bin Qatadah narrated to him the story of Bani Al-Mustaliq.

They said that while the Messenger of Allah was in that area, Jahjah bin Sa`id Al-Ghifari, a hired hand for Umar, and Sinan bin Wabr fought over the water source.

Sinan called out, "O Ansar",

while Al-Jahjah called, "O Muhajirin!"

Zayd bin Arqam and several Ansar men were sitting with Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul at that time. When Abdullah heard what happened, he said,

"They are bothering us in our land. By Allah, the parable of us and these foolish Quraysh men, is the parable that goes, `Feed your dog until it becomes strong, and it will eat you.' By Allah, when we go back to Al-Madinah, the most mighty will expel the weak from it."

He then addressed his people who were sitting with him, saying to them,

"What have you done to yourselves You let them settle in your land and shared your wealth with them. By Allah, if you abandon them, they will have to move to another area other than yours."

Zayd bin Arqam heard these words and conveyed them to Allah's Messenger. Zayd was a young boy then. Umar bin Al-Khattab was with the Messenger and he said,

"O Allah's Messenger! Order Abbad bin Bishr to cut off his head at his neck."

The Prophet replied,

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا تَحَدَّثَ النَّاسُ يَا عُمَرُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَهُ لَا وَلَكِنْ نَادِ يَا عُمَرُ الرَّحِيل

What if people started saying that Muhammad kills his companions, O Umar, No. However, order the people to start the journey (back to Al-Madinah).

When Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul was told that his statement reached Allah's Prophet, he went to him and denied saying it. He swore by Allah that he did not utter the statement that Zayd bin Arqam conveyed. Abdullah bin Ubay was a chief of his people and they said,

"O Allah's Messenger! May be the young boy merely guessed and did not hear what was said correctly."

Allah's Messenger started the journey at an unusual hour of the day and was met by Usayd bin Al-Hudayr, who greeted him acknowledging his Prophethood. Usayd said,

"By Allah! You are about to begin the journey at an unusual time."

The Prophet said,

أَمَا بَلَغَكَ مَا قَالَ صَاحِبُكَ ابْنُ أُبَيَ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ سَيُخْرِجُ الاَْعَزُّ مِنْهَا الاَْذَل

Did not the statement of your friend, Ibn Ubay reach you He claimed that when he returns to Al-Madinah, the mighty one will expel the weak one out of it.

Usayd said, "Indeed, you are the mighty one, O Allah's Messenger, and he is the disgraced one."

Usayd said,

"Take it easy with him, O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, when Allah brought you to us, we were about to gather the pearls (of a crown) so that we appoint him king over us. He thinks that you have rid him of his kingship."

The Messenger of Allah traveled with the people until the night fell, then the rest of the night until the beginning of the next day and then set camp with the people. He wanted to busy them from talking about what had happened. The minute people felt the ground under their feet, they went to sleep and Surah Al-Munafiqin was revealed.

Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bayhaqi recorded that Jabir bin Abdullah said,

"We were in a battle with Allah's Messenger and a man from the Emigrants kicked an Ansari man. The Ansari man called out,

`O Ansar!' and the Emigrant called out, `O Emigrants!'

Allah's Messenger heard that and said,

مَا بَالُ دَعْوَى الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ دَعُوهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُنْتِنَة

What is this call of Jahiliyyah? Abandon it because it is offensive.

Abdullah bin Ubay heard that and said,

`Have they (the Emigrants) done so By Allah, if we return to Al-Madinah, surely, the more honorable will expel therefrom the meaner.'

The Ansar at that time, were more numerous that the Emigrants when the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah, but later on the Emigrants increased in number. When this statement reached the Prophet, Umar got up and said,

`O Allah's Messenger! Let me chop off the head of this hypocrite!'

The Prophet said;

دَعْهُ لَا يَتَحَدَّثُ النَّاسُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَه


Leave him, lest the people say that Muhammad kills his companions."

Imam Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.

Ikrimah and Ibn Zayd and others said that

when the Prophet and his Companions went back to Al-Madinah, Abdullah, the son of Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul, remained by the gate of Al-Madinah holding his sword. People passed by him as they returned to Al-Madinah, and then his father came. Abdullah, son of Abdullah, said to his father,

"Stay where you are,"

and his father asked what the matter was His son said,

"By Allah! You will enter through here until the Messenger of Allah allows you to do so, for he is the honorable one and you are the disgraced."

When the Messenger of Allah came by, and he used to be in the last lines, Abdullah bin Ubay complained to him about his son and his son said,

"By Allah, O Allah's Messenger! He will not enter it until you say so."

The Messenger gave his permission to Abdullah bin Ubay and his son said,

"Enter, now that the Messenger of Allah gave you his permission."

In his Musnad, Abu Bakr Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr Al-Humaydi recorded from Abu Harun Al-Madani that

Abdullah, the son of `Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul, said to his father,

"You will never enter Al-Madinah unless and until you say, `Allah's Messenger is the honorable one and I am the disgraced."

When the Prophet came, Abdullah, son of Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul said to him,

"O Allah's Messenger! I was told that you have decided to have my father executed. By He Who has sent you with Truth, I never looked straight to his face out of respect for him. But if you wish, I will bring you his head, because I would hate to see the killer of my father.