Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 101

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And among those Bedouins who are around you there are hypocrites, and among the people of Madīnah as well. They are adamant on hypocrisy. You do not know them. We know them. We will chastise them twice, then they shall be driven to a terrible punishment (in the Hereafter).

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Some of the nomads around you ˹believers˺ are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Medina. They have mastered hypocrisy. They are not known to you ˹O Prophet˺; they are known to Us. We will punish them twice ˹in this world˺,[[ Through disgrace in this world and bad ending of their lives.]] then they will be brought back ˹to their Lord˺ for a tremendous punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Among the Bedouins around you are some hypocrites, as are from the people of Madinah; they are obstinate in their hypocrisy. You do not know them; We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be brought back to a great punishment.

A. J. Arberry

And some of the Bedouins who dwell around you are hypocrites; and some of the people of the City are grown bold in hypocrisy. Thou knowest them not; but We know them, and We shall chastise them twice, then they will be returned to a mighty chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

Some of the desert Arabs around you are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Medina- they are obstinate in their hypocrisy. You [Prophet] do not know them, but We know them well: We shall punish them twice and then they will be returned to [face] a painful punishment [in the Hereafter].

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And of the dwellers of the desert around you some are hypocrites, and so are some of the people of Madinah; they have become inured to hypocrisy thou knowest them not, We know them. We will torment them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a torment terrible.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Certain of the desert Arabs round about you are hypocrites, as well as (desert Arabs) among the Medina folk; they are obstinate in hypocrisy; thou knowest them not; We know them; twice shall We punish them; and in addition shall they be sent to a grievous penalty.

Abul Ala Maududi

As for the bedouin Arabs around you, some are hypocrites; and so are some of the people of Madinah who have become inured to hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will inflict double chastisement on them, and then they shall be returned to an awesome suffering.

Ahmed Ali

Some of the Arabs of the desert around you are hypocrites, and some of the people of Madina are stubborn in hypocrisy. You are not aware of them; We know them, and will punish them twice, and they will be sent to a harrowing doom.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And some of the illiterates around you are hypocrites; and some of the people of Medinah; hypocrisy has become ingrained in them; you do not know them*; We know them; We shall soon punish them twice** – they will then be consigned towards the terrible punishment.*** (*Until now or as well as We do. ** In life and in the grave *** of hell.)

Ali Quli Qarai

There are hypocrites among the Bedouins around you and among the townspeople of Madinah, steeped in hypocrisy. You do not know them; We know them, and We will punish them twice, then they shall be consigned to a great punishment.

Ali Ünal

Among the Bedouin Arabs who dwell around you there are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah (too) there are such as have grown more artful and insidious in hypocrisy: you (O Messenger) do not know them (unless We inform you of them). We know them all (and the threat they pose). We will punish them doubly, and then they will be returned to a mighty punishment (in the Hereafter).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Some of the Arabs of the desert living around you and some of the people of Madînah (also) are hypocrites. They persist in and are habituated to hypocrisy, you know them not, but We know them. We will punish them again and again (in this life), then they shall be made to revert to a greater punishment (in the Hereafter).

English Literal

And from whom (is) around/surrounding you from the Arabs (are) hypocrites and from the city`s/town`s people they were accustomed to rebelling/mutiny on the hypocrisy, you do not know them, We know them, We will torture them twice, then they be returned to great torture.

Faridul Haque

And some of the illiterates around you are hypocrites; and some of the people of Medinah; hypocrisy has become ingrained in them; you do not know them *; We know them; We shall soon punish them twice ** - they will then be consigned towards the terrible punishment.*** (*Until now or as well as We do. ** In life and in the grave *** of hell.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And of those of the wandering Arabs of the desert who are round about you, some are hypocrites, and some of the people of Medina persist in hypocrisy; you do not know them. We know them, and We will chastise them twice; then shall they be sent off into mighty woe.

Hilali & Khan

And among the bedouins round about you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the people of Al-Madinah, they exaggerate and persist in hypocrisy, you (O Muhammad SAW) know them not, We know them. We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the foremost, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in goodness -- Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them Gardens wherein flow rivers, abiding therein for ever. That is the mighty achievement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And from among those who are round about you of the dwellers of the desert there are hypocrites, and from among the people of Medina (also); they are stubborn in hypocrisy; you do not know them; We know them; We will chastise them twice then shall they be turned back to a grievous chastisement

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And among those around you of the wandering Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the townspeople of Al-Madinah (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom thou (O Muhammad) knowest not. We, We know them, and We shall chastise them twice; then they will be relegated to a painful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

Some of the desert dwelling Arabs around you are hypocrites as are some of the inhabitants of Medina. They are persisting in their hypocrisies. You do not know them but We know them well and will punish them twice over. Then they will be brought to the great torment (on the Day of Judgment).

Qaribullah & Darwish

Some of the Bedouin Arabs around you are hypocrites, and so are some of the people of Madinah who are well versed in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We do. Twice We will punish them then they shall return to a mighty punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the people of Al-Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you know them not, We know them. We shall punish them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment.

Wahiduddin Khan

Some of the desert Arabs around you are hypocrites as are some of the people of Madinah -- they are obdurate in their hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We shall cause them to suffer doubly and then they will be subjected to a great punishment.

Talal Itani

Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of Medina too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment.

Tafsir jalalayn

And among those around you, O inhabitants of Medina, of the Bedouins there are hypocrites, such as [the tribes of] Aslam, Ashja` and Ghifr, and among the townspeople of Medina, there are also hypocrites, who are obstinate in hypocrisy, engrossed in it and persisting [in it]. You do not know them -- an address to the Prophet (s) -- but We know them, and We shall chastise them twice, by disgracing them or having them killed in this world, and by way of punishment in the grave, then they will be returned, in the Hereafter, to a terrible chastisement, namely, the Fire.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites among the Bedouins and Residents of Al-Madinah

Allah tells;

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الَاعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ

And among the Bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the people of Al-Madinah,

Allah informs His Messenger, peace be upon him, that among the Bedouins around Al-Madinah there are hypocrites and in Al-Madinah itself, those,

مَرَدُواْ عَلَى النِّفَاقِ

who persist in hypocrisy;

meaning they insisted on hypocrisy and continued in it.

Allah's statement,

لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ

you know them not, We know them,

This does not contradict His other statement,

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),

because the latter Ayah describes them by their characteristics, not that the Messenger knows all those who have doubts and hypocrisy. The Messenger knew that some of those who associated with him from the people of Al-Madinah were hypocrites, and he used to see them day and night (but did not know who they were exactly).

We mentioned before in the explanation of,
وَهَمُّواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُواْ
(...and they resolved that (plot) which they were unable to carry out...), (9;74) that the Prophet informed Hudhayfah of the names of fourteen or fifteen hypocrites. This knowledge is specific in this case, not that the Messenger of Allah was informed of all their names, and Allah knows best.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah commented on this Ayah (9;101),

"What is the matter with some people who claim to have knowledge about other people, saying, `So-and-so is in Paradise and so-and-so is in the Fire.' If you ask any of these people about himself, he would say, `I do not know (if I will end up in Paradise or the Fire)!' Verily, you have more knowledge of yourself than other people. You have assumed a job that even the Prophets before you refrained from assuming.

Allah's Prophet Nuh said,

وَمَا عِلْمِى بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

And what knowledge have I of what they used to do! (26;112)

Allah's Prophet Shu`ayb said,

بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّوْمِنِينَ وَمَأ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ

That which is left by Allah for you (after giving the rights of the people) is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not a guardian over you) (11;86),

while Allah said to His Prophet,
لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ
(you know them not, We know them)."

سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ

We shall punish them twice,

Mujahid said,

"By killing and capture."

In another narration he said,

"By hunger and torment in the grave,

ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ



and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment."

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,

"The torment in this life strikes their wealth and offspring,"

and he recited this Ayah,

فَلَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; Allah only wants to punish them with these things in the life of this world. (9;55)

These afflictions torment them, but will bring reward for the believers. As for the torment in the Hereafter, it is in the Fire,
ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ
(and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment)