Transliteration:( Allazeena yatarab basoona bikum fa in kaana lakum fathum minal laahi qaalooo alam nakum ma'akum wa in kaana lilkaafireena naseebun qaalooo alam nastah wiz 'alaikum wa nammna'kum minal mu'mineen; fallaahu yahkumu bainakum Yawmal Qiyaamah; wa lai yaj'alal laahu lilkaafireena 'alal mu'mineena sabeelaa )
“Those who wait (and watch) your position. Then if you gain a victory from Allah, they say: ‘Were we not with you?’ [416] But, if the infidels have a success, then they say to them: ‘Did we not gain an advantage over you and protect you from the Muslims?’ [417] Then Allah will decide between you on the Day of Judgment [418]. And Allah will not make a way for the infidels against the Muslims [419].”
This refers to the hypocrites who outwardly recite the Kalima and perform Salah, and even join the Muslims in battle, such as at Uhud, to claim a share in victory and spoils.
However, their intention is selfish—they try to enjoy the benefits of both sides, aligning verbally with Muslims but harboring loyalty to the disbelievers.
From this we learn that:
Physical or verbal alignment with Muslims means nothing without sincere and wholehearted faith.
Insincere association is always empty and unfulfilled in both worlds.
To the disbelievers, the hypocrites claim:
Though we were present on the battlefield, we did not fight against you, thus weakening the Muslim army.
We leaked secret information, helping your strategy.
From this, we learn:
A Muslim who spies for disbelievers or acts as their informer or agent resembles the hypocrites.
Sadly, many today are guilty of such betrayal—endangering the Ummah for worldly gain.
Also from this verse:
The testimony of an infidel is not acceptable against a Muslim.
Marriage between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man is unlawful in Islam.
Though such individuals manipulate loyalties in this world, true judgment will be delivered on the Day of Resurrection.
On that day:
Every soul will be grouped with whom it loved and supported,
And hypocrisy will no longer be hidden.
From this we learn:
Even if all disbelievers and hypocrites unite, they cannot overpower Muslims unless Muslims themselves are unjust or sinful.
Defeat only comes when Muslims betray their own faith or commit collective wrongdoing.
Also derived from this verse:
A non-Muslim cannot purchase a Muslim slave.
A non-Muslim cannot inherit from or bequeath to a Muslim.
This verse reinforces the divinely guaranteed protection for true believers—Allah does not give lasting dominance to disbelievers over the faithful, unless by the Muslims’ own failures.
141. Those who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allah, they say: “Were we not with you” But if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): “Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers” Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection. And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.
Allah states that the hypocrites watch and await the harm that occurs to the believers, awaiting the time when the Muslim circumstances and religion are dissolved and the state of Kufr takes over.
(if you gain a victory from Allah) triumph, aid and booty,
(they say, “Were we not with you”) trying to come closer to the believers with this statement. However,
(But if the disbelievers gain a success,) by gaining victory over the believers sometimes, just as occurred during Uhud, for surely, the Messengers are tested, but the final victory is theirs.
(they say (to them), “Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers”) meaning, did we not help you in secret and try our best to confuse the believers and weaken their resolve, until you gained victory over them This statement of the hypocrites is an attempt to strengthen relations with the disbelievers, because they pretend to be friends with both parties so that they will be safe from their harm, due to their weak faith and lack of certainty. Allah said,
(Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection) meaning, by what He knows about you, O hypocrites. Therefore, do not be deceived by being shaded under the protection of Islamic Law in this life, which is such only out of Allah’s wisdom. Surely, on the Day of Resurrection, your pretending shall not benefit you, because on that Day, the secrets of the souls will be disclosed and the contents of the hearts will be collected. Allah said,
(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers). `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Yasi` Al-Kindi said, “A man came to `Ali bin Abi Talib and said, `What about this Ayah,
(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.) `Ali said, `Come closer, come closer. Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and He will not grant victory for the disbelievers over the believers.’ ” Ibn Jurayj recorded that `Ata’ Al-Khurasani said that Ibn `Abbas said that,
(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.) “Will occur on the Day of Resurrection.” As-Suddi recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ashja`i said that it occurs on the Day of Resurrection. As-Suddi said that “way” means, proof. It is possible that the meaning of, `and never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers’, is in this life by being unable to exterminate the believers completely, although they sometimes gain victory over some Muslims. However, the Final Triumph will be for the believers in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,
(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in the worldly life) This provides a rebuttal to the wishes of the hypocrites for the destruction of the believers, and their loyalty to the disbelievers, fearing for themselves if they are victorious. In another Ayah, Allah said,
(And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy), they hurry to their friendship), until,
(Regretful)
(4:141) These hypocrites watch you closely: if victory is granted to you by Allah, they will say: ‘Were we not with you?’ And were the unbelievers to gain the upper hand, they will say: ‘Did we not have mastery over you, and yet we protected you from the believers?’[171] It is Allah Who will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and He will not allow the unbelievers, in any way, to gain advantage over the believers.
171. This is typical of the hypocrites of every age. Such people try to avail themselves of all the benefits which can accrue from a verbal profession of Islam and identification with the Islamic community. They also try to secure the advantages to be obtained by associating with the unbelievers, by assuring them in every possible way about themselves that they are not ‘fanatic Muslims’, that their association with the Muslims is only nominal. On the other hand, they never fail to assure the unbelievers that their loyalties and concerns are the same as theirs, that in mental outlook, cultural orientation and taste they are in harmony with them, and that if a decisive conflict between Islam and unbelief were to take place, their weight will certainly be on the side of the latter.
[227]- In the Hereafter, but possibly in this world as well.
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