Transliteration:( Yaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo lima taqooloona maa laa taf'aloon )
"O believers! Why do you profess what you do not practice?"
This verse addresses the believers directly, questioning the inconsistency between their words and their actions.
"Profess" refers to making verbal claims or expressing intentions, particularly when one asserts a commitment to something or expresses a high moral or religious stance without backing it up with actions.
The verse serves as a rebuke for those who speak of high ideals or commitments without following through, encouraging a closer alignment between intention and action. It is not an accusation of disbelief or hypocrisy in the legal sense, but rather a criticism of moral inconsistency.
The verse specifically targets those who:
Preach virtues without practicing them themselves.
Make promises or resolve to carry out good deeds but fail to follow through.
Commit verbally to actions such as sacrifices or obedience but then fail to deliver in practice.
This behavior undermines the integrity of the believer’s character and weakens the trustworthiness of their words.
For instance, preachers who teach virtues, yet fail to practice them, and those who make false promises, particularly when they have no intention of fulfilling them, are called out in this verse.
It highlights a moral discrepancy that weakens both the personal integrity of the individual and the credibility of the faith community.
This verse was revealed as a gentle reproach to some of the Companions who had expressed deep commitment and zeal for doing what pleased Allah, particularly before the command of Jihad.
Some Companions had declared: “If we knew which deed is most beloved to Allah, we would surely perform it, even if it required sacrificing our lives.”
When Jihad was later commanded, some hesitated to fulfill their earlier enthusiastic promises.
This verse was revealed to remind them (and all believers) to align their intentions with actions and practice what they preach. It is a call to live up to the commitments and resolutions one makes in words.
The tafsir of Surah As-Saff verse 2 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Saff ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 4.
(61:2) Believers, why do you profess that which you do not practise?
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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