Transliteration:( Yahlifoona billaahi lakum liyurdookum wallaahu wa Rasooluhoo ahaqqu ai yurdoohu in kaanoo mu'mineen )
"They swear by Allah to you to please you [174]. But Allah and His Messenger have a greater right that they should please [175] Him (i.e., Allah), if they are believers."
This verse addresses the hypocrites who would make fun of Islam and Muslims behind their backs but then come forward pretending loyalty. When confronted, they would swear falsely by Allah, claiming innocence in order to please the believers and protect their own image. These oaths were not sincere but tactics of deception, aimed at maintaining acceptance among the Muslim community. The verse exposes their dual nature and warns against being swayed by such superficial gestures.
From this verse, we learn two important principles:
When performing acts of worship, if one’s intention includes pleasing the Holy Prophet ﷺ alongside Allah Almighty, it is not shirk (polytheism). Rather, it completes one's faith, as true love for the Prophet ﷺ is an essential aspect of belief. The Prophet’s approval reflects divine acceptance, since he only loves what Allah loves.
Performing acts of devotion—such as sacrifice or pilgrimage—with the intention of honoring the Prophet ﷺ or gaining his intercession is a source of spiritual reward. The Holy Prophet ﷺ himself performed sacrifices on behalf of his Ummah, demonstrating that seeking his pleasure is part of the path to divine nearness. Pleasing Allah and His Messenger is the true hallmark of sincere believers.
62. They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) in order to please you, but it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger, if they are believers. 63. Know they not that whoever opposes and shows hostility to Allah and His Messenger, certainly for him will be the fire of Hell to abide therein. That is the extreme disgrace.
Qatadah said about Allah’s statement,
(They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) in order to please you) “A hypocrite man said, `By Allah! They (hypocrites) are our chiefs and masters. If what Muhammad says is true, they are worse than donkeys.’ A Muslim man heard him and declared, `By Allah! What Muhammad says is true and you are worse than a donkey!’ The Muslim man conveyed what happened to the Prophet who summoned the hypocrite and asked him,
(What made you say what you said) That man invoked curses on himself and swore by Allah that he never said that. Meanwhile, the Muslim man said, `O Allah! Assert the truth of the truthful and expose the lies of the liar.’ Allah revealed this Verse.”’ Allah’s statement,
(Know they not that whoever opposes and shows hostility to Allah and His Messenger,) means, have they not come to know and realize that those who defy, oppose, wage war and reject Allah, thus becoming on one side while Allah and His Messenger on another side,
(certainly for him will be the fire of Hell to abide therein), in a humiliating torment,
(That is the extreme disgrace)﴿9:63﴾, that is the greatest disgrace and the tremendous misery.
(9:62) They swear by Allah to please you, while it is Allah and His Messenger whose pleasure they should seek if they truly believe.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
[489]- Literally, "to satisfy Him," meaning that Allāh would be satisfied by obedience to the Messenger (ﷺ).
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