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 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:8-16 [2/40] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَمِنَAnd of
ٱلنَّاسِthe people
مَن(are some) who
يَقُولُsay,
ءَامَنَّا`We believed
بِٱللَّهِin Allah
وَبِٱلْيَوْمِand in the Day
ٱلْأَخِرِ[the] Last,`
وَمَاbut not
هُمthey
بِمُؤْمِنِينَ(are) believers (at all).
﴿٨﴾
يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَThey seek to deceive Allah
وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
ءَامَنُواْbelieve[d],
وَمَاand not
يَخْدَعُونَthey deceive
إِلَّآexcept
أَنفُسَهُمْthemselves,
وَمَاand not
يَشْعُرُونَthey realize (it).
﴿٩﴾
فِىIn
قُلُوبِهِمtheir hearts
مَّرَضٌ(is) a disease,
فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُso Allah increased them
مَرَضًا‌ۖ(in) disease;
وَلَهُمْand for them
عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
أَلِيمُۢpainful
بِمَاbecause
كَانُواْthey used (to)
يَكْذِبُونَ[they] lie.
﴿١٠﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
قِيلَit is said
لَهُمْto them,
لَا`(Do) not
تُفْسِدُواْspread corruption
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِthe earth,`
قَالُوٓاْthey say,
إِنَّمَا`Only
نَحْنُwe
مُصْلِحُونَ(are) reformers.`
﴿١١﴾
أَلَآBeware,
إِنَّهُمْindeed they
هُمُthemselves
ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ(are) the ones who spread corruption,
وَلَـٰكِن[and] but
لَّاnot
يَشْعُرُونَthey realize (it).
﴿١٢﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
قِيلَit is said
لَهُمْto them,
ءَامِنُواْ`Believe
كَمَآas
ءَامَنَbelieved
ٱلنَّاسُthe people,`
قَالُوٓاْthey say,
أَنُؤْمِنُ`Should we believe
كَمَآas
ءَامَنَbelieved
ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ‌ۗthe fools?`
أَلَآBeware,
إِنَّهُمْcertainly they
هُمُthemselves
ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ(are) the fools
وَلَـٰكِن[and] but
لَّاnot
يَعْلَمُونَthey know.
﴿١٣﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
لَقُواْthey meet
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieve[d],
قَالُوٓاْthey say,
ءَامَنَّا`We believe[d].`
وَإِذَاBut when
خَلَوْاْthey are alone
إِلَىٰwith
شَيَـٰطِينِهِمْtheir evil ones,
قَالُوٓاْthey say,
إِنَّا`Indeed, we
مَعَكُمْ(are) with you,
إِنَّمَاonly
نَحْنُwe
مُسْتَهْزِءُونَ(are) mockers.`
﴿١٤﴾
ٱللَّهُAllah
يَسْتَهْزِئُmocks
بِهِمْat them,
وَيَمُدُّهُمْand prolongs them
فِىin
طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْtheir transgression,
يَعْمَهُونَthey wander blindly.
﴿١٥﴾
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
ٱلَّذِينَ(are) the ones who
ٱشْتَرَوُاْbought
ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ[the] astraying
بِٱلْهُدَىٰfor [the] guidance.
فَمَاSo not
رَبِحَتprofited
تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمْtheir commerce
وَمَاand not
كَانُواْwere they
مُهْتَدِينَguided-ones.
﴿١٦﴾

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّقُوۡلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَبِالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَمَا هُمۡ بِمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ​ۘ‏  يُخٰدِعُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ​ۚ وَمَا يَخۡدَعُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَؕ‏  فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ مَّرَضٌۙ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مَرَضًا ​ۚ وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌۙۢبِمَا كَانُوۡا يَكۡذِبُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ لَا تُفۡسِدُوۡا فِىۡ الۡاَرۡضِۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُوۡنَ‏  اَلَا ۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ الۡمُفۡسِدُوۡنَ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ اٰمِنُوۡا كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوۡاۤ اَنُؤۡمِنُ كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ السُّفَهَآءُ​ ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ السُّفَهَآءُ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  وَاِذَا لَقُوۡا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا قَالُوۡاۤ اٰمَنَّا ۖۚ وَاِذَا خَلَوۡا اِلٰى شَيٰطِيۡنِهِمۡۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّا مَعَكُمۡۙ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ‏   اَللّٰهُ يَسۡتَهۡزِئُ بِهِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِىۡ طُغۡيَانِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُوۡنَ‏   اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ اشۡتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالۡهُدٰى فَمَا رَبِحَتۡ تِّجَارَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوۡا مُهۡتَدِيۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(2:8) There are some who say: “We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,” while in fact they do not believe. (2:9) They are trying to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not realize that in truth they are only deceiving themselves.11 (2:10) There is a disease in their hearts and Allah has intensified this disease.12 A painful chastisement awaits them for their lying. (2:11) Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.” (2:12) They are the mischief makers, but they do not realize it. (2:13) Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,”13 they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?”14 Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it. (2:14) When they meet the believers, they say: “We believe,” but when they meet their evil companions (in privacy),15 they say: “Surely we are with you; we were merely jesting.” (2:15) Allah jests with them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their rebellion. (2:16) These are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance. This bargain has brought them no profit and certainly they are not on the Right Way.16
Commentary

11. These people delude themselves that their hypocritical behaviour will profit them when in fact it will prove harmful both in this world and the Next. A hypocrite may be able to fool people for a while, but it does not last long; his hypocrisy is ultimately seen through. As for the Next Life, it is obvious that his claim to be a true believer is contradicted by his own actions and is thus quite worthless.

12. ' Disease' here refers to the disease of hypocrisy. The statement that 'Allah has intensified this disease' means that He does not punish the hypocrites immediately but allows them to indulge in their hypocrisy and exult in the success of their ruses. This feeling of success intensifies their hypocrisy.

13. They are being asked to become Muslims in the same manner as others of their community became Muslims

14. They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with one's own interests.

15. 'Satan' in Arabic means refractory, rebellious and headstrong, and is used for both human beings and jinn. Although this word is generally used in the Qur'an for the satans amongst the jinn, it is also used occasionally for human beings possessing satanic characteristics. The context generally explains whether the word 'satan' refers to jinn or to human beings. In this particular case the word 'satans' refers to those influential leaders of the time who were in the vanguard of opposition and hostility to Islam

16. This means that two opposite effects emerged when a true servant of God radiated the light which made it possible to distinguish true from false and right from wrong, and made the straight way distinct from the ways of error. To those endowed with true perception, all truths became evident. But those who were almost blinded by the worship of their animal desires perceived nothing.

The expression, 'Allah took away the light of their perception' should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception. God simply enables such people to do what they wish.