Hypocrisy (النفاق) in the Quran — Key Verses & Related Concepts

ConceptHypocrisy in the QuranالنفاقEthics11Verses6Surahs14Connections#364of 828

Also Known As

FrenchHypocrisie
Urduنفاق
Bengaliনিফাক
IndonesianKemunafikan

Profile

Revelation

Meccan 0Medinan 11

Domain Mix

Ethics73%
Theology18%
Eschatology9%

Across The Qur’an

Every surah, shaded by how often this concept appears. Unshaded surahs never mention it.

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Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

  1. 2:8Al-BaqarahConsolation
    وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ
    And of mankind are some who say: We believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not.
    In context

    Among people are some who claim to have faith in Allah, when they actually do not believe.

  2. إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ يُخَٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَٰدِعُهُمۡ وَإِذَا قَامُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَىٰ يُرَآءُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَلَا يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا
    Lo! the hypocrites seek to beguile Allah, but it is He Who beguileth them. When they stand up to worship they perform it languidly and to be seen of men, and are mindful of Allah but little;
    In context

    The hypocrites try to deceive Allah by showing themselves as believers on the outside while hiding disbelief inside. Allah, in turn, deceives them because He protects their lives despite knowing about their disbelief. In the Afterlife, He has prepared the most severe punishment for them. When they stand for prayer they do so lazily, with reluctance.

  3. إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ فِي ٱلدَّرۡكِ ٱلۡأَسۡفَلِ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمۡ نَصِيرًا
    Lo! the hypocrites (will be) in the lowest deep of the Fire, and thou wilt find no helper for them;
    In context

    Allah will place the hypocrites in the lowest place in the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement. You will not find anyone to defend them against the punishment.

  4. ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَقۡبِضُونَ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡۚ نَسُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ
    The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands (from spending for the cause of Allah). They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors.
    In context

    The hypocrites, men and women, are all the same with respect to their states of hypocrisy. They are not like the believers, because they call to evil and prohibit good. They are also miserly with their wealth and do not spend it in Allah’s path. They turned away from Allah and were unmindful of Him, and they only remember Allah a little. Allah therefore left them out of His mercy.

  5. فَأَعۡقَبَهُمۡ نِفَاقٗا فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يَلۡقَوۡنَهُۥ بِمَآ أَخۡلَفُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡذِبُونَ
    So He hath made the consequence (to be) hypocrisy in their hearts until the day when they shall meet Him, because they broke their word to Allah that they promised Him, and because they lied.
    In context

    Allah therefore firmly established hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day of Judgement, as a punishment for their breaking their promise with Allah and for their lying.

  6. ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفۡرٗا وَنِفَاقٗا وَأَجۡدَرُ أَلَّا يَعۡلَمُواْ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ
    The wandering Arabs are more hard in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the limits which Allah hath revealed unto His messenger. And Allah is Knower, Wise.
    In context

    If the people of the desert are of those who adopt disbelief or hypocrisy, then their disbelief and hypocrisy is stronger than that of others who live in city areas. They are also more likely to be ignorant of religion and the obligatory and recommended acts of the sacred law that Allah has revealed to His Messenger.

  7. وَمِمَّنۡ حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مُنَٰفِقُونَۖ وَمِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعۡلَمُهُمۡۖ نَحۡنُ نَعۡلَمُهُمۡۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيۡنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٖ
    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.
    In context

    Some of those who live in the desert surrounding Medina are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Medina. They are firm and staunch in their hypocrisy. You, O Messenger, do not know them, but it is Allah Who knows them.

  8. ۞لَّئِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهِ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡمُرۡجِفُونَ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ لَنُغۡرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَآ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا
    If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and the alarmists in the city do not cease, We verily shall urge thee on against them, then they will be your neighbours in it but a little while.
    In context

    The hypocrites who conceal their disbelief and outwardly show Islam, whose hearts are transgressive in nature by being attached to their desires, and who spread false information in Al-Madīnah to create disunity among the believers, if they do not stop their hypocrisy, O Messenger, I will definitely command you to punish them and impose a punishment upon them.

  9. يَوۡمَ يَقُولُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱنظُرُونَا نَقۡتَبِسۡ مِن نُّورِكُمۡ قِيلَ ٱرۡجِعُواْ وَرَآءَكُمۡ فَٱلۡتَمِسُواْ نُورٗاۖ فَضُرِبَ بَيۡنَهُم بِسُورٖ لَّهُۥ بَابُۢ بَاطِنُهُۥ فِيهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةُ وَظَٰهِرُهُۥ مِن قِبَلِهِ ٱلۡعَذَابُ
    On the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say unto those who believe: Look on us that we may borrow from your light! it will be said: Go back and seek for light! Then there will separate them a wall wherein is a gate, the inner side whereof containeth mercy, while the outer side thereof is toward the doom.
    In context

    On the day when the hypocrite males and females will say to those who brought faith in Allah and His Messenger: “O believing men and women! Wait for us; perhaps we can take a flare of your light that will help us cross the Bridge?” It will be said to the hypocrites, mocking them: “Turn back and find the light which you can use for yourselves!

  10. إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشۡهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ يَشۡهَدُ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَكَٰذِبُونَ
    When the hypocrites come unto thee (O Muhammad), they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah's messenger. And Allah knoweth that thou art indeed His messenger, and Allah beareth witness that the hypocrites indeed are speaking falsely.
    In context

    When the hypocrites, who outwardly profess Islam and inwardly conceal disbelief, come to your gathering, O Messenger, they say: ‘We testify that you are truly the messenger of Allah.’ Allah testifies that the hypocrites are lying in their claim that they testify from the depth of their hearts that you are His messenger.

  11. ۞وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ تُعۡجِبُكَ أَجۡسَامُهُمۡۖ وَإِن يَقُولُواْ تَسۡمَعۡ لِقَوۡلِهِمۡۖ كَأَنَّهُمۡ خُشُبٞ مُّسَنَّدَةٞۖ يَحۡسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيۡحَةٍ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ هُمُ ٱلۡعَدُوُّ فَٱحۡذَرۡهُمۡۚ قَٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤۡفَكُونَ
    And when thou seest them their figures please thee; and if they speak thou givest ear unto their speech. (They are) as though they were blocks of wood in striped cloaks. They deem every shout to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah confound them! How they are perverted!
    In context

    When you see them, their appearance and form impresses you, because of the youthfulness and luxury they possess. If they speak, you listen to their speech because of its eloquence. As if they are propped-up timber in your gathering, O Messenger. They do not understand or pay heed to anything. They think that every sound is targeting them because of their cowardice.

Defined Against

Appears Alongside