سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 142
إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَـٰدِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ قَامُوا۟ كُسَالَىٰ يُرَآءُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿142﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allâh, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allâh but little.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ
l-munāfiqīna
the hypocrites
يُخَـٰدِعُونَ
yukhādiʿūna
(seek to) deceive
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and (it is) He
خَـٰدِعُهُمْ
khādiʿuhum
who deceives them
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
قَامُوٓا۟
qāmū
they stand
إِلَى
ilā
for
ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ
l-ṣalati
the prayer
قَامُوا۟
qāmū
they stand
كُسَالَىٰ
kusālā
lazily
يُرَآءُونَ
yurāūna
showing off
ٱلنَّاسَ
l-nāsa
(to) the people
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَذْكُرُونَ
yadhkurūna
they remember
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
a little
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 142) ➊ {اِنَّ الْمُنٰفِقِيْنَ يُخٰدِعُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَ هُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ:} The explanation of this sentence has already been given in Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah (9) and (15). Allah’s deceiving them will also be in a manner befitting His majesty.
➋ { وَ اِذَا قَامُوْۤا اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ قَامُوْا كُسَالٰى … :} From this verse, it is understood that the hypocrites had to come to the mosque to prove their Islam. If someone did not pray in the mosque, he was not counted among the Muslims. These prayers of the hypocrites were only for show to the Muslims, so in those prayers where there was an opportunity to hide, they would remain absent, such as the Fajr and ‘Isha prayers. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Fajr and ‘Isha prayers are heaviest upon the hypocrites among all prayers, but if they knew what reward is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” [ بخاری، الأذان، باب فضل فی صلوۃ العشاء… : ۶۵۷۔ مسلم : 652،651 ]
➌ {لَا يَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا:} That is, hastily, as if trying to get rid of a burden. Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “This is the prayer of the hypocrite: he sits waiting for the sun, until when it is between the two horns of Satan (i.e., just before sunset), he stands and pecks four times, and remembers Allah only a little in them.” [ مسلم، المساجد، باب استحباب التبکیر : ۶۲۲ ] It is understood from this that delaying the ‘Asr prayer is also hypocrisy, and hastily performing two prostrations together, without a pause, is actually one prostration; otherwise, He would have said eight pecks instead of four.
➋ { وَ اِذَا قَامُوْۤا اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ قَامُوْا كُسَالٰى … :} From this verse, it is understood that the hypocrites had to come to the mosque to prove their Islam. If someone did not pray in the mosque, he was not counted among the Muslims. These prayers of the hypocrites were only for show to the Muslims, so in those prayers where there was an opportunity to hide, they would remain absent, such as the Fajr and ‘Isha prayers. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Fajr and ‘Isha prayers are heaviest upon the hypocrites among all prayers, but if they knew what reward is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” [ بخاری، الأذان، باب فضل فی صلوۃ العشاء… : ۶۵۷۔ مسلم : 652،651 ]
➌ {لَا يَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا:} That is, hastily, as if trying to get rid of a burden. Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “This is the prayer of the hypocrite: he sits waiting for the sun, until when it is between the two horns of Satan (i.e., just before sunset), he stands and pecks four times, and remembers Allah only a little in them.” [ مسلم، المساجد، باب استحباب التبکیر : ۶۲۲ ] It is understood from this that delaying the ‘Asr prayer is also hypocrisy, and hastily performing two prostrations together, without a pause, is actually one prostration; otherwise, He would have said eight pecks instead of four.
