Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realize [it] not! ❋ In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease; and theirs is a grievous penalty, because they are false [to themselves]. (Yukhādi‘ūna Allāha wa alladhīna āmanū wa mā yakhda‘ūna illā anfusahum wa mā yash‘urūn; • Fī qulūbihim maraḍun fa‑zādahum Allāhu maraḍan wa la-hum ‘adhābun alīmun bi-mā kānū yakdhibūn.)
The positioning [of this verse and its relationship with the preceding one]: Consider first what the phrases indicate: Censure of dissembling; then condemnation of it; then denunciation of dissemblers as repugnant; then the threatening of them; then intimidation of them; then amazement at them; then an exposition of their aims as expressed above; then an explanation of what made them say what they did; then a description of the first of the four misdeeds arising from their dissembling, which are deception, corruption, their calling the believers feeble‑minded, and their deriding them. Then a portrayal of their crimes and artifices by means of a parabolic metaphor (isti‘āra tamthīliyya). It is like this: it depicts their conduct in the face of Allah (the Most High)’s injunctions and towards the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and the believers – their displaying belief for worldly ends despite inwardly disbelieving. It depicts how Allah, the Prophet and the believers act towards them, gradually enacting the precepts of the believers against them, although in Allah’s sight they are the most abominable disbelievers. Just like two people tricking each other, or a hunter and his prey: the prey senses the hunter on emerging from its hole so scurries back into it.
The positioning [and relationships] of the words and phrases from Fain would they deceive (yukhādi‘ūna), which looks to their first crime, to they are false [to themselves] (bi‑mā kānū yakdhibūn). Consider the consecutive consequences inferred by these seven phrases, as follows:
Firstly: They are shown to be stupid for attempting something impossible like deceiving Allah.
Secondly: They are deemed foolish for harming themselves while seeking their own benefits.
Thirdly: They are accused of ignorance for failing to distinguish between benefit and harm.
Fourthly: They are scorned for their malignant characters, and their sick sources of health, and moribund springs of life.
Fifthly: They are despised for increasing their sickness while seeking a cure.
Sixthly: They are threatened with pure suffering and nothing but further pain.
Seventhly: They are paraded before the people [as the perpetrators of] the ugliest of vices; that is, lying.
The sequence of these seven phrases, and how each bears on the next may be illustrated as follows:
If you want to hold someone back from doing something and advise him against it, you say to him firstly:
“Hey you! You’re an intelligent person, you can see that this is impossible!
And you’re fond of yourself, so you can understand how harmful it is!
And you’re sensible too, so why can’t you tell the difference between what’s harmful and what’s beneficial?
Maybe you have no will, but at least admit that your character is corrupted. It is sick and distorts the truth and makes you think that what’s sweet is bitter.
You’re searching for a cure, but it only increases your sickness and is no remedy. What you’re afflicted with resembles insomnia; you try to sleep, but it only upsets you and banishes your sleepiness. Or you resemble someone whose heart is assailed by worries and this excessive anxiety only compounds his ailment. Then you seek pleasure but it yields severe pain and leads to more terrible suffering, and that contains no pleasure at all. If you don’t come to your senses immediately and give up all this, nothing remains but to brand you on the snout with an ugly mark! Then everyone will know you and your corruption won’t spread among them!
In just the same way, in order to restrain the dissemblers, Allah the Most High says:
Fain would they deceive Allah (yukhādi‘ūna Allah), rather than ‘Fain would they deceive the Prophet,’ [also] pointing out their stupidity. That is, how could they deceive the Prophet (Upon whom be peace) seeing that he is a Messenger from Allah the Most High? So their trickery reverts to Allah Himself, and it is impossible to trick Allah the Most High. To attempt the impossible is stupidity and such stupidity is only to be wondered at.
This is followed by but they only deceive themselves (wa mā yakhda‘ūna illā anfusahum), to point out their foolishness. That is, “There is no benefit in what you are doing, only harm; and its harm will turn back on you, as though you were deceiving yourselves.”
Following this is and they realize it not (wa mā yash‘urūn), to demonstrate their ignorance. That is, “You ignorant people! You’re further astray than beasts or solid stones, for you can’t see the difference between benefit and harm!”
This is succeeded by In their hearts is a disease (fī qulūbihim maraḍun) to show how contemptible they are, for their natures are corrupted. That is, if you don’t have wills, at least you should know the sickness for what it is, and that you are depraved. Indeed, dissembling and envy are sicknesses of the spirit, the mark of which is to distort the truth and change it so that you suppose sweetness to be bitter and bitterness to be sweet, and black to be white and white to be black; so don’t follow such a path!
Then it adds: so Allah has increased their disease (fa‑zādahum Allāhu maraḍan) to show their debasement. That is, you want a remedy to be cured of your anger and envy, but they are ailments that will only increase your sickness. You are like a person who breaks one of his hands, and seeking revenge on someone strikes him with it, causing it multiple fractures.
Next it says and theirs is a grievous penalty (wa la‑hum ‘adhābun alīmun), in order to threaten them. That is, if you are seeking pleasure through this dissembling of yours, it will give you nothing but ghastly suffering now, and result in more terrible suffering in the hereafter. It is not like other sins, which afford a sort of immediate paltry pleasure.
Finally, it completes the section with because they are false [to themselves] (bi‑mā kānū yakdhibūn), to brand them with the most repulsive stamp. That is, if you don’t come to your senses, and you haven’t come to your senses, the only solution will be for you to be paraded before the people for lying so that they do not put their trust in you and your sickness does not spread.
Now the Positioning of the Parts of the Phrases Relatively to Each Other
The first phrase: that is, Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe (Yukhādi‘ūna Allāh wa alladhīna āmanū): The use of the term deception to describe their act, and of the imperfect tense, and especially the third form of the verb.
And particularly using the name of Allah in place of the Prophet, and who believe (wa alladhīna āmanū) in place of the believers (al‑mu’minūn), all point explicitly to the impossibility of their aim to deceive. It thrusts this impossibility before the eyes, making people abominate it and shudder at it, for the parabolic metaphor (al‑isti‘āra al-tamthīlīyya) contained in the word ‘deception’ (al‑khudā‘) arouses revulsion. The heart too recoils at the descriptiveness of the imperfect tense and the continuance it infers. As in the verse, The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto, the reciprocity expressed by the use of the third form of the verb suggests that their deception will be fruitless. For in the third form of the verb, the act of the doer is a cause of the act of the one acted upon, and here the latter is a cause of the doer’s deception being fruitless and without effect; indeed, it shows their deception to be feeble and without substance, like turning the tables on someone. For example, you mock someone supposing him to be unaware of it, but inwardly he knows and is secretly mocking you.
The name Allāh states explicitly the impossibility of what they intend, for to deceive the Prophet (Upon whom be peace) entails deceiving Allah the Most High, and the reasoning faculty cannot accept such deception.
In the choice of and those who believe (wa alladhīna āmanū) rather than ‘the believers,’ that is, in the choice of the relative clause and the attribute of belief, is a sign that the dissemblers try to ingratiate themselves with the believers through the attribute of belief, exciting that vein of the believers in order to win their love so that they can insinuate themselves among them. It suggests too that since the minds of the community of believers are illuminated with belief, the dissemblers’ deceptions are not hidden from them, which leads to those deceptions being fruitless.
The second phrase: that is, but they deceive only themselves (wa mā yakhda‘ūna illā anfusahum): In the restriction expressed by only is a sign of their total foolishness, since their act rebounds on them. Like a per‑ son who throws a stone at a wall and it bounces back and cracks his skull. For they let fly arrows at the believers but hit themselves, as though it were only themselves they had deceived.
And the replacement of ‘they harm’ (yaḍarrūna) by they deceive (yakhda‘ūna) implies their utter foolishness, for among reasonable people one may be found who intentionally harms himself, but none that deliberately deceives himself, unless he is a complete donkey.
And in the word themselves (anfusahum) is a concealed sign that since their dissembling and artifice are to gratify their instinctual souls and for selfish reasons, they result in the reverse of what is being sought.
If You Were to Ask: The restriction [to the dissemblers] here implies that their deceptions cause no harm to Islam and the Muslims, but Islam has been harmed by nothing to the extent it has been harmed by the various sorts of dissembling and their offshoots, which have spread like poison among the peoples of the Islamic world?
You Would Be Told: The aggressive harm you see and that contagious poison have spread like an infectious disease from their prurient characters, corrupted natures, and putrid consciences; it is not the result of the deceptions and tricks they have perpetrated through their wills. For they want to deceive Allah and the Prophet and the community of believers, but Allah has knowledge of all things and the Prophet is the recipient of revelation, and it is not possible for the deception to be hidden from the community of believers for any length of time, and they are not deceived. So it is established that it is only themselves that they deceive.
The third phrase: and realize it not (wa mā yash‘urūn); that is, they do not perceive or are not sensible of: This succinct phrase ascribes ignorance to them, for it gives to understand that if they are intelligent beings, this is not characteristic of intelligence, and if they are animals and act on the impulses of the instinctual soul, they should sense and be aware of this palpable harm. Hence it is established that they have come to resemble inanimate beings, devoid of will.
The fourth phrase: In their hearts is a disease (fī qulūbihim maraḍun); this phrase being positioned here states that since they do not act as required by the reasoning of the intellect and awareness of the senses, it is clear that they are suffering from a sickness of the spirit. For at least they should know it is a sickness and avoid its attendant problems and not judge according to them. For such sickness alters the truth, distorts beauty, and shows what is bitter to be sweet, as has been described.
The preposition In (fī) hints that their envy and hatred are sicknesses afflicting the inward dimensions of their hearts, the heart being a subtle dominical faculty, as discussed.
And in the term ‘heart’ (qalb) is an indication that just as a disease of the physical heart disturbs the functioning of all the body, so when what the heart signifies is sick with deception and dissembling, all the functions of the spirit are deflected from the straight path, for the heart in this sense is the source of life and its machine.
And In their hearts (fī qulūbihim) preceding is a disease (maraḍun) bears the meaning of restriction in two respects: by way of allusion it indicates that belief is a light which gives health and right direction to all man’s actions and works. Secondly, it infers that their corruption is fundamental so it is of no avail to repair minor matters.
The word a disease (maraḍun) allusively confutes their excuses and rams them down their throats. For man’s innate disposition inclines naturally to the truth; corruption and destruction are sicknesses and accidental (‘āriḍ).
And in the use of the indefinite is a sign that the disease is so deep‑seated that it is not possible to either see it or cure it.
The Fifth Phrase: that is, and Allah has increased their disease (fa‑zādahum Allāhu maraḍan): When they do not recognize the disease or avoid it, but chase after it applauding it, Allah increases it, for “whoever seeks will find.”
In the fa‑ [of fa‑zāda], which expresses purpose, – although the existence of the sickness is not a reason for its increase –
is a sign that since they do not identify the disease, nor seek a means of curing it, indeed, take steps to aggravate it like someone who strikes a superior enemy with a broken hand, it seems they are seeking its increase. So Allah increases it by transforming their hopes into oppressive despair, due to the triumph of the believers, and transforms their enmity into burning hatred in their hearts, because the believers prevail. So there arise from the diseases of hatred and despair, the sickness of fear and ailment of weakness and illness of degradation, all of which overwhelm their hearts.
Allah the Most High did not say ‘Allah increased their disease’ (fa‑zāda Allāhu maraḍahum), but Allah has increased them in disease and made the pronominal suffix the object and disease specificatory (tamyīz)
in order to indicate that the inner sickness of the heart has spread to the outside, contaminating all they do. It is as if this malignant disease has covered all their bodies, which have become the disease itself. The suppurating blisters of the illness become an additional body for them. Like the saying ishta‘ala al‑baytu nāran, which infers that fire has enveloped the whole house and it is all ablaze; as opposed to ishta‘ala nāru’l‑bayt, which states that a part of it has caught fire.
The Sixth Phrase: that is, and theirs is a grievous penalty (wa la‑hum ‘adhābun alīm): The lām (of la‑hum – theirs), which denotes benefit, indicates that if they are to receive benefit, it would definitely be [in the form of] grievous suffering in this world or painful torment in the next. Now it is impossible that these should be benefits, so it is impossible they should receive them.
While the word torment, penalty (‘adhāb) being qualified by painful, grievous (alīm), meaning ‘in pain, suffering’ (muta’allim), which usually refers to people,
hints that the torment has overwhelmed their bodies and enveloped their persons and suffused their inner beings, so that they have become torment and the torment has become identical with them, like red‑hot coals turn into burning embers when consumed by fire. If one beholds the torment with one’s imagination and hears the agonized wailing and moaning on every side arising from the perpetually renewed life of torture, it seems as though it is the torment itself that is wailing and groaning. What a terrible warning for those who think!
The Seventh Phrase: that is, because they are false [to themselves] (bi‑mā kānū yakdhibūn):
By attributing the above‑mentioned penalty for their crimes to lying alone, it is indicating the atrociousness of lying, and its ugliness and loathsomeness. This indication testifies truthfully to the severe effects of the poison of lying,
for lying is the basis of unbelief;
indeed, unbelief is a falsehood and the worst sort of lying, and it is the chief sign of dissembling.
Lying is to slander divine power
and it is the opposite of dominical wisdom.
Lying destroys high morals.
Its poison has spread through the Islamic world.
It has overturned the affairs of mankind,
and held back the world of humanity from attaining its perfections, and prevented its advance and progress.
It has cast down the likes of Musaylima the Liar to the lowest of the low.
These are the reasons it has been specified by that which was revealed from above the Sublime Throne, and why it is execrated and made the object of threats.
So you people, and especially you Muslims! This verse calls on you to note it carefully.
If You Were to Ask: Isn’t lying excusable if for some good purpose?
You Would Be Told: – If to lie is imperative and its advantages are certain. But what they call good reason is [generally] a false excuse. For it is stipulated by the science of the principles of the Shari‘a that because a matter that is not determinable or quantifiable is open to exploitation, it cannot be made the basis of rulings. For example, since the hardship involved in performing the ṣalāt while on a journey is undeterminable, it is not the reason for their being shortened; the reason is the journey. And if we accept that the harm of a thing outweighs its benefits, a ruling is given to abrogate it and its benefit lies in its non‑existence.
The anarchy and disorder in the world testify to the overwhelming harm of the pretext of benefit.
But hinting and allusions are not lying.
The way is twofold:
either silence, for truthfulness does not demand that one says everything that is true; or honesty,
for truthfulness is the basis of Islam
and a characteristic of belief; indeed, belief is truthfulness and its main sort.
[Truthfulness] is the bond of all perfections;
and the life of high morals;
It is the pivot of man’s development
and the order of the Islamic world;
and it is what conveys man with the speed of lightning down the road of progress to the ka‘ba of perfections;
and it made the Companions of the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) superior to all others;
and it raised up our Master Muhammad al‑Hāshimī (Upon whom be blessings and peace) to the loftiest peak of humanity.