Surah 9

Surah 9:57

"If they could find a shelter, or caves, or a place to hide, they would indeed resort to it and rush off."
Exposing Hypocrites' Fright and Fear Verses 9:56-57
Show Full Scripture Context (9:56-57) — 2 Verses
Verse 56

وَيَحۡلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ إِنَّهُمۡ لَمِنكُمۡ وَمَا هُم مِّنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمٞ يَفۡرَقُونَ

They swear by God that they indeed belong to you, but they do not belong to you. They are a people who are afraid.

Verse 57

لَوۡ يَجِدُونَ مَلۡجَـًٔا أَوۡ مَغَٰرَٰتٍ أَوۡ مُدَّخَلٗا لَّوَلَّوۡاْ إِلَيۡهِ وَهُمۡ يَجۡمَحُونَ

If they could find a shelter, or caves, or a place to hide, they would indeed resort to it and rush off.

Quoted Scripture
"56. They swear by Allah that they are truly of you while they are not of you, but they are a people (hypocrites) who are afraid (that you may kill them)."

"57. Should they find a refuge, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightway thereto with a swift rush."

Allah describes to His Prophet the fright, fear, anxiety and nervousness of the hypocrites,
{They swear by Allah that they are truly of you}, swearing a sure oath,
{while they are not of you}, in reality,
{but they are a people who are afraid}, and this is what made them swear.
{Should they find a refuge}, such as a fort in which they hide and fortify themselves,

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4, Page 449-451)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.