Surah 9

Surah 9:65

"If indeed you ask them, they will indeed say, ‘We were only bantering and jesting.’ Say: ‘Were you mocking God, and His signs, and His messenger?"
The Hypocrites rely on False, Misguided Excuses Verses 9:65-66
Show Full Scripture Context (9:65-66) — 2 Verses
Verse 65

وَلَئِن سَأَلۡتَهُمۡ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلۡعَبُۚ قُلۡ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

If indeed you ask them, they will indeed say, ‘We were only bantering and jesting.’ Say: ‘Were you mocking God, and His signs, and His messenger?

Verse 66

لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ قَدۡ كَفَرۡتُم بَعۡدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمۡۚ إِن نَّعۡفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٖ مِّنكُمۡ نُعَذِّبۡ طَآئِفَةَۢ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ

Do not make excuses! You have disbelieved after your believing. If We pardon (one) contingent of you, We will punish (another) contingent because they have been sinners.’

Quoted Scripture
"65. If you ask them (about this), they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking?""

"66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were criminals."

'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "During the battle of Tabuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said, 'I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.' A man in the Masjid said, 'You lie. You are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah.' This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah and also a part of the Qur'an was revealed about it." 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "I have seen that man afterwards holding onto the shoulders of the Messenger's camel while stones were falling on him, declaring, 'O Allah's Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,' while the Messenger of Allah was reciting,
{"Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking?"} [9:65]."
Allah said,
{Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.}

on account of your statement and mocking,
{If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you}

for not all of you will be forgiven, some will have to taste the torment,
{because they were criminals}, they were criminals because of this terrible, sinful statement.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4, Page 463-464)

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.