وَإِذا رَأَيتَهُم تُعجِبُكَ أَجسامُهُم ۖ وَإِن يَقولوا تَسمَع لِقَولِهِم ۖ كَأَنَّهُم خُشُبٌ مُسَنَّدَةٌ ۖ يَحسَبونَ كُلَّ صَيحَةٍ عَلَيهِم ۚ هُمُ العَدُوُّ فَاحذَرهُم ۚ قاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ أَنّىٰ يُؤفَكونَ

When you see them, their bodies impress you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. Yet they are like dry logs set reclining [against a wall]. They suppose every cry is directed against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah assail them, where do they stray?!

EXEGESIS

Khushub (lit. dry logs) is the plural of khashabah, which means a piece of wood or a plank.^{‎[1]Hans Wehr, under kh-sh-b.} Khushbun is an alternate plural form of the same word.^{‎[2]Lisan, under kh-sh-b.}

Musannadah (lit. reclining against a wall) derives from the root word sanad, meaning to rely upon or recline against something, be it a physical reliance or spiritual. Musannadah is the passive participle of the second derived form of the verb sanada.^{‎[3]Tahqiq, under s-n-d.} Accordingly, khushubun musannadah would literally mean dry planks of wood set to recline against a wall.

Qātala is the third derived form of the root verb qatala. Qatala means to kill, to slay, or to assassinate someone.^{‎[4]Hans Wehr, under qa-ta-la.} If used in the third form muqātalah, it means a physical fight and combat, normally between two people. Nevertheless, it is also used to refer to an assault by one person on the other.^{‎[5]Bahrayn, under q-t-l.} Thus, the literal meaning of the Quranic phrase qātalahum allāh would be: May God fight them. Different interpretations of this expression shall be discussed under Review of Tafsīr Literature.

Annā here could be, according to Arabic grammar, an interrogative pronoun,^{‎[6]Darwish, 10/98.} or accusative (ḥāl), meaning ‘how’; or it could be the adverbial qualification of place (ẓarf al-makān) meaning ‘where’.^{‎[7]Tabrisi, 10/439; Kashif, 7/330.}

Yuʾfakūn is a third person plural, passive-voice, imperfect tense of the root verb afika, which means to transmute something and alter its original form. A lie is termed as ifk in the Arabic language due to the fact that it misrepresents reality and alters it.^{‎[8]Tahqiq, under ʾ-f-k.} Yuʾfaku – the passive voice of yaʾfiku – means someone who is being strayed from the right position. In light of this explanation, yuʾfakūn in the verse would thus imply a people who have been led to stray from the truth by falsehood.

Accordingly, based on the variant meanings of the word annā, there are three possibilities with regard to the meaning of the phrase annā yuʾfakūn: 1. It signifies the manner of their turning away from the truth, and hence the sentence would mean: are they being turned away by the falsehood while renouncing the truth?! 2. It focuses on the actual phenomenon of straying, and hence it should mean: what a kind of turning away from the truth they have been subjected to?! 3. It points toward their taking the wrong direction, in which case it would mean: where are they being turned away by the falsehood?!^{‎[9]See Tabrisi, 10/439.}

EXPOSITION

The Quran refers to the attractive visible features of the hypocrites and cautions the believers not to be deceived by their outer appearance. No doubt, the physical characteristics and features of human beings do not fall under the domain of their voluntary actions, as they are born with them and have no choice in them, and, accordingly, such characteristics would not be classified as acquired. However, the manner in which one would utilise such blessings of God is totally in his hands. The blessings may be utilised in a constructive way to serve the message of God and His creation, and in this case they would be considered as a source of divine blessing through which one strives to attain the pleasure of God; and they may equally be employed in a destructive manner, contributing to the decadence of human society in different arenas, and in this case they would be a source of divine wrath.   

The Holy Prophet and the Muslim ummah are being cautioned by the Quran not to be impressed by the physical features and abilities of the hypocrites. To appreciate beauty and to be impressed by it is part of the primordial nature (fiṭrah) of human beings. However, the Holy Quran directs the believers to the fact that those beautiful things and achievements are worthy of human appreciation which lead one to attain the pleasure of God, and which serve as a means for man to secure his life in the hereafter. This is, for example, in contrast to those who were fascinated by the worldly possessions of Korah: We wish we had like what Korah has been given! Indeed he is greatly fortunate (28:79). The Quran quotes with approval the response of those gifted with profound knowledge and insight: Woe to you! Allah’s reward is better for someone who has faith and acts righteously (28:80).

On the same note, the believers are alerted by the Quran not to be fascinated by the attractive appearance and eloquence of the hypocrites, since they employ their God-gifted qualities in a wrong way such that they would earn them divine displeasure and punishment, as is also the case with regard to their wealth and children: So let not their wealth and children impress you; Allah only desires to punish them with these in the life of this world, and that their souls may depart while they are faithless (9:55, 9:85).

Furthermore, the question that may arise here is that since these qualities can equally be found in the believers as well, as they are not exclusive to the hypocrites, how can such a description of the hypocrites by the Quran help the Muslims to distinguish a believer from a hypocrite? The answer to this question is clear. The verse does not intend to give to the Muslims the criterion based on which they can distinguish a believer from a hypocrite, but rather it is directing them to the fact that appearances can be deceiving. This particular verse reminds the believers of a common psychological weakness in most humans – they tend to take things at face value. Thus, it is cautioning them not to be blinded by the face-value of some of the members of the Muslim ummah, and instead they should look below the surface and not be deceived by their pleasant appearance and power of speech.

The verse also alludes to some of the methods of deception employed by the hypocrites with the aim of penetrating into the circle of the believers and winning their confidence. They make use of flattering language, eloquent speech, and such oratorical techniques that, let aside the believers, even the Holy Prophet – had he not been vigilant in this regard – could have been spellbound by, and could have believed in their speech: and if they speak, you listen to their speech. On the surface their discourse is sweet and pleasing, but on the inside it is malicious and devised to annihilate the might of the Muslim nation, to the extent that even the style of their conversation also bears their deceptive attitude: Yet you will recognise them by their tone of speech (47:30).

Bearing in mind this attitude of the hypocrites, it would naturally follow that they are psychologically in a constant state of fear and are apprehensive of their true nature becoming exposed, such that they suspect every enlightening activity among the Muslims to be a move towards unmasking their hypocritical identity: They suppose every cry is directed against them. Although they seem to be physically tranquil, they are consistently disturbed and restless from within.

They are the enemy, so beware of them: the apparently religious personality of the hypocrites and their continuous adherence to Islamic rituals and practices may result in the hesitancy of the believers to speak against them and to consider them outside the circle of Islam. But the verse firmly renders it clear for the Muslims that they should never doubt in them being the enemies of Islam and the Muslims from within: They are the enemy. Nonetheless, to only take them as enemies would not be sufficient; rather, the Muslim community, especially the Islamic leadership, need to take practical measures in order to be constantly vigilant of their evil schemes, and thereafter also encounter them in the appropriate manner: so beware of them.

What is interesting regarding the phrase so beware of them in this verse is that despite the hypocrites being classified as enemies working against the Muslim nation from within, the Holy Prophet has not been directed by God to subject them to animosity, but to be on guard against them.^{‎[10]Qutb, 6/3575.} This might have been due to the fact that the Muslim community in Medina was still young and newly established at the time, with new members joining the camp of Islam rapidly. Therefore, it may not have been wise to create an internal conflict between diverse groups of Muslims who belonged to different tribal and cultural backgrounds as this would have triggered unnecessary tribal fanaticism and rivalry amongst them,^{‎[11]Fadlallah, 22/239-240.} as well as damage the image of Islam and the Holy Prophet in the eyes of the non-Muslim communities.

The prudent leadership of the Holy Prophet and the manner in which he handled the situation after the revelation of this surah, which exposed the plot of the hypocrites to create disunity in the ranks of the Muslims, is worthy of praise and consideration.

According to some historical reports, when ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was informed about the issue he reacted by suggesting to the Prophet that he should order ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Ubayy be killed. In response to him, the Prophet said: ‘O ʿUmar! How would it look if the word spreads among the people that Muhammad is killing his own companions?! Nay.’ Rather, the Holy Prophet ordered the Muslims to keep calm and treat ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Ubayy with kindness as long as he was amidst them. Now, had the Prophet desired for the Muslims to show animosity to ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Ubayy and his people, this would have been something easily achievable, as the Prophet had the authority to make such a call, as well as the great support of his companions. However, he did not do so; instead, with considerable foresight, he enjoined the Muslims to show kindness to him.

As a result, this approach had such a profound impact on the members of the tribe of Khazraj that whenever, after this incident, Ibn Ubayy would intend to create another commotion, it was his own people who were the first to rebuke him. When this reality came to the attention of the Prophet, he told ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb: ‘How do you see it now, O ʿUmar! By God, had I killed him the day you asked me to kill him it would have caused humiliation for him; but if I were to order his execution today, you would do it without hesitation.’ ʿUmar replied: ‘By God, I have been convinced that the decision of the Prophet of God (s) possesses a greater blessing than my decision.’

This is how the Holy Prophet, as the head of the Islamic state in Medina, calmed the situation and extinguished the flames of further political and social tumult in the society by elegantly tackling the problem from its root, turning the situation against the heads of the hypocrites. He wisely put off the fire of tribal fanaticism among the Anṣār and the Muhājirūn that could have been potentially lit by this incident, and he successfully safeguarded the love and bond of brotherhood that existed between them.^{‎[12]Qutb, 6/3575-3578.}

May Allah assail them: the hypocrites are in a state of war with God. Although this phrase may seem to be in the form of a supplication (duʿāʾ) by God, it actually signifies a divine decree (ḥukm) in relation to the purport of the supplication. Hence, God Himself is their opponent, as He it is who confronts them wherever they are. And he who is confronted by God would undoubtedly be subjected to a humiliating defeat.^{‎[13]Qutb, 6/3575; Bahrayn, under q-t-l.}    

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Abū al-Jārūd reports that Imam al-Bāqir (a) said regarding Yet they are like dry logs set reclining: ‘They are neither able to hear, nor do they apply reason.’ And concerning They suppose every cry is directed against them, he said: ‘Every outcry.’^{‎[14]Qummi, 2/370.}
2. In part of a lengthy narration, Imam Ali (a) says: ‘The narrations [of the Holy Prophet] that reach you are from one of these four [categories of] people, as there is no fifth to it. [The first category is that of] a hypocrite who pretends to have faith and to be a Muslim; he neither restrains himself from intentionally ascribing words to the Prophet which he has not uttered, nor does he anguish over doing so. Had people known that he is a hypocrite and a liar they would not have accepted from him, as they would not have trusted him. However, people judge him, saying that he is a companion of the Prophet of God (s), he has seen him, and has heard from him. So they took it from him, unaware of his position, whereas God has spoken of the hypocrites and has given their description. He, the mighty, the majestic, says: When you see them, their bodies impress you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech.’^{‎[15]Kafi, 1/62.}
3. Since this surah gives a description of the hypocrites and mentions some of their characteristics, there are narrations from the Holy Prophet that give the believers the criterion to distinguish a hypocrite from a believer. The Holy Prophet says: ‘None except a believer shall love Ali, and none other than a hypocrite shall hate Ali.’^{‎[16]Kanz, 6/158.}
4. Ibn Masʿūd has been quoted as saying: ‘We did not use to recognise the hypocrites during the lifetime of the Messenger of God except through their hatred towards Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib.’^{‎[17]Suyuti, 6/66-67.}
5. In a similar report, Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī is reported to have said: ‘We – the community of the Anṣār – used to know the hypocrites through their hatred towards Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib.’^{‎[18]Tirmidhi. A similar report has been narrated from Ibn Abbas in Tārīkh Baghdād of al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī (Cairo: 1349 ah), 3/153.}
6. In another narration, the Holy Prophet says: ‘Were it not for you, O Ali, the believers would not have been recognised after me.’^{‎[19]Kanz, 6/402.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Suyūṭī relates from Ibn Abbas that when the Holy Prophet was informed of the divisive words of Ibn Ubayy, he summoned him together with his companions. As he was walking towards him, his handsome appearance impressed the Prophet, thus the verse, When you see them, their bodies impress you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. And when the Prophet spoke to him about what he had said, he took an oath that he has not said it. To this refers the verse: They make a shield of their oaths.^{‎[20]Suyuti, 6/223.}  

Several interpretations have been offered regarding the parable drawn by the Holy Quran between dry logs and the hypocrites:

1. Since they do not have faith, they are bodies without any benefit, similar to planks of wood set against a wall.^{‎[21]Alusi, 14/306.} It is also probable that dry wood planks refer to sculpted statues hung on the walls of the houses for decorative purposes. They look beautiful but are of little benefit.^{‎[22]Zamakhshari, 4/540.}
2. They have been likened to dry logs in the sense that they were unable to benefit from the Holy Prophet. According to some historical reports, they used to come and sit in the sessions of the Holy Prophet leaning against the wall, pretending to be listening to him and benefitting from what he says, but they did not actually.^{‎[23]Bahrayn, under kh-sh-b and s-n-d; Zamakhshari, 4/540.}
3. They are beings empty of substance, just like a plank of wood that has been eaten up from within such that it no longer has any substance, though it may seem to be sound and healthy on the outside.^{‎[24]Tibyan, 10/12; Tabrisi, 10/440.}
4. They are like dry logs in that they do not understand, and lack the power of comprehension.^{‎[25]Tabari, 28/69; Razi, 30/547.}
5. They are like statues made of dry wood in that they have bodies without spirit; like a standing plank of wood, they seem to have life as they display such qualities of physical life such as eating and drinking, but they are actually dead to human life. Since they are blind to divine guidance, they are the dead amongst the living.^{‎[26]Mizan, 19/281; Kashif, 7/331.}
6. They are like a dry plank of wood in that they are vulnerable and can easily be defeated in the face of resistance from the believers; or in that they lack the flexibility to change and be influenced by divine guidance; or in that they are dependent on the congregation of believers as they are unable to stand on their own feet.^{‎[27]Qaraati, 10/55.}

They suppose every cry is directed against them: most of the exegetes maintain that the hypocrites lived in a constant state of fear, apprehensive of their true identity and secrets being exposed. Thus any unusual incident or event that occurred among the Muslims used to trigger their suspicion that they may be a target.^{‎[28]Shawkani, 5/276; Razi, 30/547; Tabrisi, 10/440; Zamakhshari, 4/540; Mizan, 19/281; Nemuneh, 24/153; Ibn Kathir, 8/151.} This psychological state of apprehension originates in their concealing disbelief in God and His Messenger.^{‎[29]Mizan, 19/281.}

Ṭabrisī, however, quotes a somewhat specific explanation of the object of suspicion of the hypocrites. When the hypocrites used to hear any clamour from the Muslims, they would suspect that a verse of the Quran had been revealed against them, exposing their true identity.^{‎[30]Tabrisi, 10/440.}

May Allah assail them: as mentioned in the Exegesis, the literal meaning of this phrase is: May God fight them. Most of the exegetes maintain that this phrase is a prayer against the hypocrites, however, different interpretations have been offered with regard to the purport of this prayer:

1. May the curse of God be upon them, as narrated from Ibn Abbas.^{‎[31]Kashif, 7/332; Shawkani, 2/405; Tabrisi, 10/439; Razi, 30/547.}
2. May God destroy them.^{‎[32]Lāhījī, Tafsīr Sharīf Lāhījī, 4/482.} For he who is confronted by God shall certainly be destroyed.^{‎[33]Alusi, 5/275.}
3. May God humiliate them.^{‎[34]Tabari, 28/70.} According to Zamakhsharī, this phrase could also be a divine instruction to the believers as to how they ought to pray against the hypocrites.^{‎[35]Zamakhshari, 4/541.}
4. May God take them as enemies.^{‎[36]Ibn Abi Hatim, 6/1784.}
5. May God kill them. It is a prayer against them that they may be subjected to death, as it is the most difficult of the worldly tribulations. Tabatabai cites some of the interpretations mentioned above, though he considers his reading to be in consonance with the context of the verse.^{‎[37]Mizan, 19/281.}

Some exegetes also give the possibility that the phrase may be an exclamation of wonder in reaction to their horrid speech, similar to such verses in the Quran as: Perish the liars! (51:10) and Perish the men of the ditch! (85:4).^{‎[38]Tabari, 10/80.} Nevertheless, the phrase is also used in the Arabic language to proclaim admiration of a positive quality in a person, like ‘May God kill him! How eloquent he is!’^{‎[39]Zamakhshari, 2/264.}

[1] Hans Wehr, under kh-sh-b.
[2] Lisan, under kh-sh-b.
[3] Tahqiq, under s-n-d.
[4] Hans Wehr, under qa-ta-la.
[5] Bahrayn, under q-t-l.
[6] Darwish, 10/98.
[7] Tabrisi, 10/439; Kashif, 7/330.
[8] Tahqiq, under ʾ-f-k.
[9] See Tabrisi, 10/439.
[10] Qutb, 6/3575.
[11] Fadlallah, 22/239-240.
[12] Qutb, 6/3575-3578.
[13] Qutb, 6/3575; Bahrayn, under q-t-l.
[14] Qummi, 2/370.
[15] Kafi, 1/62.
[16] Kanz, 6/158.
[17] Suyuti, 6/66-67.
[18] Tirmidhi. A similar report has been narrated from Ibn Abbas in Tārīkh Baghdād of al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī (Cairo: 1349 ah), 3/153.
[19] Kanz, 6/402.
[20] Suyuti, 6/223.
[21] Alusi, 14/306.
[22] Zamakhshari, 4/540.
[23] Bahrayn, under kh-sh-b and s-n-d; Zamakhshari, 4/540.
[24] Tibyan, 10/12; Tabrisi, 10/440.
[25] Tabari, 28/69; Razi, 30/547.
[26] Mizan, 19/281; Kashif, 7/331.
[27] Qaraati, 10/55.
[28] Shawkani, 5/276; Razi, 30/547; Tabrisi, 10/440; Zamakhshari, 4/540; Mizan, 19/281; Nemuneh, 24/153; Ibn Kathir, 8/151.
[29] Mizan, 19/281.
[30] Tabrisi, 10/440.
[31] Kashif, 7/332; Shawkani, 2/405; Tabrisi, 10/439; Razi, 30/547.
[32] Lāhījī, Tafsīr Sharīf Lāhījī, 4/482.
[33] Alusi, 5/275.
[34] Tabari, 28/70.
[35] Zamakhshari, 4/541.
[36] Ibn Abi Hatim, 6/1784.
[37] Mizan, 19/281.
[38] Tabari, 10/80.
[39] Zamakhshari, 2/264.