555 Page Notes

63 Surah Al-Munafiqun (continued)

Page 555 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 555 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 555 of the Quran presents the dramatic conclusion of Surah Al-Munafiqun (Chapter 63), verses 5 through 11.

This page transitions from the historical exposure of Abdullah ibn Ubayy (the chief of the hypocrites) to a direct, loving sermon aimed at the true believers. It warns them against allowing wealth and children to distract them from God, and commands immediate charity (Sadaqah) before death arrives and the divine window of respite permanently slams shut.

The Sunnah and canonical Hadith books provide critical historical follow-ups to the Zayd ibn Arqam drama and establish profound spiritual warnings regarding procrastination.

1. Verses 5–6: The Arrogance of Refusing Prophetic Forgiveness

"And when it is said to them, 'Come, the Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you,' they twist their heads and you see them turning away in pride. It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask..." (Quran 63:5-6)

Abdullah ibn Ubayy's Direct Rejection

Following the confrontation where the Quran vindicated the young companion Zayd ibn Arqam and exposed the hypocrites' lies, the people of Medina felt pity for Abdullah ibn Ubayy. They realized he had destroyed his spiritual standing.

When these verses were revealed, people went to Abdullah ibn Ubayy and said: "Go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ so that he can pray for your forgiveness."

He twisted his head away in disgust, sneered, and replied: "You told me to believe, so I believed. You told me to give Zakat, so I gave Zakat. The only thing left for you to do now is tell me to prostrate to Muhammad!" Upon this manifestation of ultimate pride, Allah revealed verse 6, confirming that even if the Prophet prayed for them, their deep-seated arrogance had sealed their fate.

Source: Documented by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Qatadah; cited in Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

2. Verses 7–8: The Treason and "The Most Honorable"

"They are the ones who say, 'Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they disband...' They say, 'If we return to Medina, the more honorable will surely expel therefrom the weaker.' But honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers..." (Quran 63:7-8)

The Confrontation with Ibn Ubayy's Sincere Son

The Sunnah preserves an extraordinary account showing how the Prophet ﷺ handled this political treason without causing civil war. Abdullah ibn Ubayy had a devout, highly loyal Muslim son named Abdullah (ra). When the son heard what his father had said, he blocked his father at the very gates of Medina.

Abdullah (the son) drew his sword against his own father at the entrance of Medina and said: "By Allah! You will never enter Medina until you explicitly say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the honorable one and you are the humiliated one!"

The father, terrified, cried out: "O people of Al-Khazraj! Look at my son preventing me from my own home!" But the son stood firm until the father finally confessed it.

When the Prophet ﷺ heard of this, he sent word to the son saying, "Let him enter peacefully." The son obeyed, showing the ultimate triumph of faith over tribal kinship.

Source: Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Musnad Al-Bazzar, and Tafsir al-Tabari.

3. Verses 9–11: The Antidote to Hypocrisy—Charity and Death Focus

"O you who have believed, let not your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah... And spend in charity of that which We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, 'My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.'" (Quran 63:9-10)

Why the Dying Person Asks to Give Sadaqah Specially

In a famous Sunnah commentary regarding verse 10, the Prophet’s cousin, Ibn Abbas, explained why a dying person specifically begs to perform charity on their deathbed rather than fasting or praying.

Ibn Abbas (ra) said: "Whenever a person possesses enough wealth to perform Hajj or has wealth that has reached the threshold of mandatory Zakat, but fails to pay it, they will desperately beg for a delay (respite) at the moment of death."

A man nearby remarked: "O Ibn Abbas, fear Allah! Only the disbelievers ask for a delay at death!"

Ibn Abbas replied: "I will recite to you the Quranic text proving it," and he read aloud page 555: "O you who have believed... spend in charity before death comes to one of you..."

Source: Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book of Tafsir, Hadith 3316).

The Best Time to Give Charity

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly mapped out the Sunnah application of these final verses, warning against the trap of hoarding wealth until it is too late to make it count spiritually.

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, which charity brings the greatest reward?"

He ﷺ replied: "That you give charity while you are healthy, eager, fearing poverty, and hoping to become rich. Do not delay it until the soul reaches the throat (the death rattle) and you say, 'Give this to so-and-so, and give that to so-and-so,' when it already belongs to them (as inheritance anyway)."

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1419) and Sahih Muslim.