Quran 2:9
Quran 2:9
Arabic Text and Translation
يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Transliteration: Yukhādi'ūnallāha walladhīna āmanū wa mā yakhda'ūna illā anfusahum wa mā yash'urūn
Easy Translation: "They [think they] deceive Allah and the believers, but they deceive no one but themselves, yet they perceive it not."
Easy Word-by-Word Meaning
This verse continues to describe the Hypocrites (Munafiqun) and reveals the foolishness of their plan.
يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ (Yukhādi'ūnallāha walladhīna āmanū): "They [think they] deceive Allah and those who believe..."
Yukhadi'un means "they deceive" or "they try to trick."
Their plan is to trick two parties: Allah and the believers.
وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ (wa mā yakhda'ūna illā anfusahum): "...but they deceive no one but themselves..."
This is the powerful response from Allah. Their entire plan is a failure.
The only ones being truly harmed by their deception are themselves.
وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ (wa mā yash'urūn): "...yet they perceive it not."
They are so blinded by their own arrogance and short-sightedness that they are completely unaware of the terrible trap they are falling into.
How Can They "Deceive" Allah?
This is the greatest folly. It is impossible to deceive the All-Knowing. The verse means they think they are deceiving Allah by showing faith while hiding disbelief. They act as if Allah does not know their secret. In reality, they are only fooling themselves.
Relevance in the Past, Present, and Future
1. Past Relevance: The Foolish Plot in Medina
In the time of the Prophet (pbuh), the hypocrites, led by figures like Abdullah ibn Ubayy, thought their scheme was brilliant.
A False Sense of Security: They enjoyed the benefits and protection of the Muslim community while secretly plotting against it. They thought their outward appearance kept them safe and powerful.
A Divine Exposure: This verse was revealed to expose their foolish thinking. It was a comfort to the believers, assuring them that these plotters would not succeed and were only destroying their own souls.
2. Present Relevance: A Mirror for Our Self-Deception
This verse is incredibly relevant to our personal spiritual state today.
The Modern Forms of Deception: We might not be hypocrites in the classic sense, but we can fall into self-deception:
Putting on a Show: Praying in the mosque to be seen as pious, but neglecting prayer at home.
Selective Obedience: Following the easy parts of Islam but conveniently ignoring the difficult commands (e.g., being honest in business, avoiding gossip).
Justifying Sins: Telling ourselves, "It's just this one time," or "Allah is Forgiving, so it's okay," while having no real intention to stop.
The Ultimate Loss: When we do this, we are not fooling Allah. We are only fooling ourselves into thinking we are "good enough" Muslims, while our spiritual growth is stunted. The one who is cheated is our own soul, which is being deprived of true, sincere faith.
3. Future Relevance: The Unavoidable Reckoning
This verse points to a fundamental law of the universe that will culminate on the Day of Judgment.
The Law of Consequences: You cannot cheat the system of divine justice. A person who lives a life of deception might think they have gotten away with it, but on the Day of Judgment, their book of deeds will be laid bare. The punishment for deceiving the believers is severe, and the folly of thinking one could deceive Allah is the greatest sin.
A Wake-Up Call: This verse is a call to wake up from this state of self-deception. It urges us to be honest with ourselves and with Allah, to repent sincerely, and to align our inner beliefs with our outer actions before it is too late and we are among those who "perceive it not" until the punishment is upon them.
A Promise of Justice: For the believers who have been wronged by hypocrites, this verse is a promise that justice will be served. The deceiver will face the consequences of their actions, if not in this world, then certainly in the Hereafter.
Conclusion
Quran 2:9 is a profound lesson in sincerity and self-awareness.
It teaches us that:
Allah's knowledge is complete. We can hide nothing from Him.
The only person we can truly fool is ourselves. Self-deception is the greatest deception of all.
Sincerity (Ikhlas) is the foundation of every good deed. An action done for show is not just worthless; it is a proof against us.
This verse is a powerful reminder to constantly check our intentions, to be honest in our faith, and to understand that we are always in the sight of Allah, so deception is not only futile but ultimately self-destructive.