Transliteration:( Yaqooloona la'ir raja'naaa ilal madeenati la yukhrijannal a'azzu minhal azall; wa lillaahil 'izzatu wa li Rasoolihee wa lilmu'mineena wa laakinnal munaafiqeena laa ya'lamoon )
“They say, ‘If we return to Madinah, the honorable ones will surely expel the lowly ones from it.’ But all honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, yet the hypocrites do not know.”
(Kanzul Imaan Translation)
This statement was made upon returning from the Battle of Banu Mustaliq, where Abdullah ibn Ubayy felt slighted and vented his venom against the Prophet ﷺ and his companions.
He arrogantly declared that when they returned to Madinah, “the honorable (referring to himself and his group) would expel the lowly (the Prophet ﷺ and his companions).”
This reveals the deep-seated arrogance, rebellion, and internal enmity harbored by the hypocrites.
The hypocrites misidentified themselves as honorable and viewed the sincere believers as lowly and burdensome.
In reality, true honor in Islam is not based on tribe, power, or wealth, but on taqwa (piety) and obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Their words are not just offensive—they are blasphemous, as they attempted to belittle the status of the Prophet ﷺ and the sincere Sahabah.
This verse clarifies three major points:
Every Believer is Honorable
The honor of a Muslim is derived from their faith and righteousness.
Labeling entire Muslim nations or individuals as dishonorable is forbidden and reveals a hypocritical mindset.
Honor Is Not Tied to Wealth or Social Status
The external, materialistic criteria used by hypocrites to define dignity are rejected in Islam.
A poor, humble Muslim may be more honored in the sight of Allah than a rich, arrogant one.
Eternal Nature of the Believer’s Honor
A believer’s dignity remains even after death—this is why their bodies, graves, and memories are honored.
Mocking or disrespecting them strips the mocker of their own honor in Allah’s eyes.
The verse closes by exposing the ignorance of the hypocrites—they lack true understanding of honor, because their hearts are devoid of spiritual insight.
Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who made these claims, died in disgrace shortly afterward.
His death was a public humiliation, and despite the outward show of his burial, he remains a symbol of disgrace and betrayal in Islamic history.
The true disgrace lies in being distanced from the court of the Prophet ﷺ—those expelled from his spiritual circle find no peace in life or in death.
The tafsir of Surah Munafiqun verse 8 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Munafiqun ayat 5 which provides the complete commentary from verse 5 through 8.
(63:8) They say: “When we return to Madinah, the honourable ones will drive out from it those that are abject.”[15] In truth, all honour belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers.[16] But the hypocrites do not know.
15. Zaid bin Arqam says: When I reported these words of Abdullah bin Ubayy to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and Abdullah bin Ubayy came and disowned them on oath, the elderly people of the Ansar, and even my own uncle, reproved me for this; so much so that I felt that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had also mistaken me for a liar and Abdullah bin Ubayy for a truthful person. This caused me great anguish and grief. Then, when these verses were revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called me, and taking hold of my ear, said: The boy’s ear was truthful Allah has himself testified to what it had heard. (Ibn Jarir. In Tirmidhi also there is a tradition on the same subject).
16. That is, all honor belongs to Allah in virtue of His essence, to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in virtue of his prophethood, and to the believers in virtue of their faith. As for the disbelievers, the wicked people and the hypocrites, they have no share whatsoever in the real true honor.
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