English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah and Islam became strong, some people outwardly showed faith while hiding disbelief to preserve their standing, lives, and wealth. Their testimony that he is Allah’s Messenger was false in what they claimed about themselves, for Allah knows that he is truly His Messenger while their hearts did not affirm what their tongues declared.

Those who outwardly show faith while concealing disbelief.

Liars in the sincerity of the testimony they claimed.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

They used their oaths as a shield from being exposed as hypocrites. They turned away from Allah’s path and kept others from it; evil indeed was their practice of showing faith, hiding disbelief, and reinforcing that deception with oaths.

A shield or protection behind which they concealed their hypocrisy.

They turned away from Allah’s path and hindered others from it.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Their hypocrisy came about because they did not remain firm upon faith: they believed, then disbelieved, so their hearts were sealed against goodness. Thus they do not understand what benefits them or grasp what leads to their true welfare.

Their hearts were sealed so that goodness no longer enters them.

They do not understand what truly benefits them.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Their outward appearance may impress and their speech may sound appealing, but behind it there is no noble character or sound guidance; they are like propped-up timber with no benefit. Because of their cowardice, fear, and inner doubt, they think every cry is against them. They are the hidden enemy, so beware of them; how can they be turned away from Islam after its proofs have become clear?

Propped-up timber: impressive outward form without beneficial substance.

Every cry or alarm, which their fear makes them imagine is directed against them.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

When they are invited to come so that Allah’s Messenger may ask forgiveness for them and their condition may be set right, they refuse strongly, turn their heads away, and are seen withdrawing from the truth in arrogance and stubbornness.

They turned their heads away in refusal.

Arrogant and too proud to follow the truth.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

It is the same whether the Messenger asks forgiveness for them or not: Allah will not forgive them, because they are people who have gone outside His obedience and preferred disbelief over faith. Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.

Those who go outside obedience to Allah through persistent defiance.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Out of their hostility to the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims, they said not to spend on those with Allah’s Messenger until they dispersed, imagining that provision depended on them. But the treasures of the heavens and the earth belong to Allah; He gives and withholds provision as He wills, while the hypocrites do not understand this.

They disperse and leave from around the Messenger ﷺ.

Treasures and stores of provision, all of which belong to Allah.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

They boasted that, on returning to Madinah, the supposedly more honorable would expel the more lowly. The reality is the opposite of their claim: honor and might belong to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, while the hypocrites do not know this because they are deceived by their falsehood.

Honor, might, and strength.

The one regarded as lower and humiliated.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah commands His believing servants to increase in His remembrance, for in it are success and abundant good, and He warns them not to let their wealth and children distract them from remembering Him. Whoever allows that distraction has exchanged what lasts for what passes away and is among the true losers.

Let something distract and occupy you away from what is more important.

Those who lose lasting happiness because they preferred what perishes over what remains.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Spend from what Allah has provided you, including obligatory and voluntary spending, before death comes. Once death arrives, a person can no longer add even the smallest good deed and will regret what was neglected, wishing for a brief delay to give charity and become one of the righteous, but the time for that has passed.

A short, nearby term of delay that the dying person wishes for.

Then I would give charity from my wealth.

English Tafsir (Al-Sa‘di):

Allah will never delay a soul when its fixed appointed term arrives. He is fully aware of the good and evil that people do, including their intentions and actions, and He will recompense them according to what He knows of them.

Its fixed appointed term.

Fully aware of deeds, intentions, and their realities.

Summary of the Meanings:

The surah exposes people who outwardly speak the language of faith while hiding disbelief: they use oaths as a shield, turn from Allah’s path, have sealed hearts, may impress by appearance and speech, yet live in fear, arrogance, and inward hostility.

The hypocrites imagined that provision and social strength were in their hands, but the treasures of the heavens and earth belong to Allah, and true honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.

Believers are warned not to let wealth and children distract them from remembering Allah. They are commanded to spend from what Allah has provided before death arrives, because when the appointed term comes it will not be delayed.