Wavering Between Them, [Belonging] Neither to the Believers or the Disbelievers

By Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim

Tafseer of the verse in Sooratun-Nisaa' concerning the hypocrites who waver betwen belief and disbelif.

Wavering between them, [belonging] neither to the believers nor to the disbelievers. And whoever Allaah leaves astray – never will you find for him a way. [Sooratun-Nisaa', 4:143]

Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said:

“You will find that one of them is a like a stray sheep that is wandering between two flocks, it sometimes goes with one flock and on other occasions it goes with the other; and it does not remain with either party.

They stand between two groups and they look to see which is the strongest and mightiest [of the two].

Wavering between them, [belonging] neither to the believers nor to the disbelievers. And whoever Allaah leaves astray – never will you find for him a way. [Sooratun-Nisaa' 4:143]

They [i.e. the hypocrites] lay in wait to see what happens to the people of the Sunnah and the Qur'aan. If Allaah was to give them victory [i.e. the people of Sunnah] they say to them, ‘Is it not that we were with you?’ And on this they swear by Allaah with their most compelling oaths.

However, if the enemies of the people of the Book and Sunnah were to achieve any kind of victory then they say to them, ‘Do you not know that the bond of brotherhood between us is strong and through our lineage we are close?’

So whoever desires to know them, then let him take their description from the speech of the Lord of the whole of the creation; and after this you will not require any other proof.

Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allaah, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allaah will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allāh give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them]. [Sooratun-Nisaa', 4:141]”

Taken from his book Madaarij As-Saalikeen (1/269), and printed by Daar Ihyaa At-Turaath.

May Allaah protect us from imitating the hypocrites.

Source: Taken from his book, Madaarij As-Saalikeen (1/269), and printed by Daar Ihyaa At-Turaath
Exclusive transation for Sisters Upon Istiqaamah (re-published to troid.org with their permission)