How [can there be a treaty] while, if they gain dominance over you, they do not observe concerning you any pact of kinship or covenant of protection? They satisfy you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse [compliance], and most of them are defiantly disobedient.
Verse 8 of Surah At-Tawbah (9:8), a Medinan surah, is in juz 10, on page 188 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 8 of Surah At-Tawbah
78 recitations by 72 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
All voices (78)
Tafsir of verse 8
Al-Mukhtasar
How can they have a treaty with you and an assurance of protection when they are your enemies? If they gain the upper hand over you they will not be mindful of Allah in relation to you, nor will they respect any relationship or any treaty. Instead, they will impose the worst punishment on you. They please you with fancy speech uttered by their tongues, but their hearts do not agree with their tongues. They will not fulfil what they promise and most of them deviate from following Allah by breaking the treaty.
How [can there be a treaty] – if they were to overcome you, they would neither respect ties of kinship nor treaty12? They please you with their tongues, while their hearts are averse to it, and most of them are wicked.
Notes
[12] They cannot be trusted because they constantly renege on their pledges and break their promises.
How (can there be such a covenant with them) that when you are overpowered by them, they regard not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant with you? With (good words from) their mouths they please you, but their hearts are averse to you, and most of them are Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh).
How (can there be any treaty for the others) when, if they have the upper hand of you, they regard not pact nor honour in respect of you? They satisfy you with their mouths the while their hearts refuse. And most of them are wrongdoers.
How (can there be such a league), seeing that if they get an advantage over you, they respect not in you the ties either of kinship or of covenant? With (fair words from) their mouths they entice you, but their hearts are averse from you; and most of them are rebellious and wicked.
How (can it be)! while if they prevail against you, they would not pay regard in your case to ties of relationship, nor those of covenant; they please you with their mouths while their hearts do not consent; and most of them are transgressors.
How? (i.e., How can they keep their covenant?) And in case they get the better of you, they will respect towards you neither consanguinity nor treaty; they satisfy you with their mouths, (but) their hearts refuse; and most of them are immoral..
