Which Surah and Juz is Quran 47:20 from?

This ayah is from Surah Muhammad (Muhammad), the 47th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 26.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 47:20?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sunan an-Nasa'i.

What tafsir is available for Quran 47:20?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Al-Jalalayn, Ibn Abbas — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

Ayah 19

فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱس...

47:20Muhammad

Q: What does Quran 47:20 mean?

Quran 47:20 (Surah Muhammad, Ayah 20) translates to: "Those who believe say, "Why has a surah not been sent down? But when a precise surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose hearts is hypocrisy looking at you with a look of one overcome by death. And more appropriate for them [would have been]"

Q: What topics does Quran 47:20 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Hypocrisy, Jihad, Divine Command, Intention (Niyyah), Community Responsibility.

Ayah 21

طَاعَةٌۭ وَقَوْلٌۭ مَّعْرُوفٌۭ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ ٱل...

وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ ۖ فَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ مُّحْكَمَةٌۭ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا ٱلْقِتَالُ ۙ رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ ٱلْمَغْشِىِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ فَأَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ

Wa yaqoolul lazeena aamanoo law laa nuzzilat Sooratun fa izaaa unzilat Sooratum Muhkamatunw wa zukira feehal qitaalu ra aytal lazeena fee quloobihim maraduny yanzuroona ilaika nazaral maghshiyyi 'alaihi minal mawti fa'awlaa lahum

Those who believe say, "Why has a surah not been sent down? But when a precise surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose hearts is hypocrisy looking at you with a look of one overcome by death. And more appropriate for them [would have been]

Themes in this ayah

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Hypocrisy99 The Quran & revelation97 Striving in Allah's way79 The Prophet ﷺ55

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47:20Ayah 138

5 ayahs in Muhammad are strongly about hypocrisy. This is one of them.

Next on Hypocrisy →47:21Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 47:20→

And those who believe say seeking to take part in the struggle ‘Why has a sūra not been revealed?’ one in which there is mention of the command to participate in the struggle. But when a definitive sūra is revealed one in which nothing is abrogated naskh and fighting that is to say requirement for it is mentioned in it you see those in whose hearts is a sickness that is doubt — and they are the hypocrites — looking at you with the look of someone fainting at the point of death because of their fear of it and their aversion to it; in other words they fear fighting and are averse to it. Yet more fitting for them fa-awlā lahum is a subject the predicate of which is the following tā‘atun wa-qawlun ma‘rūfun

One who died but did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire (or determination) for Jihad died the death of a hypocrite. 'Abdullah b. Mubarak said: We think the hadith pertained to the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Sunan an-Nasa'i #3103It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"Whoever dies without having fought or thought of fighting, he dies on one of the branches of hypocrisy."

Sahih Muslim #7363Sa'id b. Jubair reported:Sahih

I said to Ibn 'Abbas about Sura Tauba, whereupon he said: As for Sura Tauba, it is meant to humiliate (the non-believers and the hypocrites). There is constantly revealed in it (the pronoun) minhum (of them) and minhom (of them, i. e. such is the condition of some of them) till they (the Muslims) thought that none would be left unmentioned out of them who would not be blamed (for one fault or the other). I again said: What about Sura Anfal? He said: It pertains to the Battle of Badr. I again asked him about Sura al-Hashr. He said: It was revealed in connection with (the tribe) of Banu Nadir.

Sunan an-Nasa'i #4874It was narrated that Sa'eed bin Jabair said:Sahih

"The people of Al-Kufah differed concerning this verse: 'And whoever kills a believer intentionally. So I went to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him, and he said: 'It was revealed among the last of what was revealed, and nothing of it was abrogated after that.

Sahih Muslim #6867Jabir reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came back from a journey and as he was near Medina, there was such a violent gale that the mountain seemed to be pressed. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Sahih

This wind has perhaps been made to blow for the death of a hypocrite, and as he reached Medina a notorious hypocrite from amongst the hypocrites had died.