Quran Universe
9:68

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتِ وَٱلۡكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ هِيَ حَسۡبُهُمۡۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ مُّقِيمٞ

WaAAada Allahu almunafiqeena waalmunafiqati waalkuffara nara jahannama khalideena feeha hiya hasbuhum walaAAanahumu Allahu walahum AAathabun muqeemun

Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally. It is sufficient for them. And Allah has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment.

Word by word
  1. وَعَدَAllah has promised
  2. ٱللَّهُAllah has promised
  3. ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَthe hypocrite men
  4. وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتِand the hypocrite women
  5. وَٱلۡكُفَّارَand the disbelievers
  6. نَارَFire
  7. جَهَنَّمَ(of) Hell
  8. خَٰلِدِينَthey (will) abide forever
  9. فِيهَاۚin it
  10. هِيَIt (is)
  11. حَسۡبُهُمۡۚsufficient for them
  12. وَلَعَنَهُمُAnd Allah has cursed them
  13. ٱللَّهُۖAnd Allah has cursed them
  14. وَلَهُمۡand for them
  15. عَذَابٞ(is) a punishment
  16. مُّقِيمٞenduring
At-Tawbah · 9:68Madinah

Where the pattern of hypocrisy finally leads.

A promise, spoken plainly

The end of the road
the habitsfrom the verse before
promised
the Firelastingenough as a punishment
far from mercythe meaning of the curse
Why it is called a promise
it will not happenjust a threat
a promise keptAllah does not break His word

Right after listing the habits of hypocrisy, the verse names where they lead. Ibn Kathir says this is on account of their evildoing just described. The curse, he explains, means being expelled from Allah's mercy.

You read a warning like this and quietly assume it is about someone else. But the verse before was about habits: urging wrong, blocking good, holding back. Those are things anyone can slide into. A warning is a mercy when it arrives early enough to change course.

Warnings like this are for other people, not for me.

The warning is about habits, and habits can still be changed today.

Try this

Pick one habit from the verse before. Ask Allah sincerely to keep it far from you.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:67)

The hypocrites, men and women, are one from another; they enjoin evil, and forbid the good, and they close their hands. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them. Verily, the hypocrites are the rebellious (67)Allah has promised the hypocrites – men and women – and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell; therein shall they abide. It will suffice them. Allah has cursed them and for them is the lasting torment (68)

Other Characteristics of Hypocrites

Allah admonishes the hypocrites who, unlike the believers, who enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,

يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ

(they enjoin evil, and forbid the good, and they close their hands), from spending in Allah's cause,

نَسُوا اللَّهَ

(They have forgotten Allah), they have forgotten the remembrance of Allah,

فَنَسِيَهُمْ 

(so He has forgotten them.), by treating them as if He has forgotten them. Allah also,

وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا 

(And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours)[45:34]. Allah said,

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

(Verily, the hypocrites are the rebellious) the rebellious from the way of truth who embrace the wicked way,

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ 

(Allah has promised the hypocrites – men and women – and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell), on account of their evildoing mentioned here,

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

(therein shall they abide.), for eternity, they and the disbelievers,

هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ

(It will suffice them.), as a torment,

وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(Allah has cursed them), He expelled and banished them [from His mercy],

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ

(and for them is the lasting torment.)

كَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَاقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَاقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ