Quran Universe
9:8

كَيۡفَ وَإِن يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَا يَرۡقُبُواْ فِيكُمۡ إِلّٗا وَلَا ذِمَّةٗۚ يُرۡضُونَكُم بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ وَتَأۡبَىٰ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَأَكۡثَرُهُمۡ فَٰسِقُونَ

Kayfa wain yathharoo AAalaykum la yarquboo feekum illan wala thimmatan yurdoonakum biafwahihim wataba quloobuhum waaktharuhum fasiqoona

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.

Word by word
  1. كَيۡفَHow
  2. وَإِنwhile,if
  3. يَظۡهَرُواْthey gain dominance
  4. عَلَيۡكُمۡover you
  5. لَاthey do not regard (the ties)
  6. يَرۡقُبُواْthey do not regard (the ties)
  7. فِيكُمۡwith you
  8. إِلّٗا(of) kinship
  9. وَلَاand not
  10. ذِمَّةٗۚcovenant of protection
  11. يُرۡضُونَكُمThey satisfy you
  12. بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡwith their mouths
  13. وَتَأۡبَىٰbut refuse
  14. قُلُوبُهُمۡtheir hearts
  15. وَأَكۡثَرُهُمۡand most of them
  16. فَٰسِقُونَ(are) defiantly disobedient
At-Tawbah · 9:8Madinah

Sweet words from the mouth, refusal in the heart.

When the tongue and the heart disagree

What the verse exposes
pleasing wordsto keep you calm
while
hearts refuseno regard for kinship or pact
Two kinds of agreement
mouth onlyyes outside, no inside
mouth and heartthe yes is real

The verse explains why some of those treaties could not last: if those parties gained the upper hand, they would respect neither kinship (ill) nor pledge (dhimmah), as Ibn Abbas defined the words. They pleased with their mouths while their hearts refused.

"Sure, I'll be there." "No problem, happy to help." Said with a smile, while inside you have already decided not to. Before judging others with this verse, check how often your own yes is only in the mouth.

Saying yes to keep the peace is harmless, even if I don't mean it.

A yes the heart refuses is a small betrayal. Let my words match me.

Try this

Today, say no kindly to one thing you would have said a fake yes to.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

How? When if you are overpowered by them, they regard not the ties, either of kinship, ('Ill') or of covenant (Dhimmah)? With their mouths they please you, but their hearts are averse to you, and most of them are rebellious (8)

Allah encourages the believers to show enmity to the idolators and to dissociate from them, affirming that they do not deserve to enjoy a covenant of peace, because of their Shirk in Allah and disbelief in Allah's Messenger ﷺ.

If these disbelievers have a chance to defeat Muslims, they will cause great mischief, leave nothing unharmed, disregard the ties of kinship and the sanctity of their vows. 'Ali bin Abi Talhah, 'Ikrimah and Al-'Awfi narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Ill' means kinship, while, Dhimmah means covenant." Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi said similarly.