虽然本章的标题“al-Mundfiqun”即“伪信者”，表明了本章的主题，但提及伪信、描述伪信者阴谋诡计的并不只有这一章。事实上，几乎每一章麦地那启示的章节，都或明或暗地提到了伪信。然而，本章几乎全部篇幅都在讲述伪信者，提及他们的某些具体事件和言论。本章对伪信者发起了猛烈的抨击：指出他们的行为举止、谎言、阴谋和邪恶的诡计。它揭露了他们对穆斯林真实的仇恨之情，以及他们的怯懦与邪恶本性。

Although the title al-Mundfiqun, or The Hypocrites, indicates this surah's subject matter, it is nonetheless not the only one that mentions hypocrisy and that describes the hypocrites wicked scheming. Indeed, hardly any of the surahs revealed in Madinah is without an express or implied reference to hypocrisy. However, the present surah is dedicated, almost entirely, to speaking about the hypocrites, referring to particular events and statements they made. The surah launches a strong attack against the hypocrites: their manners, lies, intrigue and wicked plots. It exposes their true feelings of hatred towards the Muslims, as also their cowardice and evil nature.

最后，真主警告信士们，不要让伪善的任何特征靠近自己。伪善的第一个要素，是没有全心全意投身于真主的事业，反而沉迷于钱财、产业和子女。伪善还包括：当被邀请为真主的事业捐献财物时便懈怠推托，直到有一天，任何捐献都再无用处的日子来临。

A warning is given at the end to the believers not to allow any of the characteristics of hypocrisy to creep near them. The first element of hypocrisy is not to be totally dedicated to Gods cause, and to be instead preoccupied with money, property and children. Hypocrisy also entails slackening when invited to contribute financially to Gods cause until a day comes when no such donation will be of any use.

当伊斯兰迁至麦地那之后,不信者的伪善加速发展,并一直持续增长,直到先知ﷺ一生将近结束之时。尽管此类表现几乎从未间断,伪善仍呈现出不同的面貌,并采用了各种不同的手段。不可避免地,这种行为对当时的事件产生了重大影响,占据了穆斯林社群大量的精力、时间和心力。事实上,《古兰经》和圣训中频繁提及伪善,由此可见它当时已何等普遍。

The unbelievers’ hypocrisy accelerated when Islam moved to Madinah and continued to so grow until virtually the end of the Prophets blessed life. Although evidence of such traits was almost uninterrupted, hypocrisy nonetheless acquired different aspects and variously resorted to different tactics. Inevitably, such behaviour had a strong bearing on the events of the period, taking up much of the Muslim community’s efforts, time and energy. Indeed, hypocrisy is frequently mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith, thereby indicating how prevalent it had become.

在穆罕默德·伊扎特·达尔瓦扎（Muhammad Izzat Darwazah）所著的《先知传记：〈古兰经〉中的摘录章节》（Sirat al-Rasul: Suwar Muqtabasah min al-Qur'an al-Karim）一书中，他用一章的篇幅专门论述这一问题。以下几段尤其具有启发性：

In his biography of the Prophet, Sirat al-Rasul: Suwar Muqtabasah min al-Qurdn al-Kartm, Muhammad Izzat Darwazah, devotes a fine chapter to this issue. The following paragraphs are especially revealing:

显然，伪善现象在麦地那出现是有其明显原因的。早期在麦加的穆斯林既不够强大，也没有足够的影响力，使任何一群人畏惧他们或设法讨好他们。事实上，麦加的民众，尤其是其中的领袖和显贵，公然反对先知ﷺ，给穆斯林造成了极大的伤害，并竭尽所能地采取各种手段阻止新宗教的传播。实际上，他们掌握着很大的权力。由于这种迫害，一些穆斯林不得不迁往阿比西尼亚，之后又迁往麦地那。事实上，他们中有些人承受了难以忍受的压力，以至于不得不放弃信仰，原因或是遭受酷刑，或是抵挡不住诱惑。情况严重到甚至有少数人在酷刑下丧生。

There were obvious reasons for the phenomenon of hypocrisy to appear in Madinah. The early Muslims in Makkah were neither strong enough nor influential enough to make a group of people fear them or try to appease them. Indeed, the people of Makkah, and its leaders and notables in particular, opposed the Prophet in a very open manner, inflicting much harm on the Muslims, and resorted to any measure within their means to check the new religion’s advance In fact, they commanded much power. Because of this persecution the Muslims were subjected to some had to migrate to Abyssinia, and thereafter to Madinah. In fact, some of them were subjected to such unbearable pressure that they had to renounce their faith: this as a result of either torture or the lure of temptation. So extreme did this become that a few even died under torture.

在麦地那，情况明显不同。先知ﷺ迁往那里之前，已能从奥斯族和哈兹拉季两个部落中招募到一批有力量、有影响力的追随者。他确定那里的形势有利之后才迁往该地。事实上，麦地那几乎没有一户阿拉伯人家里没有信奉伊斯兰教的成员。当然，也有许多人拒绝伊斯兰教，有的是因为不愿听取其教义，有的则因为心怀敌意，意识到先知ﷺ的到来威胁到他们的领导地位和影响力。不过，他们也明白，自己不能公开对先知ﷺ及其迁士和辅士追随者采取敌对态度。此外，部落归属关系也是阻止公开敌对的重要因素。事实上，他们自己的部落奥斯族和哈兹拉季族，此时大多数已是穆斯林，真诚而忠诚地支持先知ﷺ。

In Madinah, the situation was markedly different. Prior to his migration there, the Prophet was able to recruit a number of strong and influential followers from the two tribes of the Aws and the Khazraj. He migrated only after having made sure of the favourable situation there. Indeed, there was hardly an Arab house in Madinah without its followers of Islam in the family. There were no doubt many who rejected Islam, either because they chose not to listen to its message or because they were full of hostility realizing that the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah threatened their position of leadership and influence. They realized, however, that they could not take an openly hostile attitude to the Prophet and his Muhajirin and Ansar followers. Moreover, tribal affiliation was an important factor preventing such open hostility. Indeed, the broad majority of their own tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, were now Muslim, giving sincere and devoted support to the Prophet.

他们都是虔诚的穆斯林，视先知ﷺ为他们的最高统帅，也是他们必须遵循的引路人。因此，那些内心仍存有偶像崇拜的念头、怀着怨恨、企图破坏伊斯兰的人，觉得自己唯一的选择就是假装成为穆斯林，表面上履行伊斯兰的功课，同时宣称对自己的部落仍然忠诚，暗地里却采用阴谋与诡计。然而，他们的反对有时确实带有虚伪的味道，通常出现在穆斯林面临严峻危机之时。此时，这些“伪装者”便主张谨慎行事，声称这是唯一符合穆斯林利益的选择。不用说，他们从未承认自己实际上是不信道者。

They were good Muslims who looked at the Prophet as their own supreme commander, and the guide they had to follow. Therefore, the ones who still entertained thoughts of idolatry and harboured rancour in their hearts, prompting them to seek to undermine Islam, felt that their only option was to pretend to be Muslim, appearing to fulfil their Islamic duties, declaring their continued loyalty to their tribes, while at the same time resorting to plots and intrigue. At times, however, their opposition did smack of hypocrisy, this usually when the Muslims faced some tough crisis, and here the ‘pretenders’ counselled caution, claiming that it was the only option that served Muslim interests. Needless to say, they did not acknowledge that they were in fact unbelievers.

然而，他们的伪善态度并未逃过先知ﷺ和他的门徒们的眼睛。而且，他们在危机时刻的立场，主张软弱的政策，使他们的伪善与不信更加根深蒂固。古兰经的启示一次又一次地揭露并谴责他们的阴谋，提醒先知ﷺ和信士们在与他们打交道时必须万分谨慎。

Nonetheless, their true attitude of hypocrisy did not go unnoticed by the Prophet and his Companions. Moreover, their stand at times of crises, counselling a policy of weakness, hardened them further in their hypocrisy and unbelief. Qur’anic revelations time after time exposed and denounced their schemes, alerting the Prophet and the believers to the need to be very cautious in dealing with them.

伪信者的态度和阴谋，依据古兰经启示的内涵，产生了深远的影响。我们认为，当时存在着一场坚决的斗争，让人联想到先知与麦加长老之间的那场斗争，只是结局发生了逆转。

The hypocrites attitude and schemes had, according to the import of Quranic revelations, a far-reaching effect. We feel that there was a determined struggle, reminiscent of that between the Prophet and the Makkan elders, but with a reversal in its outcome.

在短时间内，先知ﷺ巩固了他在麦地那的地位，他的影响力也随之增长。伊斯兰教不断传播，其权力基础也日益稳固。伪信者既不是一个团结的群体，也不是一个明确可辨的实体。随着伊斯兰教日益兴盛，他们的力量越来越弱，影响力也随之减小。

Within a short period, the Prophet strengthened his position in Madinah and his influence increased. Islam was spreading and consolidating its power base. The hypocrites were neither a solid group nor a clearly identified entity. As Islam was on the ascendancy, they grew weaker and thus their influence diminished.

要认识伪信者所构成的威胁，尤其是在伊斯兰教初期的麦地那，我们还需记住一点：当时阿拉伯人的部族忠诚依然十分强烈，伪信者仍可借此号召人心。此外，在那个时候他们尚未暴露真相，伊斯兰教对新入教者的影响也尚未巩固。再者，先知四面受到多神教徒的包围。麦加人在阿拉伯人中依然享有极大的影响力，他们一直伺机给这个仍然稚嫩的穆斯林国家以毁灭性的打击。麦地那的犹太人也很快对先知和伊斯兰教采取了敌对的立场。事实上，他们迅速与伪信者结成了天然的同盟，确立了共同的目标，以对抗穆斯林群体。实际上，如果没有犹太人的支持，以及两派之间所结成的这种同盟，伪信者本不可能给先知和他的追随者造成如此大的伤害。尽管如此，他们的影响力逐渐减弱，所构成的危险也逐渐消退，但这只是在真主挫败了他们的阴谋，并使先知战胜他们之后才实现的。

To appreciate the threat posed by the hypocrites, particularly in the early period of Islam in Madinah, we need to remember however that they could still call on tribal loyalties, which remained strong among the Arabs. Besides, they had not at this juncture exposed themselves. Nor had Islam as yet consolidated its influence on its new followers. Moreover, the Prophet was surrounded by idolaters on all fronts. The people of Makkah continued to enjoy a position of great influence among the Arabs, and they were on the lookout for any chance to level a crushing defeat on the still fledgling Muslim State. The Jews in Madinah were also not long in taking a hostile stance towards the Prophet and Islam. Indeed, they were quick to cement a natural alliance with the hypocrites, defining common objectives in opposition to the Muslim community. In fact, the hypocrites could not have caused so much harm to the Prophet and his followers had they not had the support of the Jews and the sort of alliance that the two groups forged. Nonetheless, their influence gradually weakened and the danger they represented subsided only after God foiled their schemes and enabled the Prophet to achieve victory over them.