Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ} [النساء: 88]

nasai-kubra:11048Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī b. Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd b. Thābit

Some of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ returned from the battle of Uhud (i.e. refused to fight) whereupon the Muslims got divided into two parties; one of them was in favor of their execution and the other was not in favour of it. So there ware revealed: "Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites?" (4.88). Then the Prophet ﷺ said "It (i.e. Medina) is a Taybah (good), it expels impurities as the fire expels the impurities of silver." (Using translation from Bukhārī 4589)   

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٠٤٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ

فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا قَالَ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مِنْ أُحُدٍ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ فِيهِمْ فِرْقَتَيْنِ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَقُولُ اقْتُلْهُمْ وَفَرِيقٌ يَقُولُ لَا فَنَزَلَتِ الْآيَةُ فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَقَالَ إِنَّهَا تَنْفِي الْخَبَثَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْفِضَّةِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad
bukhari:1884Sulaymān b. Ḥarb > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī b. Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd b. Thābit

When the Prophet ﷺ went out for (the battle of) Uhud, some of his companions (hypocrites) returned (home). A party of the believers remarked that they would kill those (hypocrites) who had returned, but another party said that they would not kill them. So, this Divine Inspiration was revealed: "Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties concerning the hypocrites." (4.88) The Prophet ﷺ said, "Medina expels the bad persons from it, as fire expels the impurities of iron."  

البخاري:١٨٨٤حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ ؓ يَقُولُ لَمَّا خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى أُحُدٍ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَتْ فِرْقَةٌ نَقْتُلُهُمْ وَقَالَتْ فِرْقَةٌ لاَ نَقْتُلُهُمْ فَنَزَلَتْ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينِ فِئَتَيْنِ} وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّهَا تَنْفِي الرِّجَالَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ  

bukhari:4050Abū al-Walīd > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī b. Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd b. Thābit

When the Prophet ﷺ set out for (the battle of) Uhud, some of those who had gone out with him, returned. The companions of the Prophet ﷺ were divided into two groups. One group said, "We will fight them (i.e. the enemy)," and the other group said, "We will not fight them." So there came the Divine Revelation:-- '(O Muslims!) Then what is the matter within you that you are divided. Into two parties about the hypocrites? Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) Because of what they have earned.' (4.88) On that, the Prophet ﷺ said, "That is Taiba (i.e. the city of Medina) which clears one from one's sins as the fire expels the impurities of silver."  

البخاري:٤٠٥٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ ؓ قَالَ

لَمَّا خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى أُحُدٍ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِمَّنْ خَرَجَ مَعَهُ وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِرْقَتَيْنِ فِرْقَةً تَقُولُ نُقَاتِلُهُمْ وَفِرْقَةً تَقُولُ لاَ نُقَاتِلُهُمْ فَنَزَلَتْ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا} وَقَالَ إِنَّهَا طَيْبَةُ تَنْفِي الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْفِضَّةِ  

bukhari:4589Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Ghundar And ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd

Some of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ returned from the battle of Uhud (i.e. refused to fight) whereupon the Muslims got divided into two parties; one of them was in favor of their execution and the other was not in favour of it. So there ware revealed: "Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites?" (4.88). Then the Prophet ﷺ said "It (i.e. Medina) is a Taybah (good), it expels impurities as the fire expels the impurities of silver."  

البخاري:٤٥٨٩حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَدِيٍّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِت ؓ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ}

رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْ أُحُدٍ وَكَانَ النَّاسُ فِيهِمْ فِرْقَتَيْنِ فَرِيقٌ يَقُولُ اقْتُلْهُمْ وَفَرِيقٌ يَقُولُ لاَ۔ فَنَزَلَتْ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ} وَقَالَ: «إِنَّهَا طَيْبَةُ: تَنْفِي الْخَبَثَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْفِضَّةِ۔»  

tirmidhi:3028Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī b. Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd b. Thābit

from Zaid bin Thabit that he heard about this Ayah: Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? (4:88) He said: "People among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ returned on the Day of Uhud and there were two parties among them, a group who said: 'Kill them,' and a group that say not to. So Allah revealed this Ayah: Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? (4:88) So he said: "Indeed it is Taibah (Al-Madinah). And he said: 'It expels filth from it just like the fire expels filth from iron.'"  

الترمذي:٣٠٢٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي هَذِهِ الآيَةِ ( فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ ) قَالَ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ فِيهِمْ فَرِيقَيْنِ فَرِيقٌ يَقُولُ اقْتُلْهُمْ وَفَرِيقٌ يَقُولُ لاَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ ( فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ ) وَقَالَ إِنَّهَا طِيبَةُ وَقَالَ إِنَّهَا تَنْفِي الْخَبِيثَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ هُوَ الأَنْصَارِيُّ الْخَطْمِيُّ وَلَهُ صُحْبَةٌ
ahmad:21636Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > ʿAdī b. Thābit > ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Zayd b. Thābit

from Zaid bin Thabit that he heard about this Ayah: Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? (4:88) He said: "People among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ returned on the Day of Uhud and there were two parties among them, a group who said: 'Kill them,' and a group that say not to. So Allah revealed this Ayah: Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? (4:88) So he said: "Indeed it is Taibah (Al-Madinah). And he said: 'It expels filth from it just like the fire expels filth from iron.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 3028)   

أحمد:٢١٦٣٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا} [النساء 88] قَالَ رَجَعَ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَكَانَ النَّاسُ فِيهِمْ فِرْقَتَيْنِفَرِيقٌ يَقُولُونَ قَتْلَهُمْ وَفَرِيقٌ يَقُولُونَ لَا قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ} [النساء 88] وَقَالَ إِنَّهَا طَيْبَةُ وَإِنَّهَا تَنْفِي الْخَبَثَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْفِضَّةِ