9-81 Those who were left behind were glad on account of their sitting behind Allah’s Messenger, and they were averse to striving in Allah’s way with their property and their persons, and said: Go not forth in the heat. Say: The Fire of hell is fiercer in heat. If only they could understand!a
فَرِحَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَـٰفَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوٓا۟ أَن يُجَـٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَنفِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْحَرِّ ۗ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّۭا ۚ لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ يَفْقَهُونَ (۸۱)
9-81a: ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ – The meaning of خَلَّفۡتُه is I left him behind. So, مُخَلَّفُون are those who were left behind because they made false excuses and got permission to stay behind.
خِلَـٰفَ – It is a verbal noun from خَلَف and its meaning is opposition (R – IJ). The purport is that they were happy at their opposition or for the sake of the opposition of the Holy Prophet. Some have taken the meaning of خِلَـٰفَ to be after but the first meaning is preferable.
9-82 Then let them laugh a little and weep much — a recompense for what they earned.a
فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًۭا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًۭا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ (۸۲)
9-82a: The meaning is that they are feeling elated by this opposition to the Holy Prophet although what they should be doing is weeping at this condition of theirs and laughing little. Thus, their condition of rejoicing at an evil deserves to be cried over and not rejoiced. By ضحك and بکاء is meant joy and sorrow. The meaning of the verse can also be that the hypocrites are feeling happy but after some time, they will be weeping or sorrowful.
9-83 So if Allah bring thee back to a party of them, then they ask thy permission to go forth, say: Never shall you go forth with me and never shall you fight an enemy with me. You chose to sit (at home) the first time; so sit (now) with those who remain behind.a
فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَآئِفَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ فَٱسْتَـْٔذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا۟ مَعِىَ أَبَدًۭا وَلَن تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ مَعِىَ عَدُوًّا ۖ إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِٱلْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۢ فَٱقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَـٰلِفِينَ (۸۳)
9-83a: فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ – (So if Allah bring thee back). This revelation took place while the Holy Prophet was on his way to Tabuk.
خَـٰلِفِينَ – It is the plural of خالف which means the one remaining behind because of an injury, defect or deficiency, just as متخلف and خالِفه is the rear pole of a tent but metaphorically refers to a woman because she gets left in the rear of a moving group. Its plural is خوالف (R) which is used in verse 9:87.
This is a severance of relationship with those hypocrites who did not repent and join Islam sincerely. They will no longer be allowed to join the Muslim force in any future expedition.
9-84 And never offer prayer for anyone of them who dies, nor stand by his grave. Surely they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and they died in transgression.a
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًۭا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ (۸۴)
9-84a: The prohibition to offer the funeral prayer of hypocrites by the Holy Prophet marked the severance of the spiritual relations with the hypocrites. This prohibition was ordered because the enmity of the hypocrites had exceeded all bounds and had transgressed from secret to open hostility. The meaning of لَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِ is to stand at their graves to pray for the deceased. The revelation of this verse took place after the event of the funeral prayer of Abdullah bin Ubayy and this is proven by authentic hadiths in Bukhari and other reliable Books of Hadith. Because Umar was not in favor of the Holy Prophet conducting the funeral prayer of Abdullah bin Ubayy, this is one of those occasions where the revelation supported the opinion of Umar. This also proves that revelation was not the result of the Holy Prophet’s thinking. The Holy Prophet’s affectionate kindness was extreme and even ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ (Ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them) لن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ (Allah will not forgive them) (9:80) did not deter him from asking Allah’s protection for the hypocrites. Allah has full power to forgive or not to forgive, but the Holy Prophet out of his great affectionate kindness and his expansive mercy not only prayed for the protection of Abdullah bin Ubayy but also gave his shirt as an auspicious token. A revelation in direct contrast to this shows that revelation is a phenomenon quite distinct from the Holy Prophet’s opinion and thinking.
9-85 And let not their wealth and their children excite thy admiration. Allah only intends to chastise them thereby in this world, and (that) their souls may depart while they are disbelievers.
وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ (۸۵)
9-86 And when a chapter is revealed, saying, Believe in Allah and strive hard along with His Messenger, the wealthy among them ask permission of thee and say: Leave us (behind), that we may be with those who sit (at home).
وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ ٱسْتَـْٔذَنَكَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ ذَرْنَا نَكُن مَّعَ ٱلْقَـٰعِدِينَ (۸۶)
9-87 They prefer to be with those who remain behind, and their hearts are sealed so they understand not.
رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ (۸۷)
9-88 But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive hard with their property and their persons. And these it is for whom are the good things and these it is who are successful.
لَـٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ (۸۸)
9-89 Allah has prepared for them Gardens wherein flow rivers, to abide therein. That is the great achievement.
أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (۸۹)
Bayan-ul-Quran 