Author: sftwr2020

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

10-1 I, Allah, am the Seer.^a These are the verses of the Book, full of wisdom.^b

الٓر ۚ تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ (۱)

10-1a: الٓر – For initial letter of some Quranic surahs called مقطعات see 2-1a. This particular set of initial characters appears at the start of four other surahs besides this one, that is Hud, Yusuf, Ibrahim and Al Hijr. Between these four surahs is surah Al Rad which begins with المّرٰ . The subject matter of these six surahs is similar and they were revealed about the same period. These letters stand for انا اللّٰه اریٰ (I Allah am the Seer) as narrated by Ibn Abbas (IJ). The purpose of bringing Allah’s attribute of Seeing is that He sees a person’s actions and will reward him accordingly.

10-1b: ٱلْحَكِيمِ – Here the attribute of the Book is حکمة and for the meaning of الحکیم see 2-32a, 2-129a and 2-251a. The Quran is called حکیم because it is full of wisdom. Some, however, have taken حکیم to mean محکم and both the interpretations are correct because it is also محکم that is clear and inconvertible and is very beneficial for the mediator or arbitrator. حُکۡم is broader in significance than حِکمة . Every حِکمة is حُکۡم but every حُکۡم is not حِکمة because حُکۡم is just the name for deciding that a particular thing is like this and not like that and حِکمة is to determine the truth with the use of knowledge and intelligence (R). 

Here the Quran is called ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ (Book full of wisdom), and elsewhere it is called وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ (By the Quran, full of wisdom) (36:2). In another place, it is referred to as حِكْمَةٌۢ بَـٰلِغَةٌ (Consummate wisdom) (54:5). In many places the Book and wisdom are mentioned in juxtaposition as in يُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ (teaches them the Book and Wisdom) (62:2); وَٱذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ ۚ (And remember that which is recited in your houses of the messages of Allah and the Wisdom) (33:34). Both the structures, that is wisdom as an adjective of the noun Book and the Book and Wisdom as two separate nouns, are correct. This whole Book is full of wisdom and there is wisdom in everything that it states. Thus, whatever is in it is the truth and is in accordance with knowledge and rationality. Then some of the finer points of wisdom were revealed by the understanding of the Holy Prophet and that too is Wisdom. In calling the Quran حکیم there is a subtle indication that the foundation of this religion is based on wisdom and rationality and that it is a science whose laws and rules are in accord with the intellect and knowledge. Thus, religion is not the name of a few disjointed ideas as was the thinking of the people in the past.

10-2 Is it a wonder to the people that We have revealed to a man from among themselves: Warn the people and give good news to those who believe that for them is advancement in excellence with their Lord? The disbelievers say: This is surely a manifest enchanter.^a

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ قَالَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَـٰحِرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ (۲)

10-2a: قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ – قَدَمَ means the foot but metaphorically means to precede or to remain behind which can be with respect to time or eminence and excellence (R). By قَدَمَ here is metaphorically meant precedence and this precedence is in honor and eminence. The use of صدق (truth) to describe a speech is commonplace but like کذب (false) it is also used for bodily actions, and any eminent action whether manifest or hidden is called صدق , as in: فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ (In the seat of truth, with a most Powerful King) (54:55); رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍۢ وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍۢ (My Lord, make me enter a truthful entering, and make me go forth a truthful going forth) (17:80); وَٱجْعَل لِّى لِسَانَ صِدْقٍۢ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ (And ordain for me a goodly mention in later generations) (26:84). The meaning of the last citation is that Allah may make him righteous so that the praise of those who praise him after his departure is true and not false (R). By قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ is meant to increase in excellence (R). In the opinion of Raghib, there is no trace or sign in the traditions of the Holy Prophet and his Companions regarding the common use of the word قدیم as an attribute of Allah by scholars who specialize in proving religious matter with rational arguments.

The idea that the outcome of evil is bad and those who do good will increase in eminence was so foreign to the disbelievers that they called it enchantment and the Holy Prophet an enchanter. This goes to show the sense in which the words enchantment and enchanter are used in the Quran. The opponents do not call the prophets enchanters because of their miracles but because of the effectiveness of their speech. Their arguments were simple and influenced the heart and the opponents countered this by calling the prophets enchanters and telling the people not to rely on what they said.

10-3 Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is established on the Throne of Power regulating the Affair. There is no intercessor except after His permission. This is Allah, your Lord, therefore serve Him. Will you not mind?^a

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۖ يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ ۖ مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (۳)

10-3a: For سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ (six periods), عَرْشِ (Throne of Power) and تدبیر امر (regulating the Affair) see 7-54a and b. In the first verse, there is mention of Divine revelation which requires that there be requital for evil and good and the verse also gives the promise of another life in which this will take place. The disbelievers are incredulous at this and hence attention is drawn to the greatness of Allah and the question is poised that, He Who has created the heavens and earth, does He not have the power to create again. In another place, it is stated: أَفَعَيِينَا بِٱلْخَلْقِ ٱلْأَوَّلِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى لَبْسٍۢ مِّنْ خَلْقٍۢ جَدِيدٍۢ (Were We then fatigued with the first creation? Yet they are in doubt about a new creation.) (50:15). A person’s intellect and knowledge cannot even comprehend the existing creation, leave alone a new creation. The mention of six periods is to show that the manifest creation reached its present stage gradually by degrees and the other creation will also be reached by degrees. The mention of شَفِيعٍ (intercessor) is from the perspective that the Creator is One and no one partnered with Him in the creation because شفع (even) is opposite of وتر (odd). So, no one deserves being worshipped except Him. There is also an indication in إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِۦ (except after His permission) to another intercession which will be for sinners. There can also be an indication in this that those who are considered His intercessors are also His creation. The next verse makes it manifest that in drawing attention to the Majesty of Allah and to the fact that He is the Creator, the real purpose is to draw attention to the next life.

10-4 To Him is your return, of all (of you). It is the promise of Allah (made) in truth. Surely He produces the first creation, then He reproduces it, that He may reward with equity those who believe and do good. And as for those who disbelieve, for them is a drink of hot water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved.^a

إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًۭا ۖ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَبْدَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌۭ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍۢ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ (۴)

10-4a: The indication given in the previous verse has been made clear here and وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ (promise of Allah) is the emphatic verbal noun for the promise that is given in إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًۭا (To Him is your return) and حَقًّا (in truth) is to emphasize the promise of Allah. By إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًۭا is meant returning to Allah by resurrection after death. This is the true promise, otherwise the phenomenon of death is known to everyone. Further on in the verse the first creation is mentioned, and the purpose of the rebirth is stated to be that the righteous and sinners may be requitted accordingly.

10-5 He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness, and the moon a light, and ordained for it stages that you might know the computation of years and the reckoning. Allah created not this but with truth. He makes the signs manifest for a people who know.^a

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءًۭ وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًۭا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ (۵)

10-5a: ضِيَآءًۭ – ضَوۡء  is that which spreads from bodies that create light, and this word is also used for light from a fire (R). Some have held ضَوۡء and نور to be synonymous while others consider ضَوۡء to be that which intrinsically give off light, such as sun and fire, and نور to be reflective light whose source is external (T) as for example the light of the moon. This difference has been maintained in the Quran. In another place, it is stated about fire: فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُۥ (but when it illuminates all around him) (2:17); and يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌۭ ۚ(the oil whereof gives light, though fire touch it not) (24:35). Some have interpreted the meaning of this citation to be a metaphorical reference to the Holy Prophet, and they state: یکاد مَنۡظرہٗ یَدُلَّ علیٰ نبوتهٖ و لو لم یتل قرانا (T) that the Holy Prophet’s countenance testified to his prophethood though he did not read the Quran. The statement in the Hadith لا تستضیئوا بنارا ھل الشرك literally translates as: Do not light your fire from the fire of the disbelievers but means only that do not take disbelievers as advisors in your affairs and do not accept their advice (T). For نور see 3:184a.

مَنَازِلَ – مَنزِل or منزلة is the place where revealed and also means rank or degree (LA). The meaning of قَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ is ordained for it stages and by stages is meant the waning and waxing of the moon.

This manifest system on which human life depends is mentioned so that attention may be drawn from the worldly system to the spiritual system as is evident from the next verse. The Being Who has created all these things for worldly life has also created the means for the spiritual life.

10-6 Surely in the variation of the night and the day, and that which Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who keep their duty.

إِنَّ فِى ٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَّقُونَ (۶)

10-7 Those who expect not the meeting with Us, and are pleased with this world’s life and are satisfied with it, and those who are heedless of Our messages —

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا وَرَضُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱطْمَأَنُّوا۟ بِهَا وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا غَـٰفِلُونَ (۷)

10-8 These, their abode is the Fire because of what they earned.^a

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ (۸)

10-8a: Being pleased and satisfied with worldly life implies that this animal life is the real life and the purpose of life is merely, eating, drinking and physical pleasure. Such people never achieve real happiness and if they cannot achieve happiness in this world, how can they be happy in the next world.

10-9 Those who believe and do good, their Lord guides them by their faith; rivers will flow beneath them in Gardens of bliss.^a

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ۖ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ (۹)

10-9a: For the meaning of ہدایت see 1:5a.

بِإِيمَـٰنِهِمْ – It is belief which becomes the means for believers to reach their desired objective. Thus, without belief one cannot achieve the desired objective. This belief becomes a light for a person in this world as in يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۖ (He brings them out of darkness into light) (2:257) and in the next world as in يَوْمَ تَرَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَسْعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ (On that day thou wilt see the faithful men and the faithful women, their light gleaming before them) (57:12). This does not mean that good deeds are not important because the ability to perform good deeds is obtained from belief. Belief is a light and there is no benefit from light unless a person walks in it.

10-10 Their cry therein will be, Glory to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting, Peace! And the last of their cry will be: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!^a

دَعْوَىٰهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَـٰمٌۭ ۚ وَءَاخِرُ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ أَنِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (۱۰)

10-10a: These statements are on the lips of a believer all the time: سبحانك اللّھم ۔ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ are statements that a believer says repeatedly in the five daily prayers. When a Muslim meets another Muslim, he greets him with the salutation of peace, and he also desires the wellbeing of his Muslim brother in practical terms as well. المسلم من سلّم المسلمون من اسانه ویدہ (A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe). The paradise of a believer starts in the life of this world. The description of the garden of bliss given in this verse is a beautiful one: Glorification and praise of Allah and salutation of peace on each other.

Name: The name of this surah is Yunus and it has nine sections and 109 verses. The surah has been so named to draw attention to a similarity between the people of Jonah who escaped destruction by believing and the people of the Holy Prophet whose trajectory would be the same, that is they would not be destroyed and, in the end, will come to the right way.

Summary: This surah in the most part draws attention to the mercy of Allah. He takes mercy on people when they are going through tribulations. The disbelievers are advised to take advantage of His great mercy. The first section mentions Divine revelation and states that the life of this world is transitory and worldly life should not be taken as the purpose of existence because the real life of a person is another life and revelation guides one towards that life. The second section warns those who reject the revelation that they will be punished. The third section informs that small trials and tribulations randomly impact people and human nature turns to Allah for help during such times. Muslims are advised to benefit from such difficulties and incline to Allah and when ease returns, they should not forget God. The fourth section advances arguments about the Being of the Creator and His Oneness. The fifth section again states that those who reject the revelation will be punished. The sixth section states that the Quran has been revealed to elevate people to great spiritual heights. Instead of rejecting the Quran, people should turn their attention to attaining these elevated positions. The seventh section describes the high positions that the believers will achieve. The eighth section gives the examples of Noah and Moses. The ninth section describes the destruction of Pharoah and reveals that when death confronted even a tyrannical person like Pharoah, he turned to Allah, but it was too late as he was already in the throes of the punishment. People are advised to learn from this example and to turn to Allah before it is too late. It is also revealed that the body of Pharoah was thrown out of the sea to be preserved as a sign. This information bears testimony that the Quran is from Allah because nobody knew about this at the time of revelation but today events have shown that his body is preserved. The tenth section conveys that if the disbelievers even now stop from belying the Quran, the punishment can be averted. The eleventh section gives the judgment of Allah and brings the chapter to an end.

Relationship and arrangement: The last chapter was ended by the statement that the Messenger is greatly distressed by any difficulty that befalls the people. Hence it is clarified in this chapter that although falsifying the revelation and striving only for this world makes punishment a certainty, but Allah’s mercy is unlimited. If a person turns to Him even a little, He too turns to him mercifully. The last chapter mostly dwells on the punishment of the disbelievers while this chapter states that Allah’s mercy dominates His punishment provided there is an earnest desire to benefit from it. In the general organization of the Quran, the seven chapters from surah Yunus to Al Nahal are very similar in their content and are primarily focused on providing proof of prophethood. Thus, when surah Al Araf, which furnishes proof of prophethood, mentions the falsifying of prophets, it is followed by surah Al-Anfal and surah Al-Tawbah which deal with the punishment of the Holy Prophet’s opponents. With this chapter, there is a reversion to the original topic of proof of prophethood and this subject is continued in the following surahs. In terms of the timing of revelation, these seven surahs from Yunus to Al-Nahl are from the last period of the Holy Prophet’s life in Makkah. This was a period in which the Holy Prophet’s opposition had exceeded all limits and in these surahs the Holy Prophet and Muslims are comforted through prophecies that the truth will ultimately triumph and falsehood will be destroyed.   

9-123 O you who believe, fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you and let them find firmness in you. And know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.^a

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا۟ فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةًۭ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ (۱۲۳)

9-123a: قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ (Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you) – This is not a general command that abrogates previous instructions about fighting. For example, Muslims had treaties with many tribes of disbelievers and therefore Muslims were commanded to honor those treaties because it was the right thing to do. Jews lived in Khyber and the Holy Prophet did not fight them even though they were disbelievers and highly unreliable. There were many tribes and nations against whom the Holy Prophet did not fight. So, this command to fight is subservient to the previous command which encompasses all the commands regarding fighting. This overarching command is to fight those who fight you. If it is argued then what is the need of saying ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم (those near you), the reason is that these people who were near were the ones from whom the Muslims suffered great torment and afflictions. The opponents located far away were too distant to cause any serious problems. This is what is pointed out in ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم.

غِلْظَةًۭ  –  See 9-121a for its meaning. The purport is that the problems of one’s nation should not be forgotten simply because of having a near relationship.

9-124 And whenever a chapter is revealed, there are some of them who say: Which of you has it strengthened in faith? So as for those who believe, it strengthens them in faith and they rejoice.

وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًۭا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ (۱۲۴)

9-125 And as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it adds uncleanness to their uncleanness, and they die while they are disbelievers.^a

وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ (۱۲۵)

9-125a: رِجْس or uncleanness is the enmity and hypocrisy of the opponents as is clear from the statement فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ (in their hearts is a disease). The previous verse mentions the strengthening of the faith of the believers and in contrast mention is made in this verse of the increase in the enmity and hypocrisy of the disbelievers. The revelation of the Quran and in particular the revelation of those surahs in which there is a mention of wars, of confronting the enemies and of the two-facedness of the hypocrites strengthened the faith of the believers but increased the enmity and duplicity of the hypocrites.

9-126 See they not that they are tried once or twice in every year, yet they repent not, nor do they mind.^a

 أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِى كُلِّ عَامٍۢ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ (۱۲۶)

9-126a: The hypocrites are advised to turn to God: What kind of tribulation or sorrow is implied in the statement they are tried once or twice? Some have said the trial was by famine and disease, and others have said wars and jihad. The word يُفْتَنُونَ is more in tune with famine and disease. When faced with famine and disease, human nature impels a person to turn to Allah and seek repentance for sins. However, the moral depravity of the disbelievers was such that they did not do so and therefore did not benefit from these tribulations. The wars and jihad were also a trial for the hypocrites because they wanted the Muslims to lose and be destroyed in battles but each battle resulted in the success of Muslims and the failure of the enemy. Further, suffering for the hypocrites as implied by يُفْتَنُونَ took the form of donations they had to make from their wealth for wars and some of them had to participate in the fighting as well and a few were killed.

9-127 And whenever a chapter is revealed, they look one at another: Does anyone see you? Then they turn away. Allah has turned away their hearts because they are a people who understand not.^a

وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَىٰكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱنصَرَفُوا۟ ۚ صَرَفَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ (۱۲۷)

9-127a: By the revelation of a chapter is meant a chapter that mentions hypocrites. Their looking at one another is either as a signal to leave the assembly or it is gesturing with the eyes by way of mockery and ridicule. So, Allah turned their hearts because they did not use their intelligence.

9-128 Certainly a Messenger has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, most solicitous for you, to the believers (he is) compassionate, merciful.

لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۱۲۸)

9-128a: عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ – The meaning of عَزَّ is غَلَبَ that is overpowered, and the meaning of عَزَّا علیه کذا is صَعُبَ (the thing grieved him) (R).

For the meaning of مَا عَنِتُّمْ  that is عَنۡتُکُمۡ see 2-220a. It is used to mean any one of several things such as toil, fight, death, destruction, sin, and mistake.

The real condition of the Prophet’s heart: The surah is ended here. Among its major themes is a discussion about wars and hypocrites. Hence at the very end it is stated that neither of these topics are the reason for the coming of the Prophet. The real reason is that his nature is such that he is deeply grieved by the tribulations and difficulties that befall the people and his great desire is that people free themselves from these calamities. He is solicitous of their welfare and wants the best for them. The statement up to this point is general, that is the Prophet’s heart melts at the tribulations and calamities that befall the people because of the prevalence of sin and depravity. There is no joy for him in the blood that flows in battles. He feels no pleasure if people put themselves in the path of destruction through their disbelief and enmity. Instead, his heart is anxious for these impairments to be removed. In this last message there is a reminder of the initial condition of the Prophet’s heart which turned to Allah on seeing the prevailing depravity and destruction of the world and asked Allah’s assistance. The mention of بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (to the believers he is compassionate, merciful) conveys that if the people become believers, then the Messenger will be an embodiment of pleasure and blessing for them. It is only when people exceed all limits in creating mischief that it becomes necessary to resist temporarily with the sword to save the truth from being destroyed. For رَءُوف and رأفة see 2-143c and the reason for giving precedence to رأفة over رحمة is that رأفة implies removal of harm and رحمة  implies obtaining benefit (RM).

This verse showed to the enemies with whom there was ongoing hostilities and to those who are mentioned in this surah, namely the disbelievers and the hypocrites, the real longing in the Holy Prophet’s heart.

9-129 But if they turn away, say: Allah is sufficient for me — there is no god but He. On Him do I rely, and He is the Lord of the mighty Throne.^a

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (۱۲۹)

9-129a: رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ – For عرش see 7-54b. The structure of رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ is similar to رب العزۃ , namely the phrase extends a characteristic.

After conveying that the Messenger only desires their betterment, the Holy Prophet is comforted that despite his desire to extricate them from distress and destruction and his great desire for their welfare, if they do not accept him and are intransigent in their opposition, he should not worry and say فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ (Allah is sufficient for me). He should trust only in Allah.

According to some traditions, the last two verses of Surah Tawbah are the last verses to be revealed, but Bukhari states, based on a narration by Ibn Abbas, that وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ (And guard yourself against a day in which you will be returned to Allah) (2:281) is the last verse to be revealed. This seems correct. It is true however that Surah Tawbah is one of the last surahs to be revealed and possibly the meaning of the narration may be that in Surah Tawbah these two verses were the last to be revealed.

9-119 O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah and be with the truthful.^a

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (۱۱۹)

9-119a: The command to be with the truthful: This verse is a testament to the eloquent composition and decisive nature of Quranic verses. The last verse mentions three men who after having regularly participated in previous holy wars stayed back from the Tabuk expedition and Allah was so displeased with them for this that for fifty days the Muslims were not permitted to speak to them even though these three said their prayers, performed all the duties of Muslims and were from the party of Muslims. This verse impresses that those Muslims who realize the needs of their religion but do not resolve to fulfill those needs disqualify themselves from being part of the Muslim body.

By truthful is meant righteous servants of religion like a mujaddid: Prophethood had to come to an end but the needs of the religion were to continue. Accordingly, immediately after this the Muslims are advised that when a truthful and righteous person arises among them and calls the Muslims to fulfil the needs of the faith, their most important duty is to join him. By صَّـٰدِقِينَ or truthful are meant those people who are true in the service of faith and not just those who speak the truth. For this meaning of صادق see 3:17a, and the Quran itself has stated: إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا۟ وَجَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَ (The believers are those only who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then they doubt not, and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah. Such are the truthful ones) (49:15). This is the meaning here as is evident from the mention of bearing tribulations in the next verse which indicates that only those are deserving of being called صادق who work and face hardships in the way of Allah. In the present times, Muslims are so far removed from the understanding of the Quran that most of them state that if so and so is a Mujaddid of the era, so be it, it is sufficient for us that we pray. It is a pity that they do not reflect on the Quran even a little for if they did, they would realize the importance that the Quran lays on being with the truthful by bringing this command at this juncture of the Quran.

9-120 It was not proper for the people of Madinah and those round about them of the desert Arabs to remain behind the Messenger of Allah, nor to prefer their own lives to his life. That is because there afflicts them neither thirst nor fatigue nor hunger in Allah’s way, nor tread they a path which enrages the disbelievers, nor cause they any harm to an enemy, but a good work is written down for them on account of it. Surely Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good;^a

مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا۟ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌۭ وَلَا نَصَبٌۭ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌۭ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوْطِئًۭا يَغِيظُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّۢ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌۭ صَـٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ (۱۲۰)

9-120a: يَرْغَبُوا۟ – For the meaning of رغب  see 2-130a. Having رغبة  with a thing means being greedy for it with an element of enviousness attached. A hadith has the statement کیف انتم اذا مَرِج الدینُ و ظَھرتِ الرغبة (What will be your condition when the religion will be in a state of decline and رغبة will be manifest) where the meaning of رغبة is stated to be greed for accumulating wealth (LA). The meaning here is being greedy for life.

ظَمَأٌۭ – ظِمۡٔ  is the interval between two gulps of water and accordingly ظَمَأٌۭ is thirst and ظَمٰۡان is thirsty, as in: لَا تَظْمَؤُا۟ فِيهَا (thou art not thirsty therein) (20:119); يَحْسَبُهُ ٱلظَّمْـَٔانُ مَآءً (the thirsty man deems it to be water) (24:39) (R).

نَصَبٌۭ – The literal meaning of نَصۡب is to drive a thing in the ground, plant it or erect it and نُصۡب and نَصَب means fatigue, tiredness, as in: مَسَّنِىَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بِنُصْبٍۢ (the devil has afflicted me) (38:41) لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌۭ (Toil afflicts them not therein) (15:48).

مَخْمَصَةٌۭ – خَمۡص البطن is leanness of the stomach and so مَخْمَصَةٌۭ is hunger which creates the leanness of the stomach (R).

يَطَـُٔونَ – موطئا and وَطِیٔ means trample, trodden. Hence trampling the earth is going about in the earth, as is the meaning here, and مَوۡطئ means موضع which is place, spot, site (LA). The purport in اللّھم اشۡدُد وَطأتَكَ علی مُضَر is to humiliate them or to make them obedient. The meaning of مُواطأُۃ is conformity or accordance, that is putting the second step where the first step was placed. It is used in this sense in لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ (that they may agree in the number of months Allah has made sacred (9:37). The meaning here is that they walk in places which enrage the disbelievers or in other words, the enemy is overawed.

يَنَالُونَ – نیلا – نَیۡل is something that one takes with his hand, and نَوۡل (نَال ینال ) and تَنَاوُل means to take or acquire (R). يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّۢ (They take from the enemy) means they are victorious or obtain some benefit from the enemy.

This verse informs that all actions taken to counter the enemies of faith are classed as worship and are counted as a person’s good deeds. It is obvious that there can be nothing greater in goodness than a deed that gives life to the religion of Islam. Good actions are the actions which are the basis for a person’s immortality, but the continued existence of truth and justice is even more important than a person’s life. Hence those actions that are undertaken to continue the existence of truth and justice are among the best acts of goodness on which depends a person’s eternal life. Some people labor under the misconception that remembering Allah while sitting in their houses is an act of goodness and their striving takes the form of undertaking ritualistic practices, but the striving to which Allah guided the Companions took the form of confronting the enemies of Islam, and this is therefore the best form of striving. When the enemies of Islam pick up the sword, they must be challenged by the sword but in the present times, the contest is based on knowledge and reasoned arguments. Just as he who strives to confront the enemies of religion with the sword counts in his good deeds enduring hunger and thirst, bearing sufferings, harming an enemy, traversing long distances, one who strives with knowledge, or with his speech can also count these same things in his acts of goodness when he has to bear hardships in pitting his knowledge and speech against the enemies of Islam. The actions of these knowledge warriors not only purify their own hearts but also assist in the continuance of truth and justice. Thus, this is the best striving of all the strivings. The words adopted here are such that they embrace both striving with the sword and striving with knowledge. In fact, the real purpose here seems to be striving with knowledge as is clearly communicated in the last verse of this section where striving with the sword is omitted and only striving with knowledge is mentioned.

9-121 Nor spend they anything, small or great, nor do they traverse a valley but it is written down for them, that Allah may reward them for the best of what they did.^a

وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ نَفَقَةًۭ صَغِيرَةًۭ وَلَا كَبِيرَةًۭ وَلَا يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (۱۲۱)

9-121a: يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا – قطع is to sever a thing, and قطع الطریق means a stroll or walking. Here يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا means traversing a valley. Its meaning can also be snatching goods from travelers as in وَتَقْطَعُونَ ٱلسَّبِيلَ وَتَأْتُونَ (and commit robbery on the highway) (29:29) (R).

The last verse mentions bearing difficulties, hunger, thirst etcetera in confronting and overpowering an enemy. This verse informs that even if a person does not have to bear such difficulties and no domination over an enemy is involved, the mere act of spending in the way of Allah or doing anything in the service of religion is by itself an act of goodness.

9-122 And the believers should not go forth all together. Why, then, does not a company from every party from among them go forth that they may apply themselves to obtain understanding in religion, and that they may warn their people, when they come back to them, that they may be cautious?^a

وَمَا كَانَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا۟ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ (۱۲۲)

9-122a: يَتَفَقَّهُوا۟   فِقۡه -is to go from the knowledge of what is seen to the knowledge of what is unseen. علم or knowledge is a generic term while this is a term with specific meaning, as in لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًۭا (they make no effort to understand anything) (4-78). This word is particularly used for understanding the knowledge of sharia and the meaning of تفَقَّه is he gained this knowledge and created a distinguishing quality in it (R).

It is strange that with the revelation of this surah, which is so full of the subject of fighting, the wars in reality came to an end and the Holy Prophet started receiving delegations from the various nations of Arabia. These nations which had been bent on destroying Islam now realized that they would be unable to break the strength of Islam and began to cool headedly consider the truth of Islam. They had seen how the Holy Prophet was all alone at the start and the whole of Arabia was not only opposed to him but was his mortal enemy. They tried to take his life, planned against him, tried their best, waged wars but could not harm Islam in any way. Now after the expedition to Tabuk, they saw that the Muslims were strong enough even to take on the Kaiser of Rome and this convinced them to give up the idea of challenging the Muslims. Inwardly, their hearts had already been impacted by Islam and so nation after nation started coming to Madinah to learn about Islam and to join its fold. One of the ways to educate these new converts could have been that those Muslims who had stayed in the company of the Holy Prophet and had been educated about Islam should go out to these nations to teach them about Islam. The natural consequence of this would have been that Madinah would have become bereft of the Companions. So, the alternative way suggested is that some representatives from each nation should come to Madinah, educate themselves in the tenets of Islam and then go back and teach Islam to such of their compatriots who had already converted and to call to Islam those who had not yet converted. It appears from وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ (and that they may warn their people) that a significant proportion of these nations were still disbelievers although some had converted and accepted Islam. In addition, this is the best way to propagate faith and knowledge to all the nations. If the people of Madinah had monopolized this work, an impression would have been created that other nations are incapable of this work and that knowledge was just the birthright of the people of Madinah and this would have been antithetical to equality which exists in the pursuance of religious education for all. Hence, it is commanded that all nations should get educated and the way in which this is to be done is that some people from each nation should come to Madinah and get educated and then return to their nation and educate others. The end of wars and laying the foundation of peace and reproachment was the start of the real victory of Islam. By bringing this verse at the end of the discussion of wars, the real purpose of Islam is also revealed. Even today, Islam needs such persons who are educated in Islamic jurisprudence and are willing to go out to different nations and when some people from that nation convert and get educated then the converts can take over the work of guiding their nation. This is the blueprint that Allah has given for the spread of Islam. It is now for the Muslims to take an initiative in this regard, otherwise the spread of Islam in the world will be impeded.    

9-111 Surely Allah has bought from the believers their persons and their property — theirs (in return) is the Garden. They fight in Allah’s way, so they slay and are slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’an. And who is more faithful to his promise than Allah? Rejoice therefore in your bargain which you have made. And that is the mighty achievement.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ ۚ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّۭا فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَبْشِرُوا۟ بِبَيْعِكُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَايَعْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (۱۱۱)

9-111a: A covenant with the Muslims: After discussing the hypocrites, a contrast is made in this section by detailing the conduct of those who are sincere believers. They have traded their life and wealth to Allah and received paradise in return. Thus, the reality of belief in Allah is that one’s most cherished things are not his own but should be considered as the goods of Allah. This is Allah’s covenant with Muslims and as long as they abide by this covenant, they will remain deserving of paradise from Allah. Included in the promise of paradise is also the promise of success in this world as is stated in several places in the Quran. However, if Muslims do not abide by their side of the covenant, then they will no longer be deserving of the payment. So, every person who calls himself a Muslim or claims to be a believer should understand that he has sold his life and wealth, and he has no right over them and he is now only a custodian who is tasked to use them in the way of Allah.

How the Companions fulfilled this covenant: After mentioning the covenant, the actions of the believers are described. The distinguishing characteristic of the hypocrites is described as their reluctance to participate in battles and so a contrast is made by first mentioning the believer’s participation in battles. The hypocrites joined in prayers, gave zakat and followed the laws of the Quran in manifest matters such as marriage etcetera but when it came to fighting, a clear distinction arose between them and the believers as the hypocrites on one pretext or the other refused to fight. For this reason, after mentioning the covenant with the Muslims, the distinctive feature that separated the Muslims from the hypocrites is presented, that is participation in battles. In addition, it is obvious that the real test of sacrificing one’s life and wealth arises when hostilities break out. Hence along with the mention of the covenant, mention is made of those things which are the greatest impediment in fulfilling the covenant. However, to interpret يُقَـٰتِلُونَ (to fight) as going about randomly killing people is the height of absurdity. The conditions that made fighting inevitable are given in the Quran: وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ (And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you) (2:190). It is nonparticipation in these wars that is held against the hypocrites, and it is participation in these wars that is held to be the fulfilment of the covenant by the believers.

The third thing that is stated here is that the promise that Allah has made with the believers is also to be found in the Torah, Gospel and Quran. Thus, all the prophets made the same promise to their followers. It is apparent that the promise mentioned above is that the believers have sold their life and wealth in return for paradise. In other words, the promise is that if a believer gives his life and wealth in the way of Allah then Allah will grant him paradise. Christians, who are used to distorting the statements of the Quran and presenting them out of context, claim that the Quran has lied as there is no such promise in the Torah or Gospel. Probably in saying this, the Christian clergy has the word يُقَـٰتِلُونَ in their mind because they consider the permission to fight as the biggest defect of Islam. The Muslims were reduced to dire conditions before they were given permission to fight, and the conditions under which this permission was given were such that no rational person can object even for a moment that this fighting was unjustified. In the Mosaic dispensation there are no conditions for initiating hostilities and as for the Christian nations, they launch aggressions at the slightest pretext when they are powerful enough to do so. In any case, there is no mention of a promise in يُقَـٰتِلُونَ but only of the way in which Muslims fulfilled the promise. The mention of the promise is in ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (bought from the believers) and it is true that this promise is in the Torah and the Gospel. When a rich man came to Jesus and said: Good Master, what good things shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Jesus said unto him: If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19:21). This is also the teaching of Moses: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Paradise or the kingdom of heaven cannot be obtained without giving up the world.

9-112 They who turn (to Allah), who serve (Him), who praise (Him), who fast, who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits of Allah — and give good news to the believers.^a

ٱلتَّـٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْـَٔامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (۱۱۲)

9-112a: ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ – سَاحَة means a spacious public square, and ساحة الدار is the courtyard of a house, as in: فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَآءَ (So when it descends in their court) (37:177). ساح فی الارض means he passed through the earth or travelled, as in فَسِيحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍۢ (So go about in the land for four months) (9:2). سائح is a perennial stream of water and سیّاح and سائح is a traveler (R). سائحون which occurs here and سائحات which occurs in 66:5 means those who fast, as related by the Companions and the generation that followed. In fact, there is a hadith in which the Holy Prophet stated that the meaning of سائحون is صائمون. Further, it is narrated in a hadith in Abu Daud that a person asked the Holy Prophet for permission to travel, and the Holy Prophet replied that the journeying of his Ummah is for jihad in the way of Allah (IK). The meaning most accepted though is those who fast. Al-Mufradat further confirms the meaning given in the hadith as السائحون ای الصائمون and السائحات ای الصائمات. Then after this, Mufradat states that some have said that fast is of two kinds. One is genuine that is abstaining from food and drink and the other is to keep your body free of sin and سائح is one who keeps this kind of a fast.

In the first verse of this section, the covenant of the believers and their attributes are mentioned. In this verse تائب that is those who repent from all kinds of sin are mentioned first, followed by عابد that is those who use their power in the service of Allah, followed by حامد that is those who praise Allah, a corollary of which is that one should develop the same attributes as the ones he praises. So, حامدون are those who are colored with the virtues of Allah. This is followed by سائحون that is those who fast or those who protect their body from sin, and next are those who humble themselves before God, followed by those who guide others to the truth or stop them from evil and last of all those who stand by the prescribed limits of Allah. There is good news for such believers.

9-113 It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the flaming fire.^a

مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى قُرْبَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ (۱۱۳)

9-113a: According to this verse, it is forbidden to ask protection for those polytheists about whom it becomes known manifestly that they are the inmates of the fire. In Bukhari and other authentic Books of Hadith, the occasion for this revelation is described as the death of Abu Talib which occurred prior to migration while the revelation of this surah took place in nine hijra. The response given to this is that the Holy Prophet continuously asked for protection for Abu Talib until he was stopped from doing so by this verse because relations with disbelievers were severed at this time. In some hadith, the occasion for the revelation of this verse has been described as the Holy Prophet asking for protection for his mother. Abu Talib saw some of the period of the Holy Prophet’s prophethood, but it is astonishing that such an idea is ventured for the Holy Prophet’s mother who died thirty-four years before his prophethood began. When Pharoah asked Moses: فَمَا بَالُ ٱلْقُرُونِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ (What then is the state of the former nations) (20:51), Moses was directed by Allah to responded: عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّى (The knowledge thereof is with my Lord) (20:52). Those who live before the advent of a prophet or those to whom the message of the prophet has not reached are only responsible for things that they can deduce based upon the light they receive using their intelligence and nature. They cannot be said to be deniers of a prophet. That the Holy Prophet’s mother was on the right religion according to nature is obvious from the commentary narrated by Ibn Abbas of the verse: وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِى ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ (And thy movements among those who prostrate themselves) (26:219). In which he states that the Holy Prophet’s movements were among such forefathers and foremothers who were among those who submitted.

The prohibition against asking for protection is conditional on knowing manifestly that the person is doomed for hell. Commentators have identified only two situations in which a person can manifestly be said to be an inmate of hell. The first is that a person dies in a state of disbelief, and the second is that revelation informs that a person is beyond redemption. The clarification given by the Quran in this regard is found in the next verse where Abraham has been stopped from asking for protection when it becomes manifest that the person is an enemy of God. So, the reality is that there is a contradiction for a believer to be asking for protection for a person who is clearly an enemy of the truth and rightfulness that Allah has revealed. Asking Allah to protect such a person or to forgive him is meaningless because asking for protection for such a person is asking God to protect an evil and unjust person to thrive in the world when the said person desires to destroy what is the truth. It is not befitting for a believer to have a relationship with the enemies of Allah. It is only possible to have complete certainty about such enmity through Divine revelation but sometimes events can provide this information as well. However, ordinary polytheists and disbelievers are not included in this prohibition but if they die in a polytheistic state or a state of disbelief then it can be argued from this verse that saying their funeral prayer is not allowed. The fact is that the funeral prayer is a deceased Muslim’s right from other Muslims. The right of human sympathy is different and Islamic sympathy is in addition to general human sympathy. The funeral prayer without the relationship of Islamic brotherhood is not allowed. God out of His infinite mercy may deal with such persons as He considers fit, but the funeral prayer can only be said for those who have manifestly joined Islam.

9-114 And Abraham’s asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Surely Abraham was tender-hearted, forbearing.^a

وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍۢ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّۭ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌۭ (۱۱۴)

9-114a: أَوَّٰهٌ – It means one who does اَوَّاہٌ profusely or says ,تَاَوّہ, and تَاَوُّہ is any expression that evidences sorrow or grief and such a person is understood to be a person who manifests great خشیة or fear of Allah (R). It is translated as tender hearted becauseخشیة اللّٰه  or fear of Allah leads to tender heartedness. Ibn Jarir gives several examples to explain its meaning and the preference given to the meaning in these examples is الرحیم (The Merciful), that is it means a person who is very merciful.

Abraham and Azar: It is manifestly proven from here that Abraham was stopped from asking protection for his اب or his elder although he kept on seeking protection for his parents up to the end of his life as is evident from رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ (Our Lord, grant me protection and my parents) (14:41).

For the meaning of اب see 6:74a. Although Azar was an elder of Abraham but when his condition reached from being an ordinary disbeliever to one who was manifestly an enemy of Allah then to ask protection for him meant asking Allah to let this evil and false person, who wanted to trample upon truth and righteousness, to prosper in this world. If such a state has not been reached, then asking goodness for strangers is a praiseworthy attribute. The details of the promise that is mentioned in this verse are given elsewhere for which see 19:47. It appears from there that despite Azar’s threat of stoning Abraham and separating himself from Abraham, Abrahma had promised to ask protection for him. It is indicated from there that Abrahm did not stop asking protection for him till the point where the enmity of Azar and his effort to destroy the truth had become extreme.

9-115 And it is not (attributable to) Allah that He should lead a people astray after He has guided them, so far so that He makes clear to them what they should guard against. Surely Allah is Knower of all things.^a

 وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًۢا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (۱۱۵)

9-115a: The interpretation of this verse is taken to be that those who had been asking for protection for disbelievers before this verse was revealed are not held by Allah to have strayed because the Quran had not stated the prohibition manifestly. However, a person who asks for protection after it has been made manifestly clear in the Quran would be judged to have gone astray. The meaning of the Arabic word يُضِلَّ is here taken to mean going astray.

9-116 Surely Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And besides Allah you have no friend nor helper.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۚ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍۢ (۱۱۶)

9-117 Certainly Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship, after the hearts of a part of them were about to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy. Surely to them He is Compassionate, Merciful;^a

لَّقَد تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۱۱۷)

9-117a: تَّابَ – This verse testifies clearly to the meaning of the word تَّابَ . It does not only mean to turn away from sin by a person or for Allah to turn mercifully to a sinner but as explained in 2:37a it also includes going from a good state to a better state. There is no hint of a sin here either of the Prophet or the believers. On the contrary there is praise for them in ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ (followed him in the hour of hardship) but despite this, it is stated: تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ (Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet) and the meaning is only that Allah granted him great favors. This is in accordance with the dictionary meaning of the word تَّابَ which is given as: عاد الی اللّٰه و رجع و اناب  (turned to Allah and returned to Him in humility).

 سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ – عُسر is the opposite of یُسر  and by سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ commentators have taken it to mean the Tabuk expedition in which the companions had to face great difficulties. The provisions were so short that at times one date had to be split between two companions and the half date and some water was their repast. The Companions had to ride two and sometimes three on a camel because of the paucity of riding animals. This hardship is a great manifestation of their truthfulness and sincerity and hence is specially mentioned here.

Muslims as devout followers: This verse shows that in the face of great difficulties and challenges the Muslims were completely happy and supportive of the Holy Prophet. Mention is made of one group who entertained some thoughts of weakness but the use of the word كَادَ (about to), shows that no distortion took place in their hearts. It was Holy Prophet’s power of piety which elevated the Companions to this high level of obedience where all of them were colored in the same way.

9-118 And (He turned in mercy) to the three who were left behind; until the earth, vast as it is, became strait to them and their souls were also straitened to them; and they knew that there was no refuge from Allah but in Him. Then He turned to them in mercy that they might turn (to Him). Surely Allah — He is the Oft-returning to mercy, the Merciful.^a

وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (۱۱۸)

9-118a: خُلِّفُوا۟ – خَلَّفۡتُه means I left him behind, but by مخلّفون is meant those people who stayed behind and did not go for battle. This is what can be meant by خُلِّفُوا۟, that is those who stayed behind. However, mostly this has been interpreted as those persons for whom the command had been relegated to a later time, that is those about whom it was said: اخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ (others are made to await Allah’s command) (9:106). Kaab, who was one of those who were made to wait, has taken this to be the meaning of خُلِّفُوا۟. 

ضَاقَتْ –ضِیۡق (narrow; strait) is the opposite of وسعت , and it is often used for anxiety, niggardliness, sorrow etcetera, as in: وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ (and thy breast will be straitened by it) (11:12); يَضِيقُ صَدْرِى (my breast straitens) (26:13). In وَلَا تَكُ فِى ضَيْقٍۢ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ  (nor be in distress for what they plan) (16:127) and here, the meaning is distress or grief (R).

رَحُبَتْ – رُحب means spacious or roomy and like ضِیۡق it is used metaphorically as here. مَرۡحبا (welcome) is also derived from it (R).

The three people mentioned in this verse are Kaab bin Malik, Hilal bin Umayyah and Murarah bin Rabai. They are mentioned in an authentic hadith, and there is also a hadith where Kaab himself has narrated the event in great detail. As the Tabuk expedition left Madinah, these three had not completed their preparation for the journey and they kept delaying the preparation until it was too late to catch up with the force that was on its way to Tabuk. When the expedition returned from Tabuk, they confessed to the Holy Prophet that they had no excuse for their nonparticipation. The Holy Prophet ordered that Muslims should sever relations with them until Allah reveals a judgment in their behalf. For fifty days there was a complete social boycott and no one even talked to them. Kaab recounts that even when he came to the mosque to pray with the Holy Prophet nobody would talk to him. During that time, Kaab states that one day he was wandering through the bazaar in a wretched state when a messenger of the King of Ghassan enquired about him and gave him a letter from the King in which he had written that he had been informed that Kaab was being badly treated and humiliated and invited him to come to his kingdom where he will receive favors from the King. Kaab states that he felt this too was a trial from Allah and he burned that letter. Fifty days after the social boycott this verse was revealed, and the Holy Prophet called Kaab and the other two and gave them the good news of Allah turning to them in mercy.

This incident goes to show the deep love that the Companions had for the truth as they did not even care that confessing the truth would earn the Holy Prophet’s displeasure. If on the one hand, this band of Companions were unrivalled in their devotion, and sacrifice of their life and wealth, on the other hand, world history cannot present another group that had better morals. It is worth remembering that besides Tabuk, Kaab participated in all battles except Badr but the other two companions participated in all battles except Tabuk. Despite this, they had to face great hardship just for not participating in the Tabuk expedition. This is a moment of reflection for those Muslims who prefer to consider service to religion as meaningless and consider service to self as sufficient, or at the most say their prayers and think that they are the successors of Paradise.

In addition to other lessons which are the purpose for narrating the incident of the three men, one more truth that manifests is the extent to which the Companions were devoted and obedient as a result of which Allah gave them the status that no other group of men has  received, namely رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ (Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him) (9:100). Keep the difficulties of this war on one side – extreme heat of the Arabian summer, crops ready for harvesting, a long journey, inadequate mounts and provisions, confrontation with the regular standing army of a great Emperor, the Muslim army comprised of volunteers who earned their livelihood by trade and other work – even so thirty thousand men accompanied the Holy Prophet and only three stayed back. Can another similar example be found anywhere in the world? (The hypocrites are excluded in this calculation because they were enemies of Islam at heart). Thus, on the average only one person per ten thousand shows some weakness and that weakness is not without a great purpose of its own as it shows the great truthfulness of the men who failed to accompany the Prophet.

9-100 And the foremost, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in goodness — Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them Gardens wherein flow rivers, abiding therein for ever. That is the mighty achievement.

وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى تَحْتَهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (۱۰۰

9-100a: سٰبِقُونَ – The literal meaning of سَبۡق is to outdistance, overtake, get ahead in walking, and راِسۡتِباق is to vie with one another to get ahead, as in: إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ (we went off racing one with another) (12:17) and وَٱسْتَبَقَا ٱلْبَابَ (And they raced with one another to the door) (12:25). Its use is then extended to all kinds of priority, precedence, or pre-eminence, as in: ما سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ (they would not have attained it before us) (46:11). In كَلِمَةٌۭ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ (a word already gone forth from thy Lord) (10:19) the purport is binding or happened before hand and سَبۡق is also spoken for attaining eminence and greatness, as in ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ (the foremost are the foremost) (56:10) where the meaning is that righteous actions make them the first to get reward and paradise. That is, it is the equivalent of يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَـٰبِقُونَ (hasten to good things and they are foremost in attaining them) (23:61). The purport in وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ  is (and We are not to be overcome) (56:60) and also in وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَبَقُوٓا۟ ۚ(And let not those who dispute think that they can outstrip (Us)) (8:59).

 أَوَّلُونَ – اَوَّل is from اَوۡل which is to revert to the original. اَوَّل is foremost. Being اَوَّل can be in different ways, as for example in terms of time, which is a common usage, or state of wealthiness, or status, as in the king is first in status then come the ministers, etcetera. The purport in أَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ (I am the first of those who submit) (6:163) and أَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (I am the first of the believers) (7:143) is that in belief and other matters of Islam the Holy Prophet should be obeyed. The same is the purport in لَا تَكُونُوٓا۟ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍۭ بِهِۦ (be not the first to deny it) (2:41) that is do not become such a disbeliever that others follow you.

مُهَـٰجِرِينَ – For مھاجر see 2-218a. In the terminology of Islam مہاجرین are those people who had to migrate from their native towns on account of following the Holy Prophet. The need for this migration ceased to exist after the conquest of Makkah.

أَنصَار – The meaning of نصیر is ناصر or helper, and its plural is انصار but this word has come to have a specific connotation in Islam as the name of a group of Holy Prophet’s Companions in the same way that tribes have names (LA). This group was from the people of Madinah who helped the religion of Islam so much that all the Muslims of Arabia at that time migrated to Madinah.

رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ – Allah being well pleased with man is that He finds His servant doing what He has commanded him to do and abstaining from things that He has prohibited for him. Man being pleased with Allah is that whatever trials and tribulations befall a person as a decree of Allah, is not disliked (R).

The main subject of this section is about hypocrites and some beievers who exhibited certain weaknesses. As there is at the end of the last section mention of a group of desert dwellers who spent their wealth in a wish to get nearness to Allah, this section begins with a mention of a group of perfect believers who are role models for other Muslims. This group consisted of the سابقون اولین (foremost and first) from amongst the Refugees and the Helpers. What is meant by سابقون اولین ? Some have said that this group comprises those who prayed in the direction of the two qiblas, some have said those who participated in the battle of Badr, some have said those who took the pledge known as Bayat Ar-Ridhwan, some have said those who joined Islam before the migration of the Holy Prophet from Makkah for the Refugees and those who took the first and second pledge of Aqabah for the Helpers. However, most commentators have taken the view that this group comprises all the Refugees and Helpers and they are foremost and first with respect to other Muslims. The reality, however, is that in سابق  (foremost) and اول (first) there is definitely an element of time because the earlier converts had to face greater tribulations than those who came afterwards, and the greater the tribulations, the greater is the perfection of belief. Thus, those who were foremost in accepting Islam and bore great tribulations progressed tremendously in the strength of their belief. However, the real purport of سابق and اول as shown in the meaning of these words is to be foremost in acts of goodness (اعمال صالحہ ) and first ( اول) in being a role model of piety. As an example, Ubaidallah was among the first in terms of time from the Helpers but later became a Christian. Hence, in reality سابقون اولین are not those in terms of time, but in terms of their actions, and for this reason, when mention is made of their submission, the word بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ is used as a descriptive extension or to indicate those who followed them in acts of goodness. Thus, their being foremost and first is in doing acts of goodness and not necessarily in terms of time. These سابقین  are closest to Allah in His noble presence as stated in وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ  (And the foremost are the foremost; these are drawn nigh (to Allah)) (56:10-11). Those who followed them in good deeds also received this distinction from Allah because Allah became pleased with them and they became pleased with Allah and this is the highest level that can be achieved by man. It is a fact that the perfection with which the Companions followed the commands regarding what must be done and what must be shunned is unparalleled in the history of mankind. There was never a command revealed in the Quran that the Companions did not fulfill literally, and they were so satisfied with whatever Allah had decreed that they sacrificed their life, wealth, and their children and felt happy about it.

9-101 And of those around you of the desert Arabs, there are hypocrites; and of the people of Madinah (also) — they persist in hypocrisy. Thou knowest them not; We know them. We will chastise them twice, then they will be turned back to a grievous chastisement.^a

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مُنَـٰفِقُونَ ۖ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ۖ مَرَدُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ ۖ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍۢ (۱۰۱)

9-101a: مَرَدُوا۟ – Raghib has given the meaning of مارِد and مَرید as devoid of any charity and derived from it is اَمۡرَد which means a person whose beard hair have not yet appeared. One of the meanings given of the hadith statement: اھل الجنة مُرۡدٌ is that they will be devoid of sins and defects. He has interpreted the meaning of مَرَدُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ as ارتَکَسُوا عن الخیرِ و ھم علی النفاق (they were deprived of goodness because of their hypocrisy) (R). The meaning of مَرَدَ is also مَرَنَ that is habituated to it, and the meaning of مَرَدَ عَلی الشَرِّ is disobeyed and exceeded all limits (LA).

The punishment of hypocrites: There is a reversion here to the hypocrisy of the dwellers of the desert which is the real subject of this section. It is stated that there are hypocrites among the dwellers of the desert but even in the urbanite residents of Madinah there are people who are stubbornly sticking to hypocrisy. Their hypocrisy started right from the time that the Holy Prophet arrived in Madinah and now even nine years later, there is no change in their attitude. Their hypocrisy is manifest from their actions, but they cleverly try to hide it by swearing that they are believers ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُمْ جُنَّةًۭ (They take shelter under their oaths) (63:2). It is for this reason that it is stated: Thou knowest them not; We know them. There is an indication in We know them that their names will now be revealed, and these persons were subsequently expelled from the mosque. It is mentioned that they will be punished twice and then they will be returned to a grievous chastisement. The grievous chastisement is the chastisement of the Hereafter. Hence the two punishments must be the punishments of this world. Most commentators have included the punishment of the grave in the two punishments but in reality, the punishment of the grave is part of the punishment of the Hereafter and further it is not specific to the hypocrites. There is a narration of Ibn Abbas which provides testimony to one of these punishments. According to this narration, the Holy Prophet during one of his Friday sermons named the hypocrites and ordered them out of the mosque. This public humiliation was a severe chastisement because up until that point, they concealed their hypocrisy under false oaths of being believers but now their reality was exposed publicly. As regards the second chastisement, the testimony is provided by an explicit and decisive dictum of the Quran: وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا (And let not their wealth and their children excite their admiration. Allah only intends to chastise them thereby in this world) (9:85). This was a chastisement for them in the following respect that their children became sincere Muslims in front of their eyes and even gave their lives for the support and help of Islam. Further, the hypocrites had to spend some of their wealth to support Islam when donations were requested just to show their affiliation with Islam, as mentioned in verse 9:98 where it is stated that they considered this spending to be a fine. The hypocrites in their hearts were the enemies of Islam and desired its destruction but their children and their wealth were assisting Islam and there could not have been a greater chastisement for them. So, these were the two chastisements of the world.

9-102 And others have acknowledged their faults — they mixed a good deed with another that was evil. It may be that Allah will turn to them (mercifully). Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.^a

وَءَاخَرُونَ ٱعْتَرَفُوا۟ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوا۟ عَمَلًۭا صَـٰلِحًۭا وَءَاخَرَ سَيِّئًا عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ (۱۰۲)

9-102a: ٱعْتَرَفُوا۟ – عَرَف means to recognize, to know, and the meaning of اِعۡتَرَف means to confess, to acknowledge and its most common use is to openly acknowledge a sin which is the opposite of stubborn denial of truth (R). اعترف is also used in the sense of عَرَفَ (to recognize; to know) (LA). To acknowledge sin does not mean that after sinning one should go about telling people about it. A person came to the Holy Prophet and confessed having committed a sin, the Holy Prophet turned his face away from the person. The person confessed again, and the Holy Prophet again looked away. Thus, by his behavior, the Holy Prophet showed that he did not like people confessing their sins openly. Caliph Umar is reported to have said: اَطۡرَدۡنا الُمعۡتَرِفینَ (We will expel from the city those who manifest their offences in which shariah punishments are mandatory). In other words, he disapproved of public confessions (LA). The real acknowledgement is that a person feels within himself that he has committed a sinful act and tries to redress it. 

Repentance of hypocrites: Commentators have here cited the affair of Abu Lababa and some others, but it can only be taken as an example of the more general meaning. Actually the Quran has completed the mention of hypocrites here from every angle as there is a mention of repentant hypocrites here whereas in the previous verse, there is a mention of hypocrites who were stubbornly sticking to their hypocrisy and their disgrace. The group mentioned here acknowledged their sins and tried to rectify them. It appears that they were not ardent opponents of Islam or were aligned with the hypocrites because of some weakness. Except for a few hardened hypocrites who were named and expelled from the mosque, a large section of hypocrites became sincere followers of Islam, and the hope that is created by عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ (it may be that Allah will turn to them (mercifully)) was fulfilled in this respect by their becoming sincere Muslims.

9-103 Take alms out of their property — thou wouldst cleanse them and purify them thereby — and pray for them. Surely thy prayer is a relief to them. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.^a

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةًۭ تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌۭ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (۱۰۳)

9-103a: تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم – The difference between تطھیر and تزکیة is that طُھۡر is the opposite of filth and تطھیر is to cleanse the filth. The root of تزکیة is زکا which means to grow, nourish, thrive, and hence the meaning of تزکیة is to grow one’s soul by charity and Divine blessings. Thus, تطھیر is just to cleanse oneself from bad things and تزکیه is to increase in goodness.

صَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ – The meaning here is only to pray for them, that is to ask protection for them. The meaning here is not to pray the funeral prayer.

The acceptance of zakat from the repentant hypocrites and a lesson for Muslims: The command given to the Holy Prophet to accept zakat from the repentant hypocrites also indicates that zakat is not to be accepted from the hypocrites mentioned in 9:101 who were expelled from the mosque. This is a moment of reflection for those Muslims who do not pay zakat as to the kind of group in which they will be included. To be a Muslim in name only will not be of any benefit, just as it was of no benefit to the hypocrites. The benefit of acceptance zakat from them is that they will be cleansed and purified, that is they will be cleansed of past sins and will grow in goodness in the future. The Holy Prophet was commanded to pray for them. Narrations in the hadith show that when the Holy Prophet received zakat from any source, he would pray for those who had given the zakat. Similarly, it is incumbent on whoever is the Imam to pray accordingly. Prayer is stated to be a relief for those prayed for.

9-104 Know they not that Allah is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms, and that Allah — He is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?^a

 أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (۱۰۴)

9-104a: يَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ – The meaning of اَخۡذ is to take but taking alms by Allah is stated here in a metaphorical sense and means accepting their charity.

9-105 And say, Work; so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.^a

وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (۱۰۵)

9-105a: The meaning of Allah will see your work is that the repentant hypocrites will have to provide proof of their truthfulness and sincerity because it is actions that count with Allah. In another place, it is stated: قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ تُقَـٰتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ (Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who lagged behind: You will soon be called against a people of mighty prowess to fight against them until they submit) (48:16). In 9:83, it is stated that the hypocrites will not be part of the fighting force of Muslims. So, now in respect of the repentant hypocrites, it is stated that they will be given a second chance to prove their truthfulness and sincerity by whether they join the Muslim force. Along with Allah, the words His Messenger and the believers are added because the work will be such that the Messenger and the believers will be able to witness it and that work is taking part in the battles that the Muslims will have to fight. The Muslims of today can also furnish proof of their sincerity by spending their wealth and life in the way of Allah and for the progress of His religion, Islam.

9-106 And others are made to await Allah’s command, whether He chastise them or turn to them (mercifully). And Allah is Knowing, Wise.^a

وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ (۱۰۶)

9-106a: مُرْجَوْنَ – The meaning of اَرۡجَأ الامَر is اَخَّرہٗ that is, put it behind or at the back. The orthographical sign hamza (ء ) is sometimes omitted.

Resemblance with hypocrites: Who were these who were made to wait? Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Akramah etcetera all consider this to refer to three persons mentioned in verse 9:118. This section deals with the hypocrites and these three are also mentioned later along with the believers. The reason for this could be that these three preferred their own comfort over participating in the Tabuk expedition and thereby themselves created a similarity with the hypocrites. It is from this perspective that they are mentioned here and later their repentance is stated under the mention of the believers to manifest that they were not actually from the hypocrites.

9-107 And those who built a mosque to cause harm (to Islam) and (to help) disbelief, and to cause disunion among the believers, and a refuge for him who made war against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will certainly swear: We desired naught but good. And Allah bears witness that they are certainly liars.^a

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًۭا ضِرَارًۭا وَكُفْرًۭا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًۭا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ (۱۰۷)

9-107a: In this verse, mention is made of a group of hypocrites who built a mosque which is known as the Masjid Zarar (Harmful Mosque). This group consisted of twelve men who built a mosque in the neighborhood of Quba as part of a conspiracy of Abu Amir. Abu Amir belonged to the tribe of Khazraj and had converted to Christianity in the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance. Because of his devotion, the Khazraj respected him. After the Holy Prophet was victorious at Badr, Abu Amir fled to Makkah and joined ranks with the disbelievers and incited them to wage war against the Holy Prophet and even came to Uhad with the disbeliever’s army. He tried to entice the Helpers but was unsuccessful. Finally, when he saw the Holy Prophet overpowering his opponents, he went to Syria to seek assistance from the Roman Emperor Heraclius against the Holy Prophet. After receiving some commitment from him, Abu Amir wrote a letter to some of his tribesmen to build a separate mosque where the future planning could be done easily. The construction of the mosque started on this basis. The Holy Prophet was about to leave for Tabuk when the conspirators came to him and asked him to pray in the mosque. The Holy Prophet gave them a noncommittal reply and said that he would see after he came back from the expedition. On his way back, he was still some distance from Madinah when Allah informed the Holy Prophet through revelation the real story about this mosque and the Holy Prophet ordered the mosque to be demolished. The primary objective for the construction of this mosque was stated to be to cause injury or harm to the Muslims. The second objective was to spread disbelief, as is obvious. The third objective was to create disunity among the believers by deceitfully getting some Muslims to join the conspirators. By إِرْصَادًۭا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ (a refuge for him who made war against Allah and His Messenger) is meant an opportune moment for Abu Amir to attack because the objective was that Abu Amir will be able to monitor the situation from the mosque which will assist him in his conspiracy against the Holy Prophet.

9-108 Never stand in it. Certainly a mosque founded on observance of duty from the first day is more deserving that thou shouldst stand in it. In it are men who love to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who purify themselves.^a

لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًۭا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌۭ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ (۱۰۸)

9-108a: أُسِّسَ – اُسّ and اساس means the foundation on which the superstructure is built. It is  also used to indicate the point from where a thing begins, and a person’s اُسّ is the core of his soul (LA). By its foundation being on the observation of duty means that its purpose was to assist people in keeping their duty.

The mosque mentioned here is the mosque at Quba. Some Hadith narrations mention this mosque to be Masjid Nabvi but the first referred is preferable. The statement that in it are men who love to purify themselves does not refer to physical purity, although there are some hadith in support of this view, but it was possible to go to the Masjid Zarar with clean clothes as well. The Quran refers to this purity in contrast with the previous attempt at mischief. The purport here is the purity of soul, that is being free from all kinds of mischief, just as the statement a mosque founded on observance of duty is used metaphorically and does not imply that observance of duty is a physical foundation on which the mosque is built.

9-109 Is he, then, who lays his foundation on duty to Allah and (His) good pleasure better, or he who lays his foundation on the edge of a cracking hollowed bank, so it broke down with him into the Fire of hell? And Allah guides not the unjust people.^a

 أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍۢ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (۱۰۹)

9-109a: بُنْيَـٰنَ – بَنَی means constructed a building, and a wall is called بُنْيَـٰنَ as in كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَـٰنٌۭ مَّرْصُوصٌۭ (as if they were a solid wall) (61:4). The word is also used for everything that is made. Accordingly, it is stated in another place فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ (so Allah demolished their building from its foundation) (16:26) where the purport is that Allah nullified the strategies they had made. The word بناء is also used to denote human body, as in: من ھدم بناء ربه , and بِنۡیَة means human nature.

شَفَا – شَفا is the brink of a well etcetera and is used as a metaphor to describe a situation close to destruction, in which meaning it is used here. شفاء is also recovery or convalescence from an illness, as if the sick person has found the edge of safety (R).

جرف – جَرۡف is to take a significant portion or the whole of a thing, and جرف is the lower part of a valley or stream that gets eroded by the current of rushing water leaving an overhang which when the overhang bursts, it is called ھار. The mention in hadith of plague جاروف is also from this root (LA).

هَارٍۢ – انھار ھارَ البناءُ means the wall fell down. انہار is spoken of a person who falls down from an elevated place.

The purport here is not the construction of real buildings but the reference is metaphorical to describe the condition of a believer and a hypocrite. The foundation of belief is strong and that of hypocrisy very weak.

9-110 The building which they have built will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, unless their hearts be torn to pieces. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.^a

لَا يَزَالُ بُنْيَـٰنُهُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَنَوْا۟ رِيبَةًۭ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَّآ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (۱۱۰)

9-110a: رِيبَةًۭ – It is a noun from ریب and means suspicion and doubt. It is used here to explain بنوا ریبة فی قلوبہم and here means تَدُلُّ  علی دغلٍ و قِلَّةِ یقینٍ that is it bears testimony to insincerity and lack of faith (R).

تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ – The meaning of قَطۡع is to sever something either physically from the body or metaphorically, as in وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ (and cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined) (2:27). The meaning of hearts to be torn to pieces is that they will either die or repent so vehemently that their shame tears their hearts apart (R).

Here their building is called رِيبَةًۭ that is doubt, sorrow and perturbation which shows clearly that what is meant is their faith.

9-90 And the defaulters from among the dwellers of the desert came that permission might be given to them, and they sat (at home) who lied to Allah and His Messenger. A painful chastisement will afflict those of them who disbelieve.^a

وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ (۹۰)

9-90a: مُعَذِّرُونَ – According to Lisan al Arab مُعَتَذِر is someone who makes an excuse regardless of whether the excuse is genuine or false and hence a مُعَتَذِر can be truthful or a liar. The meaning of عَذَّر is قَصَّر that is negligent or derelict, and مُعَذِّر is one who makes an excuse which is not genuine, that is one who makes a false pretext.

ٱلْأَعْرَابِ – It is the plural of عَرَب but it has acquired a specific application to people living in the desert (R). In the South Asia context, such people are called دیہاتی or villagers.

This section refers in particular to the dwellers of the desert. There were some among them who hypocritically claimed to be Muslims, but there were also others who were sincerely Muslims, as is obvious from verse 9:99. According to Mujahid, the ones referred to here were a section of the Bani Ghaffar and it is this group which is referred to in وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ (and they sat (at home)) and their false excuses are referred in كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ (lied to Allah and His Messenger). Thus, these people made false excuses and did not join the force going out to fight. 

9-91 No blame lies on the weak, nor on the sick, nor on those who can find nothing to spend, if they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger. There is no way (to blame) against the doers of good. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful —

لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلضُّعَفَآءِ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرْضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۹۱)

9-91a: نَصَحُوا۟ – The meaning of نَصحَ الشئ is خَلَصَ or pure, and نُصۡح غِشّ is the opposite of impurity (L). There is a statement in the hadith الدّینُ النَصیحَة للّٰه و لرسوله و لکتابه و لائمة المسلمین و عامّتہم  (Religion is an exhortation for Allah, and His Messenger, and for His Book, for the leaders of Muslims and for their common people). Ibn Athir has interpreted this in the following way: By نصیحة is meant a good intent for one who is منصوح , that is the one to whom that advise is rendered. So, the exhortation of Allah is the belief in His Oneness and sincerity in His worship, and the exhortation for His Messenger is testifying to his prophethood and messengership and obeying what he commands and refraining from what he forbids, and exhortation for the Book of Allah is living your life according to the Book, and the exhortation for the leaders of Muslims is obeying what is good, and the exhortation for the common people is guiding people to what is good and توبة نصوحا (sincere repentance)(66:8) which is repentance in which one does not return to the thing from which one has repented (LA).

In the last verse, reference is made to those people who made false excuses and obtained the Holy Prophet’s permission to stay behind and not to go forth for the fight. In this verse and the next, reference is made to those people who were really handicapped. The handicapped referred to here were of three types, those who were weak, such as children and old people, those who were sick, and those who were indigent. They were forgivable for not participating in jihad with the sword.

9-92 Nor on those to whom, when they came to thee that thou shouldst mount them, thou didst say: I cannot find that on which to mount you. They went back while their eyes overflowed with tears of grief that they could not find aught to spend.^a

وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا۟ وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا۟ مَا يُنفِقُونَ (۹۲)

9-92a: لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ – The word حَمۡل meaning to carry or bear is used in many different senses both overtly and metaphorically. It has been used in the sense of bearing the burden of sin, but there is a special sense in which it is used here. This special sense is explained in Lisan al-Arab as: When a person is unable to continue his journey and goes to another person and says اِحۡمِلِنیۡ, he is asking for an animal he can ride to continue on his journey.

تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ – فاض is water that is streaming down. تَفِيضُ is spoken here in the same sense. In another place, it is stated: أَفِيضُوا۟ عَلَيْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ (Pour on us some water) (7:50). Derived from it is فَیّاض which means a generous person, and also derived from it is افاضوا فی الحدیث which metaphorically means to be engaged in talk, as in: لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ  (touched you on account of the talk you indulged in) (24:14).

This verse refers to a fourth group from among the people who were handicapped and could not go to the war. Some have said that this group was from Bannu Maqran who were a sub section of Mazina. Some have said that this refers to Arbaz bin Saria while still others maintain that this group consisted of seven men from different tribes (IJ). Some have identified this group with Abu Musa Ashari and some people from Yemen (RM). It is possible that this group consisted of all of the above but there is no need to identify them. What is conveyed here is that conditions can prevail that sometimes render a person helpless. Because this was a long journey, it could not have been undertaken without a ride, and not having a ride is a genuine excuse for not participating.

The description given here of the handicapped persons portrays the amazing sentiments of the Companions. There were some Companions who were wealthy, and they gave freely and willingly in the way of Allah. Then there were others who were not wealthy and could not afford to buy an animal to ride and the Prophet too was unable to procure a ride for them. Their inability to participate in the jihad caused tears to stream down from their eyes. This shows how much they loved to submit and obey the Holy Prophet. Today, the engrossment of the Muslims in earning wealth is so strong, that their hearts are not moved to give in the way of Allah despite the precarious condition of Islam and its encirclement by enemies. Their hearts have become so hardened that they either do not spend a single penny or if they do give something, then it is with a lot of disgust and unhappiness. They do not give willingly but are compelled to do so either for appearance or for some other reason. Islam requires its followers to be so dedicated that they give happily whatever they can give and feel satisfied with the service they have rendered. Those who cannot give should be in a state where their heart is full of sorrow and their eyes full of tears on account of not being able to do so.

9-93 The way (to blame) is only against those who ask permission of thee, though they are rich. They have chosen to be with those who remained behind; and Allah has sealed their hearts, so they know not.

إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَـْٔذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَآءُ ۚ رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (۹۳)

9-94 They will make excuses to you when you return to them. Say: Make no excuse, we shall not believe you; Allah has informed us of matters relating to you. And Allah and His Messenger will now see your actions, then you will be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.^a

 يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (۹۴)

9-94a: These verses were revealed during the journey to Tabuk. First, those excuses were mentioned which the hypocrites had made to seek exemption from participation in the journey before it started and which are mentioned in جَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ (the defaulters came) (9:90). In this verse, the excuses mentioned are those that the hypocrites were to make after the return of the expedition. Their excuses were accepted the first time, but now the Holy Prophet is commanded to tell them that Allah had enlightened their affair by revelation and had decided their matter, so their excuses now were useless.

9-95 They will swear by Allah to you, when you return to them, so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. Surely they are unclean and their refuge is hell — a recompense for what they earned.^a

سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌۭ ۖ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ (۹۵)

9-95a: Eschewing the hypocrites: The reason given for their swearing is their desire not to be eschewed by the Muslims and not to be rebuked by them for their weaknesses. However, Allah commanded that the hypocrites be eschewed and prohibited Muslims from having any social intercourse with them. The reason given for this is that they are impure, that is their thinking is impure and they put doubts in the minds of people.

9-96 They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them. But if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people.

يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ (۹۶)

9-97 The dwellers of the desert are hardest in disbelief and hypocrisy, and most disposed not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Messenger. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.^a

ٱلْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًۭا وَنِفَاقًۭا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا۟ حُدُودَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ (۹۷)

9-97a: أَجْدَرُ – جدیر is the extreme point of a thing, that is the extreme of an affair. A wall is called جدار because of its height and the fact that it reaches the highest point. It is also called حائط from the perspective of enclosing an area. For example: جِدَارًۭا يُرِيدُ (a wall which was on the point of falling) (18:77). Its plural is جدر as in ورَآءِ جُدُرٍۭ (behind walls) (59:14). Hence the meaning of جدیر is as if they were made for this thing.

It is a miracle of the Quran that it made the hardest hearted of men, who were not made for acquiring knowledge, to abide by the limits of Allah. The purpose of mentioning the dwellers of the desert is only to show that there is no nation of the world that cannot be reformed by the Quran.

9-98 And of the dwellers of the desert are those who take what they spend to be a fine, and they wait for an evil turn of fortune for you. On them is the evil turn. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.^a

وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغْرَمًۭا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآئِرَ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ (۹۸)

9-98a: مَغْرَمًۭا – غرم is a loss of wealth which is not of one’s own making or dishonesty. The meaning here of مَغْرَمًۭا and also in إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ (Surely we are burdened with debt) (56:66) is a fine or penalty. A person burdened by debt is called غارم or غریم as in وَٱلْغَـٰرِمِينَ (those in debt) (9:60). غرام is a severe calamity that befalls a person and it sticks to a person like غریم (a debt), that is for a long time, as in: إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا (Surely the chastisement thereof is a lasting evil) (25:65).

This shows that the hypocrites had to donate some wealth for the sake of appearance, and they considered it as a fine. Many Muslims now who donate some money for a religious project also consider it as a fine. If they only read the Quran, they would know that they are not walking in the footsteps of the Companions. The hypocrites considered the wealth they donated for Muslim causes to be a fine because they thought that the Muslims would soon be annihilated. This surah was revealed in the ninth year of hijra which shows that as late as that time, the hypocrites hoped that the Muslims would be destroyed. Hence joining Islam could not have been for any avarice.

9-99 And of the desert Arabs are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and consider what they spend and the prayers of the Messenger, as bringing them nearer to Allah. Surely they bring them nearer (to Allah); Allah will bring them into His mercy. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.^a

وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَـٰتٍ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَصَلَوَٰتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌۭ لَّهُمْ ۚ سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۹۹)

9-99a: قُرُبَـٰتٍ – It is the plural of قُرۡبة. Every step that brings a person closer to Allah is قُرۡبة and the nearness to Allah is through Allah’s favors and patronage and not in terms of distance. Actually, قُرۡب or nearness is to adopt the attributes of Allah even though they will not be in the same perfection as found in Allah. These attributes include wisdom, knowledge, forbearance, mercy and generosity but this can only occur after a person purifies himself from ignorance, rage, anger and other evil attributes (R).

صَلَوَٰتِ – It is the plural of صلاۃ whose literal meaning is supplication. See 2-3b and the same meaning is meant here. 

The revolution brought about by the Quran: A truism clarified here is that along with the hard hearted people, there were also good people among the dwellers of the desert. Along with this, the verse reveals how a nation that was at the lowest level of humanity like the dwellers of the desert were raised by the Quran to the highest level where achieving nearness to Allah became the primary purpose of their life. They had no worldly purpose in spending their wealth such as getting a kingdom and power. Their sole purpose was achieving nearness to Allah. This is truly a grand objective. How many Muslims are there today who are willing to spend their wealth to obtain nearness to Allah. However, there are many ready to spend their wealth to gain power and a kingdom. One wishes that Muslim leaders would reflect on this and guide the masses on the right path. By bringing in the word صَلَوَٰتِ ٱلرَّسُولِ (prayers of the Messenger), it is revealed that the prayers of the Holy Prophet have played a major role in eliminating sin and it is not possible to achieve nearness to Allah without his prayer. This prayer, his power of piety, and kindness still work. There are those who pursue religious mendicants and pirs and make them أَرْبَابًۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ (Lords besides Allah) (9:31) and waste their wealth in giving them offerings. If they had spent the same wealth for the progress of the religion of Islam, the prayer of the Holy Prophet would have elevated them to a position nearer to Allah. It is a sad state of affair that these people are wasting their wealth and at the same time are getting more distant from Allah. Anyone who is engaged in the progress of the Messenger’s religion will certainly make progress in getting nearer to God. This is the path on which the Holy Prophet trained his Companions to walk and this is the manner in which they lived their lives. There is not a single example where any of the Companions became a Pir and gathered disciples on whose offerings he lived his life.

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)

9-73 O Prophet, strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be firm against them. And their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.^a

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ(۷۳)

9-73a: جَـٰهِدِ – It is derived from جُہۡد which means to exert, endeavor. جہاد and مجاھد is to expend one’s power to defend against an enemy. Raghib states that jihad is of three types: striving against an enemy, striving against the devil, and striving with one’s desires. The Quranic statements: وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ (And strive hard for Allah with due striving) (22:78) and وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ (and strive hard in Allah’s way with your wealth and your lives) (9:41) etcetera include all three types of jihad. Raghib then cites a hadith of the Holy Prophet: جاھدوا اھواء کم کما تجاھدون اعداء کم (Wage jihad against your desires like you wage jihad against your enemies). He then states that jihad is sometimes with the hand, sometimes with the tongue as the Holy Prophet said: جاھدوا الکفار بایدیکم و السنتکم (Strive against the disbelievers with your hands and your tongue). So, jihad can be with the sword and also with the tongue.

ٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ – غِلَظ (thickness, heaviness, denseness) is the opposite of رقت (thinness, fineness, delicacy), and the word is also used for power and strength. It is stated in the Quran: مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظًۭا (strong covenant) (4:21) where the meaning is strong, and similarly: فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسْتَغْلَظَ (put forth its sprout, then strengthens it) (48:29) where the meaning is it becomes strong or thickens. غَلۡظ is said of a land that is not soft and instead is hard that cannot be penetrated easily (LA). What is the meaning of ٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ? In another place, it is stated: وَلْيَجِدُوا۟ فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةًۭ ۚ(and let them find firmness in you) (9:123). The same meaning will be taken here, that is be firm against them.

The Holy Prophet dealt gently with the hypocrites for a considerable time and ignored their mischief. He was not harsh with them when they did not join the Muslim forces in battle and accepted their lame excuses for not participating, just as he also did at the start of the Tabuk expedition. However, the time had now come to separate the hypocrites from the believers because the intermingling of the hypocrites with the Muslims was harming the latter. Hence it was ordered to wage jihad against both the disbelievers and the hypocrites. It is obvious that what is meant here is not jihad with the sword because the Holy Prophet never waged a violent war with the hypocrites. So, the meaning here is the other jihad which involves striving and exerting. The hypocrites henceforth were not to be considered as part of the Muslim community and the full strength of the Muslims was to be exerted against the hypocrites. The other thing that is stated with respect to dealing with the hypocrites is to be ٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ. The Quran has testified that the Holy Prophet is not غلیظ القلب or hard hearted, as stated in: لَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ (Hadst thou been rough, hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around thee.) (3:159). This shows that the Holy Prophet was neither rough in his speech nor hard hearted. So, when the Quran itself testifies to this attribute of the Holy Prophet then ٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ cannot be a command to the Holy Prophet to be rough in his speech with the hypocrites or be hard-hearted. The meaning, therefore, is only that if the hypocrites had been of the type that would correct their behavior by a gentle approach, then they would have done so as a result of the gentleness with which they had been treated so far. The command in this verse is, therefore, to forsake the policy of ignoring and forgiving their mischief, shortcomings and faults and to adopt a policy of firmness commensurate with their transgressions. A policy of ignoring and forgiveness against an intransigent enemy does not pay any dividend and causes harm. Since the hypocrites persisted in their enmity, a policy of gentleness was not the right strategy against them.

9-74 They swear by Allah that they said nothing. And certainly they did speak the word of disbelief, and disbelieved after their Islam, and they purposed that which they could not attain.^a And they sought revenge only because Allah — as well as His Messenger — had enriched them out of His grace.^b So if they repent, it will be good for them; and if they turn away, Allah will chastise them with a painful chastisement in this world and the Hereafter; and they shall have in the earth neither a friend nor a helper.^c

يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا۟ وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا۟ كَلِمَةَ ٱلْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِسْلَـٰمِهِمْ وَ هَمُّوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۚ فَإِن يَتُوبُوا۟ يَكُ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍۢ (۷۴)

9-74a: The outcome of hypocrisy is failure and a conclusive argument against the Shia: هَمُّوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا۟ (they proposed that which they could not attain): The hypocrites endeavored to destroy Islam but could not achieve their purpose. Shia call Abu Bakr and Umar as hypocrites against this accepted dictum of the Quran that the hypocrites of the Holy Prophet’s time failed to achieve their purpose. However, Allah gave Abu Bake and Umar successes and assisted Islam through them in ways that even many prophets did not have similar successes.

9-74b: مَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ (they sought revenge only because Allah had enriched them). This is similar to someone saying: ما لی عندك ذنب الا فی احسنت الیك (I have not committed any sin against you except that I acted with goodness towards you). Allah, through His grace, had enriched them by making the hypocrites partners in the abundance and wealth that the Muslims gained through their victories. However, the result was the opposite of what one would expect. Instead of giving up their hypocrisy, they began to malign Islam even more.

9-74c: The painful chastisement mentioned was a punishment that was to be given to them in this world. Their separation from the Muslim community was a painful chastisement for them and when they were awarded this punishment, they found no friend or helper who could avert this punishment from them.

9-75 And of them are those who made a covenant with Allah: If He give us out of His grace, we will certainly give alms and be of the righteous.

وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَـٰهَدَ ٱللَّهَ لَئِنْ ءَاتَىٰنَا مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (۷۵)

9-76 But when He gave them out of His grace, they became niggardly of it and they turned away and they are averse.^a

فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦ بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ (۷۶)

9-76a: Non acceptance of zakat from Thalabah bin Hatib and hypocrites: Thalabah bin Hatib was an indigent person who asked the Holy Prophet to supplicate for him to receive wealth and promised that if he became wealthy, he would fulfill all of his religious duties. The Holy Prophet prayed for his means to be increased. 

It so happened that he became very rich during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet and he stopped  praying and adopted a hypocritical stance. When the Holy Prophet’s zakat collectors went to him to collect zakat, he refused to give zakat. When the hypocrites were excommunicated from the Muslim community, Thalabah came to the Holy Prophet and offered to pay zakat from his wealth. The Holy Prophet refused to accept zakat from him. After the demise of the Holy Prophet, he came to Abu Bakr and wanted to pay zakat but he refused to accept it. After the death of Abu Bakr, he once again renewed his petition with Umar to accept his zakat, but Umar too refused and so did Uthman after him. This incident has been narrated as the reason for the revelation of this verse, but the intent is only to the extent that this verse proved true in the case of Thalabah bin Hatib, just as it has for numerous other individuals. There are many individuals who ask Allah for wealth in their supplications but then do not fulfill the duties that come with wealth. They make wealth their god which they worship. The Quran has mentioned that their punishment is that their hearts become hypocritical. This incident goes to show the kind of jihad that was waged against the hypocrites. One of them, Thalabah bin Hatib, lived up to the caliphate of Uthman and resided in the environs of Madinah but his punishment was only that zakat was not accepted from him. 

9-77 So He requited them with hypocrisy in their hearts till the day when they meet Him, because they broke their promise with Allah and because they lied.^a

فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًۭا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُۥ بِمَآ أَخْلَفُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ (۹۷)

9-77a: This shows that the birth of hypocrisy in their hearts was a punishment for their actions of making a covenant with Allah and then breaching it. Every seal that is put on their heart is a punishment. Accordingly, it is stated about the mark of a hypocrite: اذ ادعد اخلف (When he promises, he breaks his promise) and و اذا حدث لذب (and when he speaks, he lies). Lying and breaking promises are an integral attribute of hypocrisy.

9-78 Know they not that Allah knows their hidden thoughts and their secret counsels, and that Allah is the great Knower of the unseen things?

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَىٰهُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ (۷۸)

9-79 Those who taunt the free givers of alms among the believers as well as those who cannot find anything (to give) but with their hard labour — they scoff at them. Allah will pay them back their mockery;^a and for them is a painful chastisement.

ٱلَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ ٱلْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِى ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ ۙ سَخِرَ ٱللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (۷۹)

9-79a: مُطَّوِّعِ – This is in reality مُتَطَوّع which means a person who gives with تطوّع or تبرع  that is a person who gives with affection and pleasure or gives generously (N). The hypocrites remarked cynically about them that they donated large sums to be seen by others.

لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ – The meaning of جَہۡد  and جُہۡد is toiling, hard-work (R). The purport is poor people, who toil hard, labor and out of the meagre amount they earn, they donate in the way of Allah whatever few pennies or produce they can save. The hypocrites laughed at such people too and satirically said: Is God dependent on the fistful of grain they donate?

سَخِرَ ٱللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ – The meaning is: جاذا ھم علی سخرتیہم (pay them back their mockery). This statement is similar to: ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ for which see 2-15a.

9-80 Ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them. Even if thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them. This is because they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah guides not the transgressing people.^a

ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةًۭ فَلَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ (۸۰)

9-80a: The apparent meaning of this verse is that Allah will not forgive the hypocrites under any condition regardless of whether the Prophet asks protection for them or not. However, this does not per se prohibit asking for forgiveness for them. Hence the authentic hadith is not against this verse in which it appears that the Holy Prophet led the funeral prayer of Abdullah bin Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites. Umar tried to stop the Holy Prophet from doing so by citing this verse, to which the Holy Prophet replied: اخِرّ عنی یا عمر لو اعلم انی لوزدت علی السبعین یغفر له لَزدت علیھا (Umar! Get aside. If I knew that he would be forgiven if I ask for his protection more than seventy times, I would have certainly asked for his protection more than seventy times. This also shows that the Holy Prophet took the word seventy literally as an absolute number and did not take its meaning to be that if the supplication for protection was asked more than seventy times then Allah would forgive. He realized that Allah has stated whether he asked for protection or not, Allah will not forgive. Prior to this, it had been revealed in Surah Munafaqun أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ(whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them – Allah will never forgive them) (63:6) where سبعین مرۃ (seventy times) is not mentioned. So, the Holy Prophet’s petition for forgiveness was under the overwhelming mercy and affectionate kindness of the Prophet, precisely for which he is called رحمة للعالمین (Mercy to all nations). A testimony of this mercy is that he led the funeral prayer for the leader of the hypocrites. It also appears from this that the Holy Prophet believed that Allah can set aside a punishment He has decreed. It was on the basis of this that the Holy Prophet supplicated for Abdullah bin Ubayy. However, when the command لَا تُصَلِّ (Never offer prayer) in 9:84 was revealed, the Holy Prophet stopped asking for protection for hypocrites. The next section is about cutting off relations with hypocrites.

9-67 The hypocrites, men and women, are all alike. They enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands. They have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them. Surely the hypocrites are the transgressors.^a

ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ ۚ نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ (۶۷)

9-67a: بَعْضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ – Its literal meaning is the one of you being from the other but the purport is that they are alike as if they are the parts of the same thing. Thus, they are the same both men and women.

يَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ – The meaning of قَبۡض is to grasp something tightly, and the meaning of قَبۡضُ الیَدِ is to accumulate something after taking it. The meaning of یقبضون ایدیہم is they stop themselves from spending (R).

نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ – (They have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them). This shows that the punishment that is given is of the same type as the action that deserves punishment. The word نسی here is used in the sense of ترك . See 2:44a.

9-68 Allah promises the hypocrites, men and women, and the disbelievers the Fire of hell to abide therein. It is enough for them. And Allah curses them, and for them is a lasting chastisement.

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتِ وَٱلْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ ۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ مُّقِيمٌۭ (۶۸)

9-69 Like those before you — they were stronger than you in power and had more wealth and children. So they enjoyed their portion; thus have you enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion, and you indulge in idle talk^a as they did. These are they whose works are null in this world and the Hereafter, and these are they who are the losers.

كَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةًۭ وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَٰلًۭا وَأَوْلَـٰدًۭا فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟ بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَـٰقِكُمْ كَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ (۶۹)

9-69a: كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا – (as they indulged in idle talk) – It can be structured in two ways کالخوض الذی خاضوہ or the original of الذی is الذین and ن has been dropped for abbreviation and the purport is کالذین خاضوا.

9-70 Has not the story reached them of those before them — of the people of Noah and ‘Ad and Thamud, and the people of Abraham and the dwellers of Midian and the overthrown cities? Their messengers came to them with clear arguments. So Allah wronged them not but they wronged themselves.^a

أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍۢ وَعَادٍۢ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ (۷۰)

9-70a: ٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ – It is the plural of مؤتفکة and the meaning of ائتفاك (which is from  افك) is revolution and the purport is all the people who were destroyed. Nafr bin Ans has narrated that his father said, “O son! Do not get off in Basrah because فانھا احدی ٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ). Some have restricted its meaning to the dwellings of the people of Lot (LA). Al Mufradat states that مؤتفکة are winds that whirl around.

9-71 And the believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ (۷۱)

9-72 Allah has promised to the believers, men and women, Gardens, wherein flow rivers, to abide therein, and goodly dwellings in Gardens of perpetual abode. And greatest of all is Allah’s goodly pleasure. That is the grand achievement.^a

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةًۭ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍۢ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ (۷۲)

9-72a: عَدْنٍۢ – The meaning of عَدَنَ بمکان is استقر that is, resting in calmness and peace. So, جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍۢ  are those gardens in which they will reside in perpetuity and will never be taken out of it. مَعۡدِن is derived from it (R).

رِضْوَٰنٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ – The pleasure of Allah is here called the greatest blessing of paradise. The hadith of Abu Saeed Khudri which is in both Bukhari and Muslim reinforces this. This is conclusive testimony to the nature of the Muslim paradise whose biggest blessing is obtaining the pleasure of Allah. It is also worth reflecting that a believer can obtain the pleasure of Allah even in this world and رضی اللّٰه عنہم (May Allah be pleased with them) is an explicit and decisive dictum of the hadith in respect of the Companions. So, the paradise of a believer begins in this world, and it is that very thing in which there is no partnership between a believer and an disbeliever. Both believers and disbelievers share in the finite pleasures of this world and perhaps sometimes the disbelievers get a greater share of gratification from them. The mention of the believers in this and the previous verses is given as a comparison with the disbelievers who in turn are mentioned as a caution to the hypocrites that their end would be bad like that of the disbelievers.