Verses 118–122
9. At-Tawba · The Repentance
Madinan129 verses
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَٰثَةِ 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
9:118—and to the three who were left behind. When the earth became narrow for them with [all] its expanse, and their own souls weighed heavily on them, and they knew that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him, then He turned clemently toward them so that they might be penitent. Indeed Allah is the All-clement, the All-merciful.1
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
9:119O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and be with the Truthful.*
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 صَٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
9:120It is not fitting for the people of Madinah and the Bedouins around them to hang back behind the Apostle of Allah and prefer their own lives to his life. That is because they neither experience any thirst, nor fatigue, nor hunger, in the way of Allah, nor do they tread any ground enraging the faithless, nor do they gain any ground against an enemy but a righteous deed is written for them on its account. Indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous.
وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ نَفَقَةًۭ صَغِيرَةًۭ وَلَا كَبِيرَةًۭ وَلَا يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
9:121And neither do they incur any expense, big or small, nor do they cross any valley, but it is written to their account, so that Allah may reward them by the best of what they used to do.
۞ وَمَا كَانَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا۟ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
9:122Yet it is not for the faithful to go forth en masse. But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?2
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 119
1.The faithful and God-fearing people are told to stay with the true believers. These true believers arc not true only by tongue and promise but they are the truthful of their promise and characters, so that the whole world would follow them and can be agreed upon all.
Verse 122
2.Medina is mentioned by way of an example, otherwise to help Islam and help the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is the duty of all Muslims whether they stay in a town or village and it docs not make any difference. Allah is the Bestower of Rewards then what is the harm in at least trying.
3.After the proclamation it was clarified that it is not obligatory for each and every Muslims to go for war and the law depended according to one’s circumstances. It was clarified that there was another journey obligatory on Muslims. If they do not want to join the holy religious war, they can go to obtain religious knowledge and after returning they can teach their own community and inculcate in them the fear of Allah. Like the holy war it is obligatory too.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Ka’ab bin Malik, Murara bin ar-Rabi and Hilal bin Umayyah were according to historians good and religious people. But they did not go for the Battle of Tabuk due to laziness and Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) commanded their boycott. They were much troubled. After sometime their wives were also ordered to dissociate from them and in this way fifty nights passed. They were fed up with it and began to regret and repent. The Almighty Allah showed mercy and accepted their repentance there was a wave of happiness among the Muslims. They decided to splurge all their money but the Prophet (s.a.) told them to practise restraint and to save some of their wealth and to be always with the truthful ones and never to dissociate with them.
Benefit
In the 119th ayat the phrase ‘with the truthful ones’ instead of ‘from the truthful ones’ indicates that there is a specified group of the truthfuls whose company is obligatory on all people. And this group is none but that of the Infallibles, the first of whom is Hazrat Ali (a.s.).
- 2
Some commentators have interpreted it to mean that some people should go to fight and some should remain behind in Medina and obtain knowledge of religion as religious knowledge is the duty of the inhabitants of Medina. Journey is not necessary for it. However, the traditions of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) indicate the meanings mentioned therein.