Verses 14–20
9. At-Tawba · The Repentance
Madinan129 verses
قَٰتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍۢ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
9:14Make war on them so that Allah may punish them by your hands and humiliate them, and help you against them, and heal the hearts of a faithful folk,*
وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَيَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
9:15and remove rage from their hearts, and Allah turns clemently to whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تُتْرَكُوا۟ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا رَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلِيجَةًۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
9:16Do you suppose that you will be let off while Allah has not yet ascertained those of you who wage jihad and those who do not take anyone as [their] confidant besides Allah and His Apostle and the faithful? Allah is well aware of what you do.1
مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا۟ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ شَٰهِدِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِم بِٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلنَّارِ هُمْ خَٰلِدُونَ
9:17The polytheists may not maintain Allah’s mosques while they are witness to their own unfaith. Their works have failed, and they shall remain in the Fire [forever].2
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
9:18Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and maintain the prayer, and give the zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided.*
۞ أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ ٱلْحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَجَٰهَدَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَا يَسْتَوُۥنَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
9:19Do you regard the providing of water to Hajj pilgrims and the maintenance of the Holy Mosque as similar [in worth] to someone who has faith in Allah and [believes in] the Last Day and wages jihad in the way of Allah? They are not equal with Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.3
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهَاجَرُوا۟ وَجَٰهَدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَآئِزُونَ
9:20Those who have believed and migrated, and waged jihad in the way of Allah with their possessions and persons have a greater rank near Allah, and it is they who are the triumphant.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 16
1.There is no importance of claim in the religion of Allah, till there is no argument with it. The faith of believers can be scrutinized by two ways (i) To fight in the way of Allah (ii) Do not keep good relation with enemies of Islam, whereas Islam and faith would be entirely devalued without these two things.
Verse 18
2.The faithful persons are reminded in a lighter vein that all the mosques are the houses of Allah and it is the duty of believers in Allah, that they should be worried about the houses of Allah more than their houses. This work is not of polytheists on the contrary it is the work of the believers in Allah. To make mosque colonized, five things are necessary (i) Believe in Allah and so evince interest for Ka’ba (ii) He should be1ieve in hereafter so that he should not search the benefit of the world (iii) Perform prayer regularly that he should be anxious about prosperity (iv) Pay the poor rate so that he can spend in the way of prosperity (v) He should not fear of anyone except Allah so that he should not leave mosques because of the taunting of anyone. Demanding of terms and conditions is more important than the responsibility of trusteeship and arrangement of the mosques.
Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib had the pride of water carriers for pilgrims. Talha bin Shiba Khalid had pride for carrying transport. Ali (a.s) said I have performed prayer before all of you and announced faith. Then Allah revealed this auspicious verse and Ali’s (a.s) superiority was declared.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Some commentators try to prove the belief of predestination from the 14th ayat while actually the words of the Lord of the worlds: ‘Baidikum’ indicates that be calling the actions of Muslims as His own is only to encourage them. That is why help and consolation of their hearts is also mentioned. Otherwise if it denoted forced destiny the question of consoling the hearts does not arise, and help would be meaningless.
- 1
Walija is the closest friend and without all secrets are shared.
- 2
Imarat denotes inhabitation as well as worship. Neither inhabiting the mosques could be expected from the polytheists nor worship of Allah. One who testifies for his own disbelief cannot worship.
Benefit
The 18th ayat has clarified that the construction of mosques should be controlled by people of perfect faiths, otherwise inhabiting the mosques is not possible. There is also a danger that Mosques will become centres of polities and selfish interests.
- 3
Saqaya is an instrument through which water is served and the action of serving water is also saqaya. Here the latter meaning is intended.
Benefit: The 19th ayat mentions a loftier status and denotes none but Ali (a.s.) according to the unanimity of traditions.