Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 32–36

9. At-Tawba · The Repentance

Madinan129 verses

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِـُٔوا۟ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى ٱللَّهُ إِلَّآ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُۥ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ

9:32They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah is intent on perfecting His light though the faithless should be averse.1

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْمُشْرِكُونَ

9:33It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse.2

۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْبَارِ وَٱلرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ

9:34O you who have faith! Indeed many of the scribes and monks wrongfully eat up the people’s wealth, and bar [them] from the way of Allah. Those who treasure up gold and silver, and do not spend it in the way of Allah, inform them of a painful punishment3

يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ ۖ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ

9:35on the day when these shall be heated in hellfire and therewith branded on their foreheads, their sides, and their backs [and told]: ‘This is what you treasured up for yourselves! So taste what you have treasured!’

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةًۭ كَمَا يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

9:36Indeed the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah’s Book, the day when He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred. That is the upright religion. So do not wrong yourselves during them. Fight all the polytheists, just as they fight you all, and know that Allah is with the Godwary.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 34

1.This verse is proof that it is incumbent on wealthy people to spend in the way of Allah besides paying Khums and Zakat; and hoarding is unlawful. Just as Abu Zar told Muawiyah; on who’s complain Uthman exiled him and he died at Rabadha. The announcement of Abu Zar was real Islam and to blame him for socialism is an allegation. Socialism starts with production and Abu Zar was speaking about distribution.

Verse 36

2.It is the characteristic of temperament that the creation itself is in such a manner that there will be twelve months and this is an argument that months are according to the moon and not the sun, because sun remains the same and the moon keeps on decreasing and increasing, and one day it disappears. Again it appears starting a new month. Islam has decreed the rituals of the day to follow the sun. Such as morning, afternoon, Asr and Maghrib etc, and the rituals of years and months are connected with moon such as Hajj etc, We should know that all months belong to Allah but they are not the same. Rajab, Zilqad, Zilhajj, and Muharram are sacred. War is unlawful in these months but defence is obligatory, as its time is not fixed. 3. This is a sign that opposing the commands of Allah and fighting the infidels in the sacred months is not injustice on the infidels. It is injustice upon oneself and piety has to be practiced in every sphere of life.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    The Divine light denotes Islam that the polytheists and the people of the Book want to destroy and Allah has promised its safety.

  2. 2

    Though Islam bad triumphed during the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.) the destruction of other powers shall be effected only when the last successor of the Prophet (s.a.) will wage a Jihad, whose advent had been mentioned by the Prophet (s.a.) himself.

  3. 3

    According to a report of Divine Manthur Uthman had removed the ‘war’ and tried to apply it to the People of the Book and that was mentioned by Muawiyah to Abu Zar that this ayat docs not apply to us, Muslims? However, the unanimity of Muslims proves that this ayat is general and the gold and silver are mere examples. The consequences of boarding wealth arc indeed serious in Qiyamat.

  4. Benefit

    The prohibition of war in the four months was a custom since the time of Ibrahim (a.s.). This period afforded the best chance to ponder upon hostilities and in this way the training of soldiers was also possible.