Verses 37–41
9. At-Tawba · The Repentance
Madinan129 verses
إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّسِىٓءُ زِيَادَةٌۭ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُحِلُّونَهُۥ عَامًۭا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥ عَامًۭا لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا۟ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ أَعْمَٰلِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
9:37Indeed nasee is an increase in unfaith, whereby the faithless are led [further] astray. They allow it in one year and forbid it another year, so as to fit in with the number, which Allah has made inviolable, thus permitting what Allah has forbidden. Their evil deeds appear to them as decorous, and Allah does not guide the faithless lot.1
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱنفِرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مِنَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
9:38O you who have faith! What is the matter with you that when you are told: ‘Go forth in the way of Allah,’ you sink heavily to the ground? Are you pleased with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? But the wares of the life of this world compared with the Hereafter are but insignificant.
إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا۟ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْـًۭٔا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
9:39If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment, and replace you with another people, and you will not hurt Him in the least, and Allah has power over all things.
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍۢ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
9:40If you do not help him, then Allah certainly helped him when the faithless expelled him, as one of two [refugees], when the two of them were in the cave, he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; Allah is indeed with us.’ Then Allah sent down His composure upon him, and strengthened him with hosts you did not see, and He made the word of the faithless the lowest; and the word of Allah is the highest; and Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.2
ٱنفِرُوا۟ خِفَافًۭا وَثِقَالًۭا وَجَٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
9:41Go forth, whether [armed] lightly or heavily, and wage jihad with your possessions and persons in the way of Allah. That is better for you, should you know.3
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 38
1.The account of the Tabuk expedition starts from here. Seeing the grandeur of Islam, Harquil the king of Rome decided to attack Islam, the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.) ordered preparations for war and took an army 30000 strong to repel the attack. He left Ali (a.s.) in Medina because he knew there was no possibility of a war that year and he said to Ali (a.s.): You are to me as Haroon was to Moosa (a.s.). You are my successor and there will be no prophet after me. When they reached the boundaries of Rome the ruler of that area agreed to pay Jizya in exchange of peace. The Prophet (s.a.) accepted and moving ahead camped in Tabuk, which is almost equidistant from Medina and Shaam. By chance the ruler of Tabuk was out hunting. The Muslims arrested him also and in this way the whole area was conquered within twenty days and the Muslims were relieved soon. This occurred in Rajab, in the year 9 AH. lbne Ubayy the hypocrite frightened many Muslims in joining this expedition and Abuzar accompanied the Prophet (s.a.) on foot.
Tabuk is the only expedition when Ali (a.s.) was not with them and the reason was that there was to be no fighting and lastly it was also aimed to announce his caliphate.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
On the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk the Muslims were commanded to fight and they had to keep in mind seven points. First the believers were addressed and then ordered to undertake the journey. Then reference was made to fisabilillaah (in the oath of Allah). After this they were reminded of the Hereafter and the pleasures of this world were belittled. Then they were warned of a painful chastisement. After this mention was made of removing them from historical record and their replacement by another community. It was a very important and serious matter.
- 1
Nasaa means delay. Though the infidels observed the sanctity of the scared months they used to shift it before and after in compliance with their aims. One year they would regard Muharram as a sacred month and refrain from fighting and the next year they would ascribe sanctity to the month of Safar and fight during Muharram. The Almighty called it an increase in disbelief thus indicating that sacred is that which is made sacred by Allah and not that is sanctified by the people.
- 2
This is a reference to Hijrat that Allah helped His Messenger during migration and sent tranquility upon him. He sent armies of angels to help him. According to the report of Fakhruddin Razi when Abu Bakr heard the infidels he began to weep seeing the Prophet (s.a.) in danger. The Prophet (s.a.) told him not to grieve because Allah was with them. Abu Bakr asked if this was really true and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) told him it was indeed true.
- 3
Khafaf is the plural of Khafeef. It denotes those for whom Jihad is easy and Thiqal is the plural of Theqeel, that is those for whom Jihad is difficult. In times of the difficult war Jihad becomes Wajib (obligatory) on all. Please note that descent of tranquility is mentioned only with regard to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and no one else is included.