Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 48–54

9. At-Tawba · The Repentance

Madinan129 verses

لَقَدِ ٱبْتَغَوُا۟ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأُمُورَ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَٰرِهُونَ

9:48They certainly sought to cause sedition earlier, and upset the matters for you, until the truth came and Allah’s command prevailed, much as they were averse.1

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ٱئْذَن لِّى وَلَا تَفْتِنِّىٓ ۚ أَلَا فِى ٱلْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا۟ ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌۢ بِٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

9:49Among them there are some who say, ‘Give me leave, and do not put me to temptation.’ Look! They have already fallen into temptation and indeed hell besieges the faithless.2

إِن تُصِبْكَ حَسَنَةٌۭ تَسُؤْهُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْكَ مُصِيبَةٌۭ يَقُولُوا۟ قَدْ أَخَذْنَآ أَمْرَنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَيَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُمْ فَرِحُونَ

9:50If some good should befall you, it upsets them; but if an adversity befalls you, they say, ‘We had already taken our precautions in advance,’ and they go away boasting.

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَىٰنَا ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ

9:51Say, ‘Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our master, and in Allah let all the faithful put their trust.’

قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَآ إِلَّآ إِحْدَى ٱلْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍۢ مِّنْ عِندِهِۦٓ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ فَتَرَبَّصُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ

9:52Say, ‘Do you not await one of the two excellent things to happen to us? But we await that Allah shall visit on you a punishment, from Him, or by our hands. So wait! We too are waiting along with you.’3

قُلْ أَنفِقُوا۟ طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًۭا لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمْ ۖ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًۭا فَٰسِقِينَ

9:53Say, ‘Spend willingly or unwillingly, it shall never be accepted from you; for you are indeed a transgressing lot.’

وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَٰتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَٰرِهُونَ

9:54Nothing stops their charities from being accepted except that they have no faith in Allah and His Apostle and do not perform the prayer but lazily, and do not spend but reluctantly.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 49

1.The course of action of hypocrites is that at first instance they avoid to join the religious war in the way of Allah and when they come in the battlefield, they think that Muslims should be in loss and infidels should win the battle and try to make the common people understand that there is no gain by this war. Up to this if Muslims incurred a loss, they say to their companions that we did not fight seeing their condition. An auspicious verse of the Holy Quran has replied this vain talk that Muslims are benefited in all circumstance. If they remain alive, they are called victorious and if they die they are called martyrs. Loss is only for the infidels, they are disgraced in the world and get painful chastisement in hereafter.

Verse 53

2.Hypocrites wanted to give some amount of money and exclude themselves from war. Allah clarified that these amounts are not worthy acceptance, if apparently they give willingly, because their faith is not on Allah and His Apostle and their deeds are not trustworthy.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    This is with reference to the mischief of people like Abu Sufyan in the Battle of Hunain and Ibne Ubayy in the Battle of Uhud.

  2. 2

    All the commentators agree that on the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk the chief of the hypocrites, Jad bin Qais excused himself from the Prophet (s.a.) saying that since he was having a great sexual urge he will fall into sin on seeing the Roman ladies. The Almighty clarified that this was only an excuse, otherwise fleeing Jihad is a greater sin than adultery.

    Benefit: The 49th ayat proves that in every age the hypocrites have always resorted to excuses and have never been mindful of considering oneself most clever. Whereas, the consequences of their actions is falling into mischiefs in this world and there is nothing but Hell for them in the Hereafter.

  3. 3

    The consequences of the Muslim is either victory or martyrdom. Both are good deeds and the share of infidels is nothing but divine chastisement. Even if they are apparently victorious they cannot escape the punishment of the Hereafter. As if the Lord of the Universe has made it clear that defeat and setback of Muslims in this world is nothing. A Muslim is successful and victorious in all cases, whether it is in winning the battle or whether it is martyrdom.