Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 69–72

9. At-Tawba · The Repentance

Madinan129 verses

كَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةًۭ وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَٰلًۭا وَأَوْلَٰدًۭا فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟ بِخَلَٰقِهِمْ فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَٰقِكُمْ كَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَٰقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ

9:69[Hypocrites! Your case is] similar to those who were before you, who were more powerful than you and more abounding in wealth and children: they enjoyed their share [of worldly existence]; you too enjoy your share, just like those who were before you enjoyed their share, and you have gossiped [impiously] as they gossiped. They are the ones whose works have failed in this world and the Hereafter; and it is they who are the losers.1

أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍۢ وَعَادٍۢ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

9:70Has there not come to them the account of those who were before them—the people of Noah, ‘Ad, and Tham£d, and the people of Abraham, the inhabitants of Midian, and the towns that were overturned? Their apostles brought them manifest proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.2

وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

9:71But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another: they bid what is right and forbid what is wrong and maintain the prayer, give the zakat, and obey Allah and His Apostle. It is they to whom Allah will soon grant His mercy. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةًۭ فِى جَنَّٰتِ عَدْنٍۢ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

9:72Allah has promised the faithful, men and women, gardens with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever], and good dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. Yet Allah’s pleasure is greater [than all these]; that is the great success.3

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 70

1.The hypocrites of the time of Prophet (s.a.) were made attentive that you have not done any new heroic deed. Many communities passed away like you and had passed away in better condition than yours but due to their infidelity and evil deeds they became victims of divine wrath. The divine blessings were taken away from the people of Ibrahim (a.s.). The wrath of strong wind descended on the community of Aad. The community of Nuh (a.s.) was drowned. The people of Samood (a.s.) were chastised with a scream. The people of Madayan were also involved in chastisement of the shade and the town of Lut (a.s.) was turned upside down; and you are not going to escape. There is still time, come to your senses.

Verse 71

2.We should know that the sign of believers is that they enjoin good, forbid evil, keep up prayer and pay the poor rate, obey Allah and His Apostle. These people are the true believers otherwise they will be called hypocrites.

Verse 72

3.It is a fact that nothing is better than the pleasure of Allah and it is the reason that Ahle Bayt (a.s.) have not performed good deeds for Paradise and Kauthar. And on the eve of Hijrat also were ready to sacrifice their lives for the pleasure of Allah.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    : When the believers are described and distinguished from the hypocrites in addition to Amr bil Maroof and Nay Anil Munkar, Zakat is mentioned as an opposite of miserliness, establishing prayer is the opposite of forgetfulness of Allah and obedience of Allah is the converse of transgression. This shows the significance of Prayer, Zakat and obedience of Allah.

  2. 1

    Destroying the deeds in this world means that they are not considered worthy in the view of the people of reason and faith and their destruction in the Hereafter implies that they would be deprived of recompense and rewards.

  3. 2

    The overturned settlements refer to the nation of Lut (a.s.), which was overthrown due to the evil deeds of its people. Thus all those nations that have legalized homosexuality and lesbianism will meet the same fate and also the church that has made these acts permissible to appease the rulers. A crime which is punishable by nothing less than execution has been accorded legitimacy by the church.

  4. 3

    Adn means a place of permanent abode and the eternal settlement. The mention of Allah’s satisfaction and its exalted status proves that Quran is does not eulogize only material bounties. It considers spiritual bounty much higher then every material wealth.