Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 80–86

9. At-Tawba · The Repentance

Madinan129 verses

ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةًۭ فَلَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ

9:80Whether you plead forgiveness for them or do not plead forgiveness for them, even if you plead forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah shall never forgive them because they defied Allah and His Apostle; and Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.1

فَرِحَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَٰفَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوٓا۟ أَن يُجَٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَنفِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْحَرِّ ۗ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّۭا ۚ لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ يَفْقَهُونَ

9:81Those who were left behind boasted for sitting back against [the command of] the Apostle of Allah, and were reluctant to wage jihad with their possessions and persons in the way of Allah, and they said, ‘Do not go forth in this heat.’ Say, The fire of hell is severer in heat, should they understand.2

فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًۭا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًۭا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

9:82So let them laugh a little; much will they weep as a requital for what they used to earn.

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَآئِفَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ فَٱسْتَـْٔذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا۟ مَعِىَ أَبَدًۭا وَلَن تُقَٰتِلُوا۟ مَعِىَ عَدُوًّا ۖ إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِٱلْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۢ فَٱقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَٰلِفِينَ

9:83If Allah brings you back [from the battlefront] to a group of them and they seek your permission to go forth, say, ‘You shall never go forth with me, and you shall not fight with me against any enemy. You were indeed pleased to sit back the first time, so sit back with those who stay behind.’3

وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًۭا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ

9:84And never pray over any of them when he dies, nor stand at his graveside. They indeed defied Allah and His Apostle and died as transgressors.*

وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ

9:85Let not their possessions or their children impress you. Allah only desires to punish them with these in this world, and that their souls may depart while they are faithless.

وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَجَٰهِدُوا۟ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ ٱسْتَـْٔذَنَكَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ ذَرْنَا نَكُن مَّعَ ٱلْقَٰعِدِينَ

9:86When a surah is sent down [declaring]: ‘Have faith in Allah, and wage jihad along with His Apostle, the affluent among them ask you for leave, and say, ‘Let us remain with those who sit back.’4

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 84

1.After the death of Abdullah Ibne Ubayy people hold a different view, whether to say the funeral prayer of these hypocrites or not. Jibreel Amin brought Allah’s revelation and Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) refused to pray. According to another tradition that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) prayed the funeral prayer and said- I have been given the right for seeking forgiveness. Though this meaning is the less talked about. He has not given an authority but it is proved ineffective.

2.The approach of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was that he was praying standing on the grave of the dead person but he was prevented to do so for hypocrites and it is a proof that to visit the grave of pious person and to pray standing near his grave is permissible. According to the tradition of Sahih Muslim, Fathul Bari Fi Share Sahih Sukhari that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked permission from Allah to visit the grave of his own mother and Allah granted the permission and according to Fathul Bari, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) announced that first I had forbidden, but now I allow you. The whole Islamic world accepted this but only Wahhabis, under political considerations and for decreasing the value of Allah’s Apostle, put restriction to visit the graves.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    The word ‘or’ is not to give a choice. It is a conjunction of similarity that in both the cases there is no benefit. The promise; of seventy is also idiomatic, that denotes the depravity of the disbelievers, and it does not imply that the prayer of the Prophet (s.a.) shall be unacceptable. Rather, the Prophet (s.a.) shall never do such a useless thing.

  2. 2

    Those who were left behind in Medina and those who bad obtained permission to stay behind. ‘Khitaf’ could be those who were left behind after the departure of the Prophet (s.a.) and it could also be those who opposed him.

  3. 3

    It denotes the children and aged who are not capable to fight.

  4. Benefit

    In the 84th ayat specific mention of the hypocrites is the proof that standing by the grave of a believer and praying for him and visiting the grave of a believer is an aspect of faith which cannot be ignored.

  5. 4

    Jihad in the way of Allah, martyrdom and difficulties always worry the rich and comfort loving people, while the deprived ones are always ready to lay down their lives.