9. At-Tawba

The Repentance · Medinan · 129 ayahs

سُورَةُ التَّوۡبَةِ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 61–70 of 129

وَمِنْهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌۭ ۚ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍۢ لَّكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ

And among them are those who abuse the Prophet and say, "He is an ear." Say, "[It is] an ear of goodness for you that believes in Allah and believes the believers and [is] a mercy to those who believe among you." And those who abuse the Messenger of Allah - for them is a painful punishment.

Among the hypocrites are those who hurt the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) through their words, saying, because of his great kindness, that he listens to everyone and believes whatever they say, and does not distinguish between what is true and what is not. The Messenger (peace be upon him) is told to say to them that he only listens to what is best for them. He has faith in Allah and believes what the believers tell him. Those who harm the Messenger (peace be upon him), in any way, will receive a painful punishment.

At-Tawba 9:61Listen in Qur'an →

يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرْضُوهُ إِن كَانُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ

They swear by Allah to you [Muslims] to satisfy you. But Allah and His Messenger are more worthy for them to satisfy, if they should be believers.

The hypocrites swear by Allah to you, O believers, that they did not say anything to hurt the Prophet (peace be upon him). They do this so that you may become pleased with them; but Allah and His Messenger are more deserving of being pleased by their accepting faith and performing good actions, if they are truly believers.

At-Tawba 9:62Listen in Qur'an →

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ مَن يُحَادِدِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَأَنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدًۭا فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخِزْىُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger - that for him is the fire of Hell, wherein he will abide eternally? That is the great disgrace.

Do these hypocrites not know that by their doing such actions they are opposing Allah and His Messenger; and that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger will enter the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement, to live there eternally? That is the worst disgrace and humiliation.

At-Tawba 9:63Listen in Qur'an →

يَحْذَرُ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌۭ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱسْتَهْزِءُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌۭ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَ

They hypocrites are apprehensive lest a surah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allah will expose that which you fear."

The hypocrites are afraid that Allah will reveal a sūrah to His Messenger that will inform the believers about the disbelief that they conceal. Say, O Messenger: Continue, O hypocrites, mocking and poking fun. Allah will unveil what you are afraid of by revealing a sūrah or by informing His Messenger about the truth of your case.

At-Tawba 9:64Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"

If you, O Messenger, ask the hypocrites about the insults they used against the believers after Allah informs you of it, they will say, ‘We were just joking when we said that and we were not serious’. Say, O Messenger, ‘Is it Allah, His verses and His Messenger that you were making fun of?’

At-Tawba 9:65Listen in Qur'an →

لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍۢ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةًۢ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ

Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.

Do not present these false excuses, O hypocrites. You have exposed your disbelief, which was hidden, by making fun. If I were to pardon a group from among you, when they leave their hypocrisy and repent from it by sincerely repenting to Allah, I will punish another group from among you due to their remaining in hypocrisy and their failure to repent from it.

At-Tawba 9:66Listen in Qur'an →

ٱلْمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ بَعْضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ ۚ نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are of one another. They enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right and close their hands. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the hypocrites - it is they who are the defiantly disobedient.

The hypocrites, men and women, are all the same with respect to their states of hypocrisy. They are not like the believers, because they call to evil and prohibit good. They are also miserly with their wealth and do not spend it in Allah’s path. They turned away from Allah and were unmindful of Him, and they only remember Allah a little. Allah therefore left them out of His mercy. The hypocrites are the ones who deviate from following Allah and the path of truth by going towards sin and the path of misguidance.

At-Tawba 9:67Listen in Qur'an →

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقَٰتِ وَٱلْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ ۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ مُّقِيمٌۭ

Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally. It is sufficient for them. And Allah has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment.

Allah has promised the hypocrites and the disbelievers who do not repent that He will make them enter the fire of Hell to live there eternally – it is a sufficient punishment for them. Allah has distanced them from His mercy and for them is an everlasting punishment.

At-Tawba 9:68Listen in Qur'an →

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

[You disbelievers are] like those before you; they were stronger than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their portion [of worldly enjoyment], and you have enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion, and you have engaged [in vanities] like that in which they engaged. [It is] those whose deeds have become worthless in this world and in the Hereafter, and it is they who are the losers.

O hypocrites, in your disbelief and mockery you are like the communities of disbelievers before you. They were greater than you in strength, and had more wealth and children, and they enjoyed their allotted share of the luxuries and pleasures of this world. You, O hypocrites, also enjoyed your allotted share of the world, just as the communities of the past did. You indulged in denying the truth and insulting the messenger just as they did. Those who have these shameful qualities will have their actions reduced to nothing by Allah due to their disbelief. They are the losers, whose own souls have brought them to the point of destruction.

At-Tawba 9:69Listen in Qur'an →

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

Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] 'Aad and Thamud and the people of Abraham and the companions of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allah would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.

Have the hypocrites not heard of what previous disbelieving communities did and what their end was? The news of the people of Noah, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Abraham, the inhabitants of Madyan and the towns of the nation of Lot? Their messengers came to them with clear proof and evidence. Allah was not unjust in punishing them, as their messengers had warned them, but they were unjust to themselves because of their disbelief in Allah and rejection of His messengers.

At-Tawba 9:70Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.