9. At-Tawba

The Repentance · Medinan · 129 ayahs

سُورَةُ التَّوۡبَةِ

Reading Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

Ayahs 81–90 of 129

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

Those who remained behind rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allah and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah and said, "Do not go forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is more intensive in heat" - if they would but understand.

Those who were left behind from the journey to Tabūk rejoiced at remaining behind the Messenger of God and were averse to striving with their wealth and their lives in the way of God. And they said that is they said to one another ‘Do not go forth do not set off to join the fight in the heat!’ Say ‘The fire of Hell is hotter than Tabūk and more worthy for them to guard against by not staying behind did they but understand’ this they would not have stayed behind.

At-Tawba 9:81Listen in Qur'an →

فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًۭا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًۭا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.

But let them laugh a little in this world and weep much in the Hereafter as a requital for what they used to earn the sentence is predicative of their state expressed in the form of an imperative.

At-Tawba 9:82Listen in Qur'an →

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

If Allah should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."

So if God brings you back from Tabūk to a party of them of those hypocrites who stayed behind in Medina and they ask leave of you to go forth with you on some other campaign say to them ‘You shall never more go forth with me and you shall never fight with me against an enemy. You were content to stay behind the first time so stay behind with those who stay behind’ away from military campaigns such as women and children and others.

At-Tawba 9:83Listen in Qur'an →

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

And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.

When the Prophet s prayed over the dead body of ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Ubayy the following was revealed And never pray over any one of them when he is dead nor stand over his grave at a burial or as a visit; lo! they disbelieved in God and His Messenger and died while they were wicked they died disbelieving.

At-Tawba 9:84Listen in Qur'an →

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

And let not their wealth and their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in this world and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.

And let not their wealth and their children please you; God desires only to chastise them thereby in this world and that their souls should depart while they are disbelievers.

At-Tawba 9:85Listen in Qur'an →

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

And when a surah was revealed [enjoining them] to believe in Allah and to fight with His Messenger, those of wealth among them asked your permission [to stay back] and said, "Leave us to be with them who sit [at home]."

And when a sūra that is a section of the Qur’ān is revealed saying ‘Believe in God and strive with His Messenger’ the affluent among them ask leave of you saying ‘Leave us to be with those who sit at home’.

At-Tawba 9:86Listen in Qur'an →

رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ

They were satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand.

They are content to be with those who stay behind khawālif is the plural of khālifa meaning the women who ‘stay behind’ takhallafna at home and a seal has been set upon their hearts so they do not understand what is good.

At-Tawba 9:87Listen in Qur'an →

لَٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ جَٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

But the Messenger and those who believed with him fought with their wealth and their lives. Those will have [all that is] good, and it is those who are the successful.

But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive with their wealth and their lives for them are the good things in this life and in the Hereafter; those they are the successful the triumphant.

At-Tawba 9:88Listen in Qur'an →

أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. That is the great attainment.

God has prepared for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow to abide therein that is the supreme triumph.

At-Tawba 9:89Listen in Qur'an →

وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ

And those with excuses among the bedouins came to be permitted [to remain], and they who had lied to Allah and His Messenger sat [at home]. There will strike those who disbelieved among them a painful punishment.

And those Bedouins who had an excuse al-mu‘adhdhirūn the original tā’ has been assimilated with the dāl in other words it would usually be read as al-mu‘tadhirūn which itself is a variant reading those of them who were excused came to the Prophet s asking for leave to stay behind on account of their excuses and so he gave them leave to do so. And those who lied to God and His Messenger by feigning belief those hypocrites among the Bedouin stayed behind refraining from coming to give their excuses — a painful chastisement shall befall those of them who disbelieve.

At-Tawba 9:90Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.