9. At-Tawba

Those hypocrites who failed to join the battle of Tabūk were happy not to strive in Allah’s path, in opposition to the Messenger of Allah. They were reluctant to strive with their wealth and live in Allah’s path as the believers did. They said to their fellow hypocrites, in order to keep them behind, ‘Do not march in the heat!’ The battle of Tabūk was during the hot season. Say to them, O Messenger: The fire of Hell that awaits the hypocrites is much hotter than this heat that they are running away from, if they only knew.

Let these hypocrites, who failed to strive in Allah’s path, laugh a little in their temporary life of the world and let them cry much in their everlasting life of the Afterlife in return for the disbelief and sins they committed in the world.

If Allah returns you, O Prophet, to a group of these hypocrites who are firm in their hypocrisy and they ask you for permission to go out with you in another battle, then say to them: You, hypocrites, will never go out with me in Allah’s path, as a punishment for you and a means of avoiding the harms that may arise due to your presence with me. You were quite pleased to remain behind in the battle of Tabūk, so stay with those sick persons, women and children who remain behind.

Do not offer the prayer, O Messenger, over any one of the hypocrites who dies; and do not stand to pray for forgiveness at their gravesides. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and they died whilst they had left Allah’s obedience. No prayer should be offered for such a person.

When Allah reveals a sūrah to His Prophet (peace be upon him) that contains the instruction to have faith in Allah and to strive in His path, the rich people from among them ask you for permission to stay behind and they say: Let us stay behind with those who are excused, such as the weak and those who are chronically ill.

These hypocrites are pleased with disgrace and humiliation, since they are pleased to stay behind with those who are excused. Allah has sealed their hearts because of their disbelief and hypocrisy, so they do not know where their best interests are. They are therefore similar to animals.

The Messenger and the believers with him did not remain behind from striving in Allah’s path, as these people did. Instead, they strived in Allah’s path with their wealth and their lives. Their reward from Allah is that they will receive worldly benefits, such as victory and gains of war, as well as benefits in the Afterlife, which includes entry into Paradise and successful attainment of their desires and salvation from what they fear.

Allah has prepared for these believers gardens with rivers flowing beneath their palaces, where they shall live eternally. That reward is the great success that cannot be equalled by any other.

A group of people from the desert Arabs of Medina and the surrounding areas came with excuses to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), so that he would give them permission to remain behind from going out and striving in Allah’s path. Another group of people who did not even make any excuse also stayed behind from going out because they did not accept the Prophet and they did not have faith in Allah’s promise. A painful punishment will afflict these people because of their disbelief.