Sūrat al-Tawbah
سورۃ التوبہ
Sūrat al-Tawbah
(Sūrat al-Tawbah — The Repentance — is the ninth sūra of the Qurʾān. It comprises one hundred and twenty-nine (129) verses and was revealed in Madīna. It is also known as Sūrat al-Barāʾa (Disavowal) and Sūrat al-Fāḍiḥa (The Exposer). Uniquely among the sūras of the Qurʾān, it begins without the Basmala — for the Basmala is a declaration of mercy and security, while this sūra opens with a proclamation of disavowal toward the idolaters who had violated their treaties. The absence of the Basmala visibly signals Allāh's displeasure with those who broke their covenants. Consequently, there was a question among the Companions as to whether al-Tawbah and al-Anfāl constitute a single sūra or two; the consensus is that they are independent sūras, yet al-Tawbah carries no opening Basmala.)
Verse 1
بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Barāʾatun mina llāhi wa-rasūlihī ilā lladhīna ʿāhattum mina l-mushrikīn.
"A declaration of disavowal from Allāh and His Messenger to those idolaters with whom you had made a covenant." (al-Tawbah 9:1)
Translation: This is a proclamation of dissolution — a formal declaration of immunity and disengagement — from Allāh and His Messengerﷺdirected at those polytheists with whom the believers had concluded treaty agreements.
Commentary: Barāʾa (برائت) denotes complete disavowal and severance of ties. The word here is in the nominative as the subject of an implied announcement: "This is a proclamation of disavowal." The phrase "from Allāh and His Messenger" indicates that it is Allāh who has sanctioned the abrogation of these treaties, and the Messengerﷺwho enacts and conveys it on His behalf. "Those idolaters with whom you made a covenant" — this refers to the pagan Arab tribes who had entered treaty relations with the Muslims but had subsequently violated them.
Verse 2
فَسِيحُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِي اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْزِي الْكَافِرِينَ
Fasīḥū fī l-arḍi arbaʿata ashhurin wa-ʿlamū annakum ghayru muʿjizī llāhi wa-anna llāha mukhzī l-kāfirīn.
"So travel freely throughout the land for four months, and know that you cannot escape Allāh, and that Allāh will disgrace the disbelievers." (al-Tawbah 9:2)
Translation: (O idolaters!) Travel freely through the land for four months — a respite is given to you — but know well that you cannot escape or frustrate Allāh, and that Allāh will bring disgrace upon those who persist in disbelief.
Commentary: Fasīḥū means to travel about and range freely. The four months granted here were a period of grace in which the polytheists could travel safely and conclude their affairs before the final proclamation took effect. The phrase "you cannot escape Allāh" (ghayru muʿjizī llāh) underscores that no power can evade divine retribution. Mukhzī means "one who disgraces and humiliates" — a warning that Allāh will bring dishonour upon those who remain in unbelief.
Verse 3
وَأَذَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الْأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ بَرِيءٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِي اللَّهِ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
Wa-adhānun mina llāhi wa-rasūlihī ilā n-nāsi yawma l-ḥajji l-akbari anna llāha barīʾun mina l-mushrikīna wa-rasūluhū fa-in tubtum fa-huwa khayrun lakum wa-in tawallaytum fa-ʿlamū annakum ghayru muʿjizī llāhi wa-bashshiri lladhīna kafarū bi-ʿadhābin alīm.
"And a proclamation from Allāh and His Messenger to the people on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage: that Allāh is free of the idolaters, and so is His Messenger. If you repent, it is better for you; and if you turn away, then know that you cannot escape Allāh — and give tidings to the disbelievers of a painful punishment." (al-Tawbah 9:3)
Translation: This is a public announcement from Allāh and His Messengerﷺproclaimed to all people on the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage (Yawm al-Ḥajj al-Akbar): that Allāh and His Messenger are free and clear of all obligations toward the idolaters. If you repent and return to the truth, that is far better for you. But if you turn away, know that you cannot elude Allāh. Proclaim to the disbelievers the tidings of a grievous punishment.
Commentary: Adhān here means a formal public proclamation and announcement — a herald's declaration rather than the call to prayer. Yawm al-Ḥajj al-Akbar — the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage — is generally held by the scholars to be the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Naḥr, the 10th of Dhū l-Ḥijja). This proclamation was made by the Prophetﷺthrough Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allāh be pleased with him), who led the pilgrims that year. It was then confirmed and extended by Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allāh be pleased with him), who stood at the Jamrat al-ʿAqaba and recited the relevant verses to the assembled multitude — the Prophetﷺhaving dispatched him with additional authority. Some Companions who were accustomed to speaking ill of Allāh's favour in this context later sought to justify themselves; but the divine declaration is explicit: whoever persists in unbelief faces a painful punishment. Wa-bashshir (give glad tidings) here is used with bitter irony — the "glad tidings" are of a terrible punishment — making the rebuke all the more cutting.
Verse 4
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Illā lladhīna ʿāhattum mina l-mushrikīna thumma lam yanquṣūkum shayʾan wa-lam yuẓāhirū ʿalaykum aḥadan fa-atimmū ilayhim ʿahdahum ilā muddatihim inna llāha yuḥibbu l-muttaqīn.
"Excepted are those idolaters with whom you have made a treaty and who have not since failed you in any respect, nor supported anyone against you — fulfil your treaty with them to their full term. Truly, Allāh loves the God-fearing." (al-Tawbah 9:4)
Translation: However, those polytheists with whom you had treaty relations — those who did not diminish your rights in any way and did not assist any enemy against you — honour their covenant with them for its full remaining term. Indeed, Allāh loves those who are God-fearing (muttaqīn).
Commentary: This verse introduces a crucial exception: the general proclamation of disavowal does not apply to those treaty-partners who have remained faithful to their obligations. Lam yanquṣūkum shayʾan — "they did not lessen you in any way" — means they did not violate a single condition or clause. Lam yuẓāhirū ʿalaykum aḥadan — "they did not aid anyone against you" — means they rendered no assistance, material or moral, to the enemies of Islam. For such honourable and faithful counterparts, the command is to honour the treaty to its agreed term. This verse establishes a fundamental principle of Islamic international relations: a covenant faithfully kept must be faithfully honoured; it is the duty of the believers to fulfil their obligations even toward those outside the faith, as long as the other party abides by the terms. Ending such a treaty without cause would be a form of injustice (ẓulm), and the verse closes by affirming that Allāh loves the God-fearing — those who scrupulously observe both their duties to Allāh and their responsibilities to those under agreement with them.
Verse 5
فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Fa-idhā nsalakha l-ashhuru l-ḥurumu fa-qtulū l-mushrikīna ḥaythu wajadtumūhum wa-khudhūhum wa-ḥṣurūhum wa-qʿudū lahum kulla marṣadin fa-in tābū wa-aqāmū ṣ-ṣalāta wa-ātaw z-zakāta fa-khallū sabīlahum inna llāha ghafūrun raḥīm.
"And when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, seize them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every point of ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakāt, then release them — for Allāh is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Tawbah 9:5)
Translation: When the four sacred months have elapsed, kill the idolaters wherever you encounter them, take them captive, besiege them, and station yourselves in wait at every pass and ambush point. However, if they repent — turning away from idolatry — and establish the prayer (ṣalāt) and pay the alms (zakāt), then let them go free. Truly, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Commentary: Insalakha means "to pass and be completed," like the skin being shed — the sacred months will have entirely elapsed. al-Ashhur al-Ḥurum here refers to the four months of respite decreed in the preceding verses, not the four permanently sacred months (Muḥarram, Rajab, Dhū l-Qaʿda, and Dhū l-Ḥijja), though the term overlaps. Marṣad means a place of ambush or a strategic observation point on roads and passes. The four commands — kill, seize, besiege, ambush — together constitute an exhaustive military strategy of total pressure, to prevent the treaty-breakers from reconsolidating. Crucially, however, the door of redemption remains fully open: sincere repentance, establishment of prayer, and payment of zakāt are the markers of genuine entry into Islam. If these three are manifest, hostilities must cease entirely and the former enemy goes free. Allāh's closing attribute of Ghafūr (All-Forgiving) and Raḥīm (Most Merciful) signals that the purpose of this severe command is not extermination but compulsion toward the truth, and that divine mercy remains available to those who turn.
(The author provides a historical note: This verse was revealed in the ninth year of the Hijra. That year, Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allāh be pleased with him) led the pilgrims as commander of the ḥajj caravan. The proclamation was conveyed at the Jamrat al-ʿAqaba by Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allāh be pleased with him) on behalf of the Prophetﷺ. The following year it was announced that no polytheist would be permitted to perform the ḥajj, and no one would be allowed to circumambulate the Kaʿba in a state of undress, as had been the pagan custom. When the unbelievers heard this, some of them said: "You yourselves have cancelled the treaty — you have given it back to us. The final decision is now upon you." Yet it was in truth the unbelievers themselves who had broken the covenant — they had schemed against the Muslims and aided their enemies. Allah therefore gave the Muslims permission to wage war against these covenant-breakers.)
Verse 6
وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Wa-in aḥadun mina l-mushrikīna stadjārak fa-ajirhu ḥattā yasmaʿa kalāma llāhi thumma ablighhū maʾmanah dhālika bi-annahum qawmun lā yaʿlamūn.
"And if any one of the idolaters seeks your protection, grant him protection so that he may hear the word of Allāh; then convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know." (al-Tawbah 9:6)
Translation: If any individual polytheist seeks refuge and sanctuary from you, grant him protection — so that he may listen to the word of Allāh and understand the message of Islam. Then escort him safely to a place of security. The reason for this provision is that they are a people who do not know the truth of Islam.
Commentary: This verse is one of the most striking affirmations of the principle of individual safe-conduct (amān) in the entire Qurʾān. Even in the midst of a declaration of war against the polytheists, the door of individual inquiry and safe passage remains open. Istajāra means to seek refuge and protection. Ajirhu — "grant him sanctuary" — is a firm command. The purpose is that he may hear kalām Allāh (the speech of Allāh, the Qurʾān) and come to understand Islam. After his inquiry, he must be conveyed safely to his destination — maʾman means a place of safety and security — regardless of whether he has accepted Islam or not. The clause "they are a people who do not know" — lā yaʿlamūn — is a note of compassion, not contempt: their hostility stems from ignorance of the truth, and the antidote to ignorance is the hearing of divine speech.
Verse 7
كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ رَسُولِهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَمَا اسْتَقَامُوا لَكُمْ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Kayfa yakūnu li-l-mushrikīna ʿahdun ʿinda llāhi wa-ʿinda rasūlihī illā lladhīna ʿāhattum ʿinda l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi fa-mā staqāmū lakum fa-staqīmū lahum inna llāha yuḥibbu l-muttaqīn.
"How can there be a treaty for the idolaters in the sight of Allāh and His Messenger — except for those with whom you made a treaty near the Sacred Mosque? As long as they remain upright toward you, be upright toward them. Truly, Allāh loves the God-fearing." (al-Tawbah 9:7)
Translation: How can there be a binding covenant, honoured by Allāh and His Messenger, for those idolaters who have habitually violated their agreements — except for those who made a treaty with the Muslims at the Sacred Mosque and remained true to it? For these, as long as they fulfil their obligations toward you, you too must fulfil yours toward them. Allāh loves the God-fearing.
Commentary: The verse opens with a rhetorical question of censure: Kayfa yakūn — "How can it be?" — expressing moral incredulity at the idea that serial covenant-breakers could retain any claim to treaty rights before Allāh. The general rule is thus established: treaty rights hold only for those who observe them. The exception — those who made their covenant at the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) and remained faithful — is honoured. The conditional clause fa-mā staqāmū lakum fa-staqīmū lahum — "as long as they are straight with you, be straight with them" — makes reciprocity the governing principle: faithfulness commands faithfulness, and betrayal nullifies obligation.
Verse 8
كَيْفَ وَإِن يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ لَا يَرْقُبُوا فِيكُمْ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً يُرْضُونَكُم بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتَأْبَىٰ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
Kayfa wa-in yaẓharū ʿalaykum lā yarqubū fīkum illan wa-lā dhimmatan yurḍūnakum bi-afwāhihim wa-taʾbā qulūbuhum wa-akharuhum fāsiqūn.
"How can it be — when if they were to overcome you, they would observe toward you neither bond of kinship nor covenant? They satisfy you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse; and most of them are transgressors." (al-Tawbah 9:8)
Translation: How could one honour a treaty with those who — were they to prevail over you — would observe no bond of kinship (ill) and no covenant of protection (dhimma)? They appease you with flattering words, yet their hearts are full of hatred and deceit. The majority of them are inveterate transgressors.
Commentary: Ill denotes a bond of blood kinship, a close tie or alliance; dhimma denotes a covenant of protection and obligation, the bond of a solemn commitment. The verse thus says that if these people were to gain the upper hand, they would respect neither blood ties nor covenants — they would have no scruples. Yurḍūnakum bi-afwāhihim — "they placate you with their mouths" — describes hypocritical diplomacy: honeyed words with hearts full of enmity. The author notes that their hearts (qulūb) are the seat of all this concealed enmity — their outer speech and inner conviction are in total contradiction. Fāsiqūn (transgressors) — those who have egressed from the bounds of moral obligation.
Verse 9
اشْتَرَوْا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَصَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Ishtaraw bi-āyāti llāhi thamanan qalīlan fa-ṣaddū ʿan sabīlihī innahum sāʾa mā kānū yaʿmalūn.
"They have sold the signs of Allāh for a trifling price and have turned others away from His path. Evil indeed is what they used to do." (al-Tawbah 9:9)
Translation: These people bartered away the revelations of Allāh for a paltry worldly price, and they blocked others from the path of Allāh. How wretched was what they used to do!
Commentary: Ishtaraw — "they purchased" or "they bartered" — indicates an exchange: they gave up their adherence to divine signs and revelation in return for trivial worldly gain. Thamanan qalīlan — "a small price" — means the fleeting advantages and petty interests of this world. Ṣaddū ʿan sabīlih — they actively impeded and turned others away from the path of Allāh — this was a double sin: personal rejection and communal obstruction.
Verse 10
لَا يَرْقُبُونَ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُعْتَدُونَ
Lā yarqubūna fī muʾminin illan wa-lā dhimmatan wa-ulāʾika humu l-muʿtadūn.
"They observe toward a believer neither bond of kinship nor covenant; those are the transgressors." (al-Tawbah 9:10)
Translation: These people, when dealing with a believer, respect neither kinship bonds nor covenants of obligation. They are the true transgressors who exceed all bounds.
Commentary: The verse repeats the earlier charge (ill and dhimma) but now applies it specifically to their conduct toward believers — marking this as a perpetual and characterological failing. al-Muʿtadūn — those who transgress — is the most emphatic form of denunciation, for iʿtidāʾ (transgression) means exceeding all moral and legal limits. This verse confirms that the enmity of these people toward the believers is not situational but constitutive.
Verse 11
فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَنُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
Fa-in tābū wa-aqāmū ṣ-ṣalāta wa-ātaw z-zakāta fa-ikhwānukum fī d-dīni wa-nufaṣṣilu l-āyāti li-qawmin yaʿlamūn.
"But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakāt, they are your brothers in faith. We set out the signs in detail for a people who know." (al-Tawbah 9:11)
Translation: Yet if they repent from idolatry, establish the prayer, and pay the alms-tax, they become your brothers in religion. We expound the signs in detail for a people endowed with knowledge.
Commentary: This verse announces the complete transformation that genuine conversion effects: former enemies and treaty-breakers, once they accept Islam in both word and deed — symbolised by the two communal obligations of prayer (ṣalāt) and alms (zakāt) — become full brothers in religion (ikhwānukum fī d-dīn). Ikhwān (brothers) is the strongest bond of fraternity in Islamic social teaching. The author notes that the Qurʾān here makes ṣalāt and zakāt the external markers that verify sincere faith — understanding follows knowledge, and knowledge follows the exposition of clear signs.
Verse 12
وَإِن نَّكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لَا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنتَهُونَ
Wa-in nakathū aymānahum min baʿdi ʿahdihim wa-ṭaʿanū fī dīnikum fa-qātilū aʾimmata l-kufri innahum lā aymāna lahum laʿallahum yantahūn.
"And if they break their oaths after their covenant and attack your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief — for their oaths mean nothing — so that they may desist." (al-Tawbah 9:12)
Translation: But if they break their sworn oaths after concluding their covenant, and mount attacks and slanders against your religion, then fight the ringleaders and chiefs of unbelief — for truly they are people whose oaths have no worth. Fight them, so that perhaps they may desist and be restrained.
Commentary: Nakathū — "they broke" — from nakth, to unravel and snap a twisted rope; a graphic image of covenant-breaking. Ṭaʿanū fī dīnikum — "they attacked your religion with defamation and polemical slanders." Aʾimmat al-kufr — "the leaders and chiefs of disbelief" — those who not only disbelieve themselves but organise, incite, and direct others in active hostility against Islam. Fighting these leaders is prescribed because without their incitement, the rank and file would not persist in aggression. The purpose stated — laʿallahum yantahūn ("that they may desist") — shows that even this military response is remedial and deterrent in intent, not punitive extermination. The author notes here: examine these verses carefully — they make clear that the hostility began not from the Muslim side but from the hypocrites and the idolaters who connived with them. The oppressed Muslims were given divine sanction to defend themselves.
Verse 13
أَلَا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَّكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّوا بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ وَهُم بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Alā tuqātilūna qawman nakathū aymānahum wa-hammū bi-ikhrāji r-rasūli wa-hum badaʾūkum awwala marratin a-takhshawnahum fa-llāhu aḥaqqu an takhshawhu in kuntum muʾminīn.
"Will you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, planned to expel the Messenger, and were the first to begin hostilities against you? Do you fear them? Allāh is more deserving of your fear — if you are truly believers." (al-Tawbah 9:13)
Translation: Will you not fight those people who broke their sworn oaths, who plotted to expel the Messengerﷺ, and who were the first aggressors? Do you fear them? Allāh is far more worthy of your fear — if you are true believers.
Commentary: This verse is a powerful divine encouragement and rebuke to any believer who hesitates. Three acts of the enemy are enumerated as justification for war: breaking oaths (nakathū aymānahum), plotting the expulsion of the Prophetﷺ(hammū bi-ikhrāj al-rasūl), and initiating hostilities (bada'ūkum awwala marratin — they struck first). A-takhshawnahum — "do you fear them?" — is a reproach: why fear human enemies? The divine principle is stated: Allāhu aḥaqqu an takhshawhu — "Allāh is more worthy of being feared." True faith (īmān) means that the fear of Allāh supersedes and overrides all other fears. A believer who trembles before human power while forgetting divine power has inverted the hierarchy of his loyalties.
Verses 14–15
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Qātilūhum yuʿadhdhibhumu llāhu bi-aydīkum wa-yukhzihim wa-yanṣurkum ʿalayhim wa-yashfi ṣudūra qawmin muʾminīn.
"Fight them — Allāh will punish them through your hands, disgrace them, grant you victory over them, and heal the breasts of a believing people." (al-Tawbah 9:14)
وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Wa-yadhhab ghayẓa qulūbihim wa-yatūbu llāhu ʿalā man yashāʾu wa-llāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm.
"And remove the rage from their hearts. And Allāh turns in mercy to whom He wills; Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:15)
Translation: Fight them — Allāh will punish them through your hands, disgrace them, grant you victory over them, heal the wounds in the hearts of the believing people, and remove the burning grief (ghayẓ) from their breasts. Allāh turns in repentance toward whom He wills, and Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Commentary: The divine promise here is fivefold: punishment of the enemy through the hands of the believers (yuʿadhdhibhum bi-aydīkum), disgrace (yukhzīhim), victory (yanṣurkum), healing of believers' grief (yashfi ṣudūr qawmin muʾminīn), and removal of their burning indignation (yadhhab ghayẓ qulūbihim). This last is particularly eloquent: the believers who had suffered the aggressions, humiliations, and mockeries of the Quraysh and their allies carried a burning grief and rage in their hearts. Divine justice through combat would be the balm that healed it. The verse then closes with a note of mercy: wa-yatūbu llāhu ʿalā man yashāʾ — some of those fought against will repent and be accepted by Allāh. This is in keeping with the overall purpose of all such verses: not annihilation but the establishment of truth and the opening of the way to guidance.
Verse 16
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تُتْرَكُوا وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنكُمْ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَا رَسُولِهِ وَلَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلِيجَةً وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
Am ḥasibtum an tutrakkū wa-lammā yaʿlami llāhu lladhīna jāhadū minkum wa-lam yattakhidhū min dūni llāhi wa-lā rasūlihī wa-lā l-muʾminīna walījatan wa-llāhu khabīrun bi-mā taʿmalūn.
"Do you think you will be left alone while Allāh has not yet made evident those among you who have striven hard and have not taken any intimate ally apart from Allāh, His Messenger, and the believers? Allāh is well acquainted with what you do." (al-Tawbah 9:16)
Translation: Do you suppose you will be left unmolested without Allāh making apparent — through trial and tribulation — who among you has truly striven in jihād and who has not taken any secret confidant (walīja) outside of Allāh, His Messenger, and the community of believers? Allāh is thoroughly acquainted with all that you do.
Commentary: Walīja means a secret inner confidant, a concealed intimate ally — someone kept hidden from the general community. The verse denies the believers the comfort of thinking they can avoid the test: Allāh's way (sunna) is that those who claim faith are subjected to the clarifying fire of jihād and hardship, which distinguishes the sincere (mukhlisīn) from the hypocrites (munāfiqūn). The prohibition of taking walīja outside of Allāh, His Messenger, and the believers is a prohibition of dual loyalties — of maintaining secret alliances with the enemies of Islam while outwardly professing Islamic solidarity.
(The author provides historical commentary here: Before the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyya, the Arab practice was to raid and loot during non-sacred months. After the treaty, the Quraysh violated its provisions and blocked the pilgrims. The treaty was supposed to last ten years, but the Quraysh broke it. They had two factions: one allied with the Prophetﷺand one with the unbelievers. The Quraysh consistently betrayed their agreements and sided with enemies of the Muslims, attacking and killing Muslim allies. The believers were therefore given divine permission to make war upon these treaty-breakers. Know, O reader, that these verses demonstrate that the aggression was initiated by the hypocrites and idolaters, not by the believers. The oppressed Muslims were aided by Allāh.)
(From these verses it is further evident: the trial of jihād is the true criterion that separates sincere faith from hypocrisy — it is the litmus test of loyalty, the criterion of sincerity versus dissimulation. For this reason Allāh the Most High declared: "You shall not be left alone — jihād will be imposed. Through jihād, the sincere Muslim and the pretender will be distinguished.")
Verse 17
مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ
Mā kāna li-l-mushrikīna an yaʿmurū masājida llāhi shāhidīna ʿalā anfusihim bi-l-kufri ulāʾika ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum wa-fī n-nāri hum khālidūn.
"It is not for the idolaters to maintain the mosques of Allāh while they are themselves witnesses to their own disbelief. For these people, their works are nullified and in the Fire they shall abide." (al-Tawbah 9:17)
Translation: The idolaters have no right to maintain or inhabit the mosques of Allāh, given that they testify against themselves through their own acts of unbelief. Their deeds are rendered void and worthless, and in the Fire they will remain forever.
Commentary: Yaʿmurū masājida llāh — "to maintain, populate, and serve the mosques of Allāh" — refers to the privilege of custodianship of the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām). The polytheists had claimed that their service to the Kaʿba gave them religious standing and prestige. This verse refutes that claim entirely: their custodianship is illegitimate, since they are simultaneously witnesses to their own disbelief through their acts of idolatry. Ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum — "their deeds are nullified" (ḥubūṭ): all apparent acts of service and charity are rendered void and futile because their root is disbelief. There are two modes of maintaining the mosque (ʿimāra): the outward material kind — construction, cleaning, lighting — and the true inward kind — sincere worship, remembrance, and submission to Allāh. The true custodians of Allāh's house are those who fill it with faith, prayer, and remembrance; material upkeep without faith is an empty shell.
Verse 18
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ
Innamā yaʿmuru masājida llāhi man āmana billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-aqāma ṣ-ṣalāta wa-ātā z-zakāta wa-lam yakhsha illā llāha fa-ʿasā ulāʾika an yakūnū mina l-muhtadīn.
"The mosques of Allāh are maintained only by those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakāt, and fear none but Allāh — those are the ones likely to be among the rightly guided." (al-Tawbah 9:18)
Translation: The true custodians of Allāh's mosques are those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day, establish the prayer, pay the alms, and fear no one save Allāh alone. Such people may well be counted among those rightly guided.
Commentary: Innamā — "only" — is a particle of exclusivity (qaṣr): it restricts legitimate mosque custodianship to believers. Four marks define the true caretaker: belief in Allāh (īmān), belief in the Last Day (yawm al-ākhir), establishment of prayer (iqāmat al-ṣalāt), payment of zakāt (ītāʾ al-zakāt), and — above all — fear of none except Allāh (lam yakhsha illā llāh). This last condition is the spiritual core: khashya (reverential awe) belongs to Allāh alone. The use of ʿasā — "it may be hoped that they are rightly guided" — is the Qurʾānic form of solemn attestation: from Allāh it carries the certainty of promise, for Allāh's hope is His word.
Verse 19
أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَوُونَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
A-jaʿaltum siqāyata l-ḥājji wa-ʿimārata l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi ka-man āmana billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-jāhada fī sabīli llāhi lā yastawūna ʿinda llāhi wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma ẓ-ẓālimīn.
"Do you equate the giving of water to pilgrims and the maintaining of the Sacred Mosque with one who believes in Allāh and the Last Day and strives in the path of Allāh? They are not equal in the sight of Allāh; and Allāh does not guide a wrongdoing people." (al-Tawbah 9:19)
Translation: Do you consider the task of providing water to pilgrims (siqāya al-ḥājj) and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque (ʿimārat al-masjid al-ḥarām) as equivalent to the rank of one who believes in Allāh and the Last Day and strives in His path? They are not equal before Allāh. And Allāh does not guide a people given to wrongdoing.
Commentary: This verse was revealed in response to a contention between some Companions about which was greater — the custodianship of the Kaʿba and the service of pilgrims (which had been the traditional prestige of the Quraysh) or faith and jihād. Siqāya was the watering and provision of pilgrims — a noble act of public service. ʿImāra was the maintenance and upkeep of the mosque. These were real services of religious and social value. Yet the verse makes clear: lā yastawūna ʿinda llāh — these acts, however valuable, cannot equal the merit of genuine īmān and jihād in the path of Allāh. The distinction is between ʿamal (deed) without ʿaqīda (correct belief) on one hand, and ʿamal grounded in authentic faith and sacrificial commitment on the other.
Verse 20
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ
Alladhīna āmanū wa-hājarū wa-jāhadū fī sabīli llāhi bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim aʿẓamu darajatan ʿinda llāhi wa-ulāʾika humu l-fāʾizūn.
"Those who believe, emigrate, and strive in the path of Allāh with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank before Allāh; and those — they are the triumphant." (al-Tawbah 9:20)
Translation: Those who have believed, emigrated (made hijra), and striven in the path of Allāh with their wealth and their lives — these are the ones of supreme rank before Allāh, and they are the truly successful and triumphant.
Commentary: Three acts constitute this superlative rank: āmanū (they believed — in the heart), hājarū (they emigrated — gave up home, family, and wealth for the sake of faith), and jāhadū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim (they strove with both wealth and lives — the two most precious human possessions). The combination of inner faith, external sacrifice of worldly ties, and active striving in the path of Allāh constitutes the highest form of human commitment. al-Fāʾizūn — the triumphant, the ones who have attained their goal (fawz): ultimate success in this world and the next.
Verse 21
يُبَشِّرُهُمْ رَبُّهُم بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَرِضْوَانٍ وَجَنَّاتٍ لَّهُمْ فِيهَا نَعِيمٌ مُّقِيمٌ
Yubashshiruhum rabbuhum bi-raḥmatin minhu wa-riḍwānin wa-jannātin lahum fīhā naʿīmun muqīm.
"Their Lord gives them glad tidings of mercy from Him and His good pleasure, and gardens wherein is an enduring bliss." (al-Tawbah 9:21)
Translation: Their Lord bestows upon them glad tidings of His mercy, His good pleasure (riḍwān), and gardens of Paradise in which they shall enjoy an everlasting felicity.
Commentary: The verb yubashshiruhum — "He gives them glad tidings" — with rabbuhum (their Lord) as the subject is of extraordinary intimacy: it is Allāh Himself who personally conveys these tidings to His striving servants. The three gifts mentioned are hierarchically arranged: raḥma (mercy — the removal of all trials and punishments), riḍwān (divine good pleasure — the supreme goal, the approval of the Beloved), and jannāt (the gardens of Paradise). Naʿīm muqīm — "an enduring, abiding felicity" — means a joy that neither diminishes nor ceases, in contrast to all worldly pleasures that are transient.
Verse 22
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Khālidīna fīhā abadan inna llāha ʿindahu ajrun ʿaẓīm.
"Abiding therein for ever. Truly, with Allāh is a tremendous reward." (al-Tawbah 9:22)
Translation: They will dwell therein eternally, without end. Verily, with Allāh is a magnificent and boundless reward.
Commentary: Khālidīna fīhā abadan — "abiding therein eternally": the word abadan places an emphatic seal of eternity upon the promise. There is no diminishment, no expiry, no departure from this bliss. The verse closes with an assertion that with Allāh is ajrun ʿaẓīm — a reward so great that it lies beyond human comprehension and enumeration, for Allāh is infinite in generosity.
Verse 23
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا آبَاءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَانَكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ إِنِ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْكُفْرَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū lā tattakhidhū ābāʾakum wa-ikhwānakum awliyāʾa ini staḥabbū l-kufra ʿalā l-īmāni wa-man yatawallahumm inkum fa-ulāʾika humu ẓ-ẓālimūn.
"O you who believe, do not take your fathers and brothers as allies if they prefer disbelief over faith. And whoever among you takes them as allies — those are the wrongdoers." (al-Tawbah 9:23)
Translation: O believers! Do not make your fathers and your brothers your intimate allies and confidants if they have chosen disbelief over faith and preferred the darkness of shirk to the light of Islam. Whoever among you makes them his close associates and loyalists — such people are the true wrongdoers (ẓālimūn).
Commentary: This verse addresses the most difficult test of faith: the severance of loyalties with one's own kinsmen in the cause of the divine truth. Awliyāʾ means intimate protectors, loyal allies, those whose interests you place above all others. The prohibition is not against loving one's parents and siblings as human beings; it is against making them one's primary source of loyalty and direction when they have actively chosen disbelief over faith. The grammatical condition — ini staḥabbū l-kufra ʿalā l-īmān — is key: this applies specifically when they prefer (istaḥabbū: have established a deep love and preference for) disbelief over faith. The author notes that those who show more loyalty to disbelieving family than to the divine command have wronged themselves (ẓulmuhum ʿalā anfusihim): they have placed the lesser above the greater, the finite above the eternal.
Verse 24
قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ
Qul in kāna ābāʾukum wa-abnāʾukum wa-ikhwānukum wa-azwājukum wa-ʿashīratukum wa-amwālun iqtaraftumūhā wa-tijāratun takhshawna kasādahā wa-masākinu tarḍawnahā aḥabba ilaykum mina llāhi wa-rasūlihī wa-jihādin fī sabīlihī fa-tarabbaṣū ḥattā yaʾtiya llāhu bi-amrihī wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīn.
"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce you fear will decline, and the homes you love — if these are dearer to you than Allāh and His Messenger and striving in His path, then wait until Allāh brings His command; and Allāh does not guide a people given to transgression." (al-Tawbah 9:24)
Translation: Say to them, O Prophetﷺ: If your fathers, sons, brothers, wives, your wider tribal family, the wealth you have earned, the trade whose decline you fear, and the homes in which you take pleasure — if all these are more beloved to you than Allāh, His Messenger, and jihād in His path, then wait in expectation until Allāh brings His judgment and decree. Allāh does not guide a people who are transgressors and disobedient.
Commentary: This verse enumerates eight objects of worldly attachment that may compete with the love of Allāh: parents (ābāʾ), sons (abnāʾ), brothers (ikhwān), spouses (azwāj), the wider clan (ʿashīra), accumulated wealth (amwāl), commerce (tijāra), and beloved homes (masākin). These are not trivial attachments; they represent the entire structure of a human being's worldly life, affections, and security. The verse does not condemn these ties in themselves — but if they are placed above the love of Allāh, His Messengerﷺ, and the path of jihād, then the verdict is: fa-tarabbaṣū — "wait and watch" — an ominous warning that divine command will arrive and override all such preferences. Lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīn — Allāh does not guide transgressive people to right conduct; only those who subordinate their loves and loyalties to the divine order receive divine guidance.
Verse 25
لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِينَ
Laqad naṣarakumu llāhu fī mawāṭina kathīratin wa-yawma Ḥunayni idh aʿjabatkum kathratukum fa-lam tughnī ʿankum shayʾan wa-ḍāqat ʿalaykumu l-arḍu bi-mā raḥubat thumma wallaytum mudbirīn.
"Allāh has given you victory on many fields, and on the day of Ḥunayn, when your great numbers pleased you but availed you nothing — and the earth, despite its expanse, became narrow for you — and you turned and fled." (al-Tawbah 9:25)
Translation: Allāh has aided you to victory on many occasions and battlefields. And on the day of Ḥunayn — when you were awed by your own great numbers, yet those numbers availed you nothing — the earth felt constricted before you despite its vast expanse, and you turned your backs and fled in rout.
Commentary: Mawāṭin (plural of mawṭin): positions, stations, battlefields — the many occasions of the Prophet'sﷺcampaigns in which Allāh granted victory. Yawm Ḥunayn: the Battle of Ḥunayn (8 AH), fought in the valley between Makkah and Ṭāʾif, between the Muslims and the confederacy of the Hawāzin and Thaqīf tribes. The Muslim force numbered around twelve thousand — an unprecedented size. Some Companions reportedly marvelled at the numbers, thinking no force could overcome them. But the enemy archers — Hawāzin marksmen — had positioned themselves in ambush on the mountain passes of the valley, and when they unleashed a shower of arrows, the Muslim ranks broke and the warriors fled. Ḍāqat ʿalaykumu l-arḍu bi-mā raḥubat — a magnificent expression: the earth, wide as it is, felt utterly constricted to them — they could find no refuge, no exit, no direction to turn. This is the Qurʾānic warning against self-congratulatory pride in numerical and material strength. The author comments: Let this be a lesson — place your trust in Allāh, not in your armies and equipment, though you must certainly prepare them. Do not be deceived by worldly power; true victory comes from Allāh alone.
Verse 26
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ
Thumma anzala llāhu sakīnatahu ʿalā rasūlihī wa-ʿalā l-muʾminīna wa-anzala junūdan lam tarawhā wa-ʿadhdhaba lladhīna kafarū wa-dhālika jazāʾu l-kāfirīn.
"Then Allāh sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts you did not see, and punished those who disbelieved — and such is the recompense of the disbelievers." (al-Tawbah 9:26)
Translation: Then Allāh descended His divine tranquillity (sakīna) upon His Messengerﷺand upon the believers, and dispatched invisible hosts — armies of angels unseen by human eyes — and afflicted those who disbelieved with punishment and rout. That is the recompense of the unbelievers.
Commentary: Sakīna — a sublime word: divine peace, stillness, and reassurance that Allāh deposits in the hearts of His chosen. At the most critical moment — when the Muslim army had broken and fled — the Prophetﷺstood firm on his white mule, Sayyidunā ʿAbbās (may Allāh be pleased with him) holding the bridle, calling the fighters back. The Prophetﷺcried out: "I am the Prophet — this is no lie! I am the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib!" The believing soldiers rallied back as children to their mother's call. Allāh sent His sakīna, sent invisible angelic armies (junūd lam tarawhā), and turned the tide. The disbelievers were scattered and defeated. The lesson: victory belongs to Allāh and comes through divine aid, not through human numbers.
Verse 27
ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Thumma yatūbu llāhu min baʿdi dhālika ʿalā man yashāʾu wa-llāhu ghafūrun raḥīm.
"Then Allāh turns in mercy to whom He wills after that; and Allāh is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Tawbah 9:27)
Translation: After all this, Allāh turns in mercy and acceptance toward whom He wills — turning toward them with His grace, accepting their repentance. Allāh is All-Forgiving and Most Merciful.
Commentary: Even after the Battle of Ḥunayn, with its military defeat of the Hawāzin and Thaqīf, the door of repentance and divine mercy remained wide open. Many of the defeated enemies of that day later embraced Islam and became among its stalwart defenders. Ghafūr — the One who repeatedly covers and forgives; Raḥīm — the One whose mercy is perpetual and pervasive. These two divine names together form one of the most repeated couplets in the Qurʾān, and they appear here as a seal of hope.
Verse 28
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً فَسَوْفَ يُغْنِيكُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِن شَاءَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū innamā l-mushrikūna najasun fa-lā yaqrabū l-masjida l-ḥarāma baʿda ʿāmihim hādhā wa-in khiftum ʿaylatan fa-sawfa yughnīkumu llāhu min faḍlihī in shāʾa inna llāha ʿalīmun ḥakīm.
"O you who believe, the idolaters are indeed impure — so let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs. And if you fear poverty, Allāh will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Surely Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:28)
Translation: O believers! The idolaters are spiritually and ritually impure — they are najas — so after this year they must not be allowed to come near the Sacred Mosque. If you fear that their exclusion will bring economic hardship — since they had been part of the pilgrimage trade — Allāh will enrich you from His own bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allāh is All-Knowing and All-Wise.
Commentary: Najas — impurity. The scholars differ on whether this refers to physical (ḥissī) or spiritual/ideological (maʿnawī) impurity. The majority position of the Ḥanafī school holds it to be the impurity of conviction and spiritual state (najāsat iʿtiqādiyya) rather than physical filth, since the verse itself addresses their belief — they are people of shirk (associating partners with Allāh). According to Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamāʿa, the Shīʿa claim that this verse declares even the physical bodies of non-Muslims to be impure (and hence their food unlawful) — but this is an incorrect position. The Ahl al-Sunna position is that the impurity here is of conviction, not of bodily substance. Non-Muslims who remain faithful Muslims in their social obligations are not treated as physically impure, as their food is generally lawful for Muslims to consume. ʿAylatan (poverty, economic hardship): the Quraysh feared that banning the pagans from the ḥajj would ruin the Makkān economy, which depended heavily on pilgrimage commerce. Allāh's response: He will enrich (yughnī) from His own bounty those who obey His command — trust in Allāh's provision (tawakkul) is the answer to all such anxieties.
(The author reflects: There is a revealing irony in how later powers treated jizya. Colonising powers in India called it "war fund" and taxed Hindus under the name warfand, collecting it from all Indians including Muslims. The original Islamic jizya was a specific arrangement for the protection of non-Muslim citizens. The great principle was: whoever is under the protection of the Islamic state pays jizya; and in exchange, the Islamic state guarantees their security. Indeed, the liberties that Islam originally preserved — freedom, jizya, marriage, divorce — are the very things that modern power structures have perverted and misrepresented. Yet Allāh has now forbidden the imposition of jizya in the old form.)
(The author continues his commentary on the ruling of ritual impurity and mosque access, noting: The Ahl al-Sunna hold that the person of a non-Muslim — as long as they are outwardly neutral — is not treated as physically impure. It is their spiritual state and convictions that constitute the impurity. This is why the meat of the People of the Book is generally permissible for Muslims according to all four schools. The broader spiritual lesson is that the mosque (masjid) is the house of Allāh and must be protected from acts and persons that conflict with its sacred purpose. Non-Muslims may enter the Sacred Mosque in Makkah only with specific scholarly debate and conditions, whereas non-sacred mosques in general may be entered under certain conditions. The underlying principle is the sanctity of the place of divine worship.)
Verse 29
قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ
Qātilū lladhīna lā yuʾminūna billāhi wa-lā bi-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-lā yuḥarrimūna mā ḥarrama llāhu wa-rasūluhū wa-lā yadīnūna dīna l-ḥaqqi mina lladhīna ūtū l-kitāba ḥattā yuʿṭū l-jizyata ʿan yadin wa-hum ṣāghirūn.
"Fight those of the People of the Book who do not believe in Allāh and the Last Day, do not forbid what Allāh and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth — until they pay the jizya from their hand, being in a state of subjection." (al-Tawbah 9:29)
Translation: Make war against those among the People of the Book who do not truly believe in Allāh and the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allāh and His Messengerﷺhave declared forbidden, and who do not embrace the religion of truth (dīn al-ḥaqq, i.e. Islam) — fight them until they pay the jizya (jizyah: the poll-tax paid by protected non-Muslim subjects) with their own hand, in a state of submission and humility.
Commentary: The jizya (jizyat — the protection tax) is a financial payment by non-Muslim subjects (ahl al-dhimma) residing under Islamic governance, in lieu of military service, in exchange for the Islamic state's guarantee of their security, property, and freedom of worship. The author notes — as he had expounded earlier — that jizya is not a punishment or humiliation imposed in vindictiveness, but a regulated arrangement with a long tradition. The phrase ʿan yad (from the hand) means: directly, personally, without intermediary — a condition of sincerity in payment. Wa-hum ṣāghirūn (while they are in submission) refers to their subordinate legal status within the Islamic state, not personal degradation. The author draws an instructive parallel: the colonial "war fund" (warfand) collected from all Indians — including Muslims — was in practice a universal tax without the protections that the Islamic jizya carried. The Islamic system protected the life, property, and religious freedom of dhimmīs; if that protection could not be provided, the jizya was refunded, as the great Companion Sayyidunā Abū ʿUbayda ibn al-Jarrāḥ (may Allāh be pleased with him) did when the Muslim armies had to withdraw temporarily and could no longer guarantee protection. Even today in Hyderabad at the time of the author's writing, remnants of the arrangement are visible, though the pure Islamic principle has been obscured.
(The author continues with detailed notes on jizya and ḥimāya (protection), noting the corruptions introduced by later administrations, and contrasting them with the just Islamic system. He observes: jizya by any other name is being collected from Indians, but the Islamic protections that originally accompanied it have been stripped away. The reforms of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz brought the extra taxes back to Islamic norms. Allāh's providence: the three matters on which Islamic rulings were once imposed — freedom, jizya, intermarriage, and divorce — are precisely those that have become the most contested under modern power. Yet Allāh has now reversed the situation for Muslims.)
Verse 30
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَبْلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
Wa-qālati l-yahūdu ʿUzayrun ibnu llāhi wa-qālati n-naṣārā l-Masīḥu ibnu llāhi dhālika qawluhum bi-afwāhihim yuḍāhiʾūna qawla lladhīna kafarū min qablu qātalahumu llāhu annā yuʾfakūn.
"The Jews say: ʿUzayr is the son of Allāh. And the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allāh. These are words from their mouths, imitating the sayings of those who disbelieved before them. May Allāh fight them — how deluded they are!" (al-Tawbah 9:30)
Translation: The Jews claim that ʿUzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allāh, and the Christians claim that the Messiah (Jesus) is the son of Allāh. These are merely utterances of their mouths — baseless, unsubstantiated words — which echo the false doctrines of the earlier pagans who used to attribute children and partners to Allāh. May Allāh confound them! How far they have strayed from the truth!
Commentary: Ufika / yuʾfakūn: to be turned away from the truth, to be inverted and perverted from the correct direction — deluded from the truth. The Qurʾān identifies the Jewish claim that ʿUzayr (Ezra, upon him be peace) is the son of Allāh, and the Christian claim regarding the Messiah ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), as baseless verbal utterances (qawl bi-l-afwāh) that have no foundation in reason or revelation. Yuḍāhiʾūna — they imitate and resemble — the statements of earlier polytheists who deified angels or attributed children to the divine. The expression qātalahumu llāh — "Allāh fight them!" — is an Arabic expression of severe censure, not a literal call to combat; it expresses indignation at their audacious falsehood. The author notes: the word al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl (the Anti-Christ) contains the root dajl (deceit) — which becomes starkly relevant when one considers the falseness of such theological claims.
Verse 31
اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Ittakhadhū aḥbārahum wa-ruhbānahum arbāban min dūni llāhi wa-l-Masīḥa ibna Maryama wa-mā umirū illā li-yaʿbudū ilāhan wāḥidan lā ilāha illā huwa subḥānahū ʿammā yushrikūn.
"They have taken their scholars and monks as lords apart from Allāh, and also the Messiah son of Mary — though they were commanded only to worship one God; there is no god but He. Glory be to Him above all they associate with Him." (al-Tawbah 9:31)
Translation: The People of the Book made their religious scholars (aḥbār, the learned rabbis) and their monks (ruhbān) into lords (arbāb, masters and deities) alongside Allāh, and similarly deified the Messiah son of Mary (upon him be peace). Yet they were commanded only to worship one Allāh — there is no deity worthy of worship but He. Glory be to Him, transcendent above all they associate with Him!
Commentary: The deification of religious leadership is the subject of a famous ḥadīth: when Sayyidunā ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim (may Allāh be pleased with him) — a former Christian — asked the Prophetﷺabout this verse, the Prophetﷺreplied: they did not literally prostrate before their rabbis and monks, but when those scholars declared something lawful, they treated it as lawful; and when they declared something unlawful, they treated it as unlawful — and this is the form of ʿibāda (worship) by obedience that the verse condemns. The rabbaniyya (divine lordship) of rabbis and priests consists in their arrogating to themselves the power of legislation (tashrīʿ) — making lawful and unlawful according to their own desires — which is the exclusive prerogative of Allāh. Subḥānahu ʿammā yushrikūn — "Glory be to Him above all they associate": subḥān is a verbal noun (maṣdar) from sabbaḥa, and it carries the sense of "I declare Allāh utterly pure, transcendent, and free from every association or deficiency." The verse ends by reaffirming the absolute unity of the divine being.
Verse 32
يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ
Yurīdūna an yuṭfiʾū nūra llāhi bi-afwāhihim wa-yaʾbā llāhu illā an yutimma nūrahū wa-law kariha l-kāfirūn.
"They want to extinguish the light of Allāh with their mouths, but Allāh refuses except to perfect His light, even if the disbelievers dislike it." (al-Tawbah 9:32)
Translation: They desire to extinguish the light of Allāh — the light of Islam — with their mere mouths and words. But Allāh refuses to allow this; He insists on perfecting and completing His light, even if the unbelievers hate it.
Commentary: What a magnificent and defiant image: the enemies of Islam try to blow out the sun with their breath. Yuṭfiʾū — to extinguish, as one extinguishes a lamp. But the light of Allāh is not a lamp that can be snuffed; it is absolute divine light — the nūr al-Qurʾān, the light of faith and truth. Yaʾbā llāhu — "Allāh refuses" — is a forceful negation. Illā an yutimma nūrah — "except to complete and perfect His light" — meaning the divine purpose will not be frustrated; the light of Islam shall prevail to its fullness. The verse is a guarantee of Islam's ultimate triumph, and a comfort to the believers who may be discouraged by the relentless campaigns against Islam.
Verse 33
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
Huwa lladhī arsala rasūlahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīni l-ḥaqqi li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā d-dīni kullihī wa-law kariha l-mushrikūn.
"He is the One who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over every other religion — even if the idolaters dislike it." (al-Tawbah 9:33)
Translation: It is He — Allāh — who sent His Messengerﷺwith guidance and the religion of truth, so that He might make it dominant and supreme over all other religions and systems — even if the polytheists detest it.
Commentary: Bi-l-hudā — "with the guidance" — the Qurʾān, the light and direction that leads humanity aright. Wa-dīni l-ḥaqq — "and the religion of truth" — Islam is the dīn al-ḥaqq, the true and complete religion. Li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā d-dīni kullih — "to make it prevail over every religion": iẓhār means to manifest, to cause to triumph and be uppermost. The scholars note that this will be fully realised in the age of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) at his second coming, when all remaining systems will come under the light of Islam. Wa-law kariha l-mushrikūn — "even though the polytheists hate it": the fulfilment of this divine promise is independent of human opposition. The more they oppose, the more Allāh advances His light.
Verse 34
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū inna kathīran mina l-aḥbāri wa-r-ruhbāni la-yaʾkulūna amwāla n-nāsi bi-l-bāṭili wa-yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīli llāhi wa-lladhīna yaknizūna dh-dhahaba wa-l-fiḍḍata wa-lā yunfiqūnahā fī sabīli llāhi fa-bashshirhum bi-ʿadhābin alīm.
"O believers, many of the rabbis and monks devour the wealth of the people wrongfully and turn them from the path of Allāh. And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend them in the way of Allāh — give them tidings of a painful punishment." (al-Tawbah 9:34)
Translation: O believers! Many of the religious scholars (aḥbār) and monks (ruhbān) consume people's wealth by unlawful means and actively obstruct them from the path of Allāh. As for those who hoard gold and silver and refuse to spend it in the path of Allāh — give them the tidings of a grievous punishment.
Commentary: Yaʾkulūna amwāla n-nāsi bi-l-bāṭil — "they devour people's wealth by false means": this refers to taking religious fees, bribes, and gifts by exploiting their status as religious authorities. Yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīli llāh — they obstruct others from the path of Allāh through their distortions and misuse of authority. The author quotes an evocative Arabic poem on the subject of wealth and social standing:
Laqad ra'aytu n-nāsa yusfirūna ilā man ʿindahu māl
I have seen that the people hasten toward one who possesses wealth.
Wa-man lā ʿindahu mālun fa-ʿanhu n-nāsu qad mālu
And from one who has no wealth, the people have turned away.
Ra'aytu n-nāsa qad ṣafū ilā man ʿindahu dhahab
I saw all people flock to the one who has gold.
Wa-man lā ʿindahu dhahabun — ʿanhu n-nāsu qad dhahabū
From one without gold — the people themselves have gone.
Wa-ra'aytu n-nāsa munfaḍḍatan ilā man ʿindahu fiḍḍa
And I saw the people rushing toward the one with silver.
Wa-man lā ʿindahu fiḍḍatun — fa-ʿanhu n-nāsu munfaḍḍa
From the one with no silver — the people have scattered away.
The verse closes with a stern warning for those who hoard gold and silver without spending in the path of Allāh: give them tidings of a painful punishment — again the ironic use of bashshirhum ("give glad tidings"), as though their punishment were an achievement.
Verse 35
يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ
Yawma yuḥmā ʿalayhā fī nāri jahannama fa-tukwā bihā jibāhuhum wa-junūbuhum wa-ẓuhūruhum hādhā mā kanaztum li-anfusikum fa-dhūqū mā kuntum taknizūn.
"On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of Hell and their foreheads, sides, and backs shall be branded with it — this is what you hoarded for yourselves; so taste what you used to hoard." (al-Tawbah 9:35)
Translation: On that Day — the Day of Judgment — the gold and silver they hoarded will be heated to a blazing intensity in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, flanks, and backs will be seared with it. And it will be said: "This is what you stored up for yourselves! Taste now what you used to hoard!"
Commentary: The imagery here is of perfect poetic justice: the very gold and silver that the misers clung to and refused to spend in the path of Allāh will become the instrument of their torture. The three body-parts singled out — jibāh (foreheads), junūb (sides/ribs), and ẓuhūr (backs) — represent the major surfaces of the body. The brand (kayy) on the forehead represents the arrogance with which they displayed their wealth; the brand on the side, their complacent lounging; the brand on the back, their turning away from the poor who came seeking help. The declaration hādhā mā kanaztum — "this is what you hoarded" — is the divine verdict pronounced directly to the condemned. Fa-dhūqū — "so taste!" — is a command that carries the full weight of divine irony.
Verse 36
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ
Inna ʿiddata sh-shuhūri ʿinda llāhi thnā ʿashara shahran fī kitābi llāhi yawma khalaqa s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa minhā arbaʿatun ḥurum dhālika d-dīnu l-qayyimu fa-lā taẓlimū fīhinna anfusakum.
"Indeed, the number of months with Allāh is twelve months in the decree of Allāh, from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the upright religion. Do not wrong yourselves during them." (al-Tawbah 9:36)
Translation: Verily, the count of months in the sight of Allāh is twelve months — thus it was inscribed in the divine decree from the very day Allāh created the heavens and the earth — of which four are sacred months. That is the upright, enduring religion. Do not commit injustice against your own souls during these months.
Commentary: The twelve months of the lunar calendar are established by divine decree from the beginning of creation — they are not a human invention. Of these twelve, four are sacred (ḥurum): Rajab (the seventh), Dhū l-Qaʿda (the eleventh), Dhū l-Ḥijja (the twelfth), and Muḥarram (the first). In the era of the Arabs before Islam, warfare was universally suspended during these months — they formed a time of pilgrimage, trade, and communal truce. Dhālika d-dīnu l-qayyim — "that is the upright, established religion" — meaning: the recognition of these sacred months and the rules governing them is part of the primordial, straight religion (dīn al-fitra) that has been upheld by prophets across the ages. Fa-lā taẓlimū fīhinna anfusakum — "do not wrong yourselves during them": commit no sins, especially no aggression or injustice, during these hallowed months.
(The author provides historical and applied commentary: Since the day of creation, Allāh has made these twelve months the measure of the year, with four sacred ones among them. The Arabs in the age of ignorance (jāhiliyya) would not conduct warfare during these months because they were times for commerce, pilgrimage, and pastoral activity — it was their season of earning. Now in general, the Islamic calendar is a twelve-month lunar year, with four sacred months. In other non-Muslim territories even today, the sanctity of these times is recognized in different forms. The wisdom of the sacred months — as a time for establishing peace, protecting travellers, and facilitating commerce — is that justice and security are foundational needs of human society. Those who used to exploit these months for manipulation and scheming are now warned: Allāh is watching.)
(The next phrase continues:)
وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Wa-qātilū l-mushrikīna kāffatan kamā yuqātilūnakum kāffatan wa-ʿlamū anna llāha maʿa l-muttaqīn.
"And fight the idolaters all together, just as they fight you all together; and know that Allāh is with the God-fearing." (al-Tawbah 9:36 continued)
Translation: Fight the polytheists collectively and in total concert — just as they collectively fight you — and know that Allāh is with those who maintain taqwā (God-consciousness and piety).
Commentary: Kāffatan means collectively, all together, without fragmentation. The principle of collective and coordinated response to collective aggression: when the enemy attacks as a unified force, the response must equally be unified and comprehensive. Inna llāha maʿa l-muttaqīn — Allāh's support is with those who have taqwā in their hearts; divine assistance follows the internal quality of those who seek it. The author notes: examine this verse carefully — it is the idolaters who fight the Muslims collectively; the Muslims are commanded to respond in kind. The initiative of aggression lay with the enemy. The author then draws a lesson for his era: when all the polytheist powers combined in unified assault against the Muslims, the Muslims too were given the command to respond with unity. Yet how often have Muslims lost battles because of internal fragmentation? The command to fight kāffatan — all together — is also a command for Muslim unity.
Verse 37
إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ
Innamā n-nasīʾu ziyādatun fī l-kufri yuḍallu bihī lladhīna kafarū yuḥillūnahū ʿāman wa-yuḥarrimūnahū ʿāman li-yuwāṭiʾū ʿiddata mā ḥarrama llāhu fa-yuḥillū mā ḥarrama llāhu zuyyina lahum sūʾu aʿmālihim wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-kāfirīn.
"The postponement (nasīʾ) is only an addition in disbelief — by it those who disbelieve are led astray. They make it permissible one year and forbidden another, so as to match the number of what Allāh has declared sacred, thus making lawful what Allāh has forbidden. Their evil deeds are made to appear fair to them; and Allāh does not guide a disbelieving people." (al-Tawbah 9:37)
Translation: The practice of nasīʾ (intercalation — the arbitrary postponement or transposition of the sacred months to suit convenience) is nothing but an increase in disbelief. It is a device by which disbelievers are led further astray. They declare a given month permissible one year and then forbidden the next, so as to maintain the numerical count of the four sacred months while in practice rendering them null and void — declaring lawful what Allāh has forbidden. Their evil deeds have been made to seem fair and justified to them, and Allāh does not guide a people who disbelieve.
Commentary: Nasīʾ was the pre-Islamic Arabian practice of intercalation — shifting the sacred months in the calendar to allow continued warfare or commerce when it suited them. By rotating the "sacred" designation among different months, they maintained an apparent count of four sacred months while emptying the institution of all practical meaning. Li-yuwāṭiʾū ʿiddata mā ḥarrama llāh — "to match the count of what Allāh forbade": the pretence of respect for the number while overriding the substance. This is identified as ziyāda fī l-kufr — an additional layer of disbelief — because it combines disbelief with deliberate manipulation of divine law. Zuyyina lahum sūʾu aʿmālihim — "their evil deeds were adorned for them": a chilling description of how the unregenerate heart rationalises its own corruption. The final phrase — Allāh does not guide a disbelieving people — establishes that divine guidance is contingent on sincerity; those who systematically distort and manipulate the divine order forfeit the light of guidance.
Verse 38
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ أَرَضِيتُم بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū mā lakum idhā qīla lakumu nfirū fī sabīli llāhi ththāqaltum ilā l-arḍi a-raḍītum bi-l-ḥayāti d-dunyā mina l-ākhirati fa-mā matāʿu l-ḥayāti d-dunyā fī l-ākhirati illā qalīl.
"O you who believe, what is the matter with you that when you are told: 'March forth in the path of Allāh,' you cling heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? The enjoyment of the life of this world in comparison to the Hereafter is but little." (al-Tawbah 9:38)
Translation: O believers! What has come over you — when you are called to march forth in the path of Allāh, you sink heavily toward the earth, burdened as though weighed down? Are you truly content with the life of this world in preference to the Hereafter? Know that all the provision and pleasure of this worldly life, when set beside the Hereafter, is utterly insignificant — a trifle.
Commentary: Ththāqaltum ilā l-arḍ — "you pressed down heavily toward the earth" — a vivid image of reluctance to respond to the call of jihād: like a heavy body that sinks rather than rises when called. Idhā qīla lakumu nfirū — "when you are told: march forth": this was revealed in the context of the Tabūk expedition (9 AH), when some Muslims showed reluctance to mobilise for the long and arduous campaign to confront the Byzantine forces. The rebuke is sharp and direct: a-raḍītum bi-l-ḥayāti d-dunyā — "are you satisfied with the lower, temporary life in preference to the enduring Hereafter?" The contrast then strikes like thunder: mā matāʿu l-ḥayāti d-dunyā fī l-ākhirati illā qalīl — "the provision of this world compared to the Hereafter is nothing but a trifle." This world is a few days; the Hereafter is eternal. A person who prefers a few coins to an eternal treasure has made the worst possible exchange.
Verse 39
إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْئًا وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Illā tanfirū yuʿadhdhibkum ʿadhāban alīman wa-yastabdil qawman ghayrakum wa-lā taḍurrūhu shayʾan wa-llāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.
"If you do not march forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and substitute another people in your place — and you will not harm Him in the least. Allāh has power over all things." (al-Tawbah 9:39)
Translation: If you do not march forth, Allāh will inflict upon you a grievous punishment and replace you with another people; and you will not harm Him in the slightest by your negligence. Allāh is over all things Fully Capable.
Commentary: The threat has two dimensions: personal punishment (ʿadhāb alīm — painful punishment, which some commentators understand as worldly humiliation and defeat) and collective replacement (yastabdil qawman ghayrakum). The latter is perhaps the more alarming: Allāh's mission does not depend on any particular people. If the believers fail their divine responsibility, Allāh is fully capable of raising another people who will fulfil it. Wa-lā taḍurrūhu shayʾan — "you will not harm Him in the least": human neglect of divine commands inflicts no damage on Allāh — it harms only the negligent themselves. Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — a reminder of absolute divine omnipotence.
Verse 40
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَىٰ وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Illā tanṣurūhu fa-qad naṣarahū llāhu idh akhrajahū lladhīna kafarū thāniya ithnaini idh humā fī l-ghāri idh yaqūlu li-ṣāḥibihī lā taḥzan inna llāha maʿanā fa-anzala llāhu sakīnatahu ʿalayhi wa-ayyadahu bi-junūdin lam tarawhā wa-jaʿala kalimata lladhīna kafarū s-suflā wa-kalimatu llāhi hiya l-ʿulyā wa-llāhu ʿazīzun ḥakīm.
"If you do not aid him — Allāh has already aided him, when those who disbelieved drove him out, second of two, when the two of them were in the cave — when he said to his companion: 'Do not grieve; truly Allāh is with us.' Then Allāh sent down His tranquillity upon him, and aided him with forces you could not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allāh — that is the highest. And Allāh is Almighty, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:40)
Translation: Even if you do not aid the Messengerﷺ— know that Allāh has already given him His aid in a moment of extreme isolation: when the disbelievers compelled him to leave his homeland, and he was the second of only two companions — when the two of them were sheltering in the cave of Thawr — when he said to his companion Abū Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him): "Do not grieve; Allāh is assuredly with us." Allāh then sent down His tranquillity (sakīna) upon him, reinforced him with invisible angelic forces, and made the word of the disbelievers utterly low while the Word of Allāh — that remains supreme and exalted. Allāh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
Commentary: This verse immortalises the most intimate and luminous moment of the Prophet'sﷺemigration (Hijra): the night in the Cave of Thawr, when the Prophetﷺand Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allāh be pleased with him) sheltered together in hiding while the Quraysh search party passed by. Thāniya ithnayn — "the second of two" — specifying that the Prophetﷺwas not alone: his sole companion was Sayyidunā Abū Bakr. Lā taḥzan — "do not grieve" — the Prophet'sﷺwords of assurance to Abū Bakr who was overcome with concern for the Prophetﷺ(not for himself). The response from the Prophetﷺaffirms the greatest truth: inna llāha maʿanā — "Allāh is with us." Here maʿiyya (divine accompaniment) is a special, intimate closeness. The author recalls: "I am the Prophet — no lie. I am the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib!" — the battle-cry of Ḥunayn where again the Prophetﷺstood firm alone before the rout. Kalimatu lladhīna kafarū — the word, scheme, and plan of the disbelievers: al-sufla — lowly, defeated, humiliated. Kalimatu llāh hiya l-ʿulyā — the word of Allāh is the highest: this is the celebrated kalima of tawḥīd (Lā ilāha illā llāh), which is the supreme and victorious declaration. ʿAzīzun Ḥakīm — All-Mighty, All-Wise: might without wisdom leads to tyranny; wisdom without might achieves nothing. Allāh unites both perfectly.
(Historical note by the author: It is narrated that in the reign of Heracles (Hiraql) the Byzantine Emperor, the Arab Christian tribes allied with Byzantium — including Judhām, ʿĀmilah, Khazrāj, Lakhm, Ghassān, and ʿĀqiba of Qibt — were assembled against the Muslims. The Prophetﷺhad already mobilised an army. But many hypocrites, though they had gathered their equipment and appeared ready, made excuses and stayed behind. When the expedition to Tabūk was completed and the Muslim army returned victorious, Allāh's triumph was confirmed. The author invites reflection: Allāh reminds the believers that He protected His Messengerﷺeven in the most vulnerable moment — second of two, alone in a cave with all of Arabia's forces searching for him. He who was protected then will always be protected. The lesson for every era: place your trust in Allāh, and prepare your means — but know that ultimate support comes from Him.)
Verse 41
انفِرُوا خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Nfirū khifāfan wa-thiqālan wa-jāhidū bi-amwālikum wa-anfusikum fī sabīli llāhi dhālikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn.
"March forth, light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the path of Allāh. That is better for you, if only you knew." (al-Tawbah 9:41)
Translation: March forth, whether lightly equipped or heavily burdened — in all conditions and circumstances — and strive with your wealth and your lives in the path of Allāh. That is far better for you, if only you possessed true knowledge and understanding.
Commentary: Khifāfan wa-thiqālan — "light and heavy": the scholars explain this as encompassing all conditions — whether young or old, fit or weak, wealthy or poor, at ease or encumbered. The command to march forth is universal and admits no excuse of circumstance. Bi-amwālikum wa-anfusikum — with wealth and lives: the two greatest possessions of a human being are not to be withheld when the path of Allāh calls. Dhālikum khayrun lakum — that is better for you: responding to the call of jihād is better for the soul in this world and the next. In kuntum taʿlamūn — "if you truly know" — a gentle goad: the person of genuine knowledge would need no persuasion, for he sees clearly that the Hereafter outweighs this world entirely.
Verse 42
لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِن بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
Law kāna ʿaraḍan qarīban wa-safaran qāṣidan lttabaʿūka wa-lākin baʿudat ʿalayhimu sh-shuqqatu wa-sayaḥlifūna billāhi law istaṭaʿnā la-kharajnā maʿakum yuhlikūna anfusahum wa-llāhu yaʿlamu innahum la-kādhibūn.
"Had it been a nearby gain and a short journey, they would have followed you; but the distance seemed too far to them. And they will swear by Allāh: 'Had we been able, we would have marched out with you.' They are destroying themselves, and Allāh knows they are indeed liars." (al-Tawbah 9:42)
Translation: Had the expedition promised easy and nearby booty and a short, moderate journey, they would certainly have followed you. But the hardship of the long march felt too burdensome to them. They will solemnly swear by Allāh: "Had we been capable, we would have gone with you." They are destroying their own souls by these lies, and Allāh knows with certainty that they are liars.
Commentary: This verse exposes the purely mercenary calculation of the hypocrites: they would gladly join an expedition with guaranteed nearby plunder and little effort — such is their nature. But the Tabūk expedition was long, arduous, in extreme summer heat, and with no guaranteed booty in sight. So they stayed behind. Then they resort to false oaths: wa-sayaḥlifūna billāh — "they will swear by Allāh" — the solemn divine name used to cloak their deception. Yuhlikūna anfusahum — they are destroying their own souls: by abandoning jihād, refusing divine obligation, and then compounding it with false oaths, they heap ruin upon themselves. Wa-llāhu yaʿlamu innahum la-kādhibūn — Allāh has full knowledge that they are liars: there is no divine name more relevant here than al-ʿAlīm (the All-Knowing), for it strips away all pretence.
Verse 43
عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ
ʿAfā llāhu ʿanka lima adhinta lahum ḥattā yatabayyana laka lladhīna ṣadaqū wa-taʿlama l-kādhibīn.
"May Allāh pardon you — why did you grant them leave before it became clear to you who were truthful and who were the liars?" (al-Tawbah 9:43)
Translation: Allāh grant you pardon — why did you permit them (the hypocrites who requested exemption) before it had become evident to you who were truly sincere and who were liars?
Commentary: This verse is addressed to the Prophetﷺwith the sublime, loving Qurʾānic literary device of muʿātaba (gentle divine reproach), beginning with ʿafā llāhu ʿanka — "Allāh has pardoned you" — which is actually a sign of the highest divine intimacy and affection. In Arabic literary convention and in prophetic adab, such an expression preceding a reproach softens it into an expression of love. The Prophetﷺ, out of his natural generosity and forbearance toward his people, granted exemptions too readily to certain young, apparently able-bodied Companions who sought permission to stay behind. The divine wisdom here: had he withheld permission, it would have become clear who would come forward with a true excuse and who would stay behind through deceit — and the distinction between the ṣādiqūn (sincere) and kādhibūn (liars) would have been manifest. The author notes: this verse also establishes a principle — in matters of collective duty (farḍ kifāya or farḍ ʿayn), the leader should examine claims of exemption carefully before granting leave, so that the sincere are honoured and the pretenders exposed.
Verse 44
لَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَن يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ
Lā yastaʾdhunuka lladhīna yuʾminūna billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri an yujāhidū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-l-muttaqīn.
"Those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day do not ask your permission to be excused from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allāh has full knowledge of the God-fearing." (al-Tawbah 9:44)
Translation: Those who truly believe in Allāh and the Last Day never come to seek your leave to abstain from striving with their wealth and lives in the path of Allāh. They are always ready — permission to exempt themselves is the furthest thing from their minds. Only obedience and sacrifice are their concern. Allāh has perfect knowledge of those who have taqwā.
Commentary: The verse draws a sharp contrast with v.43: the true believers never need to request exemption from jihād — their faith makes them eager, not reluctant. Seeking exemption from jihād is itself a sign of deficient faith. Allāhu ʿalīmun bi-l-muttaqīn — He knows who they are, who among His servants has the taqwā that makes them leap forward at His call. The author notes: the difference between the hypocrites and the believers is precisely this internal orientation — one group looks for reasons to stay, the other looks for reasons to go.
Verse 45
إِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ
Innamā yastaʾdhunuka lladhīna lā yuʾminūna billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-rtābat qulūbuhum fa-hum fī raybihim yataradddūn.
"Only those who do not believe in Allāh and the Last Day, and whose hearts are in doubt, ask your permission — and in their doubt they waver." (al-Tawbah 9:45)
Translation: It is only those who do not truly believe in Allāh and the Last Day who come seeking permission to stay behind — those whose hearts are infected with doubt. They vacillate and waver in their uncertainty.
Commentary: Innamā — exclusivity: only they seek such leave. Irtābat qulūbuhum — their hearts have become afflicted with rayb (doubt, suspicion, inner disturbance). Yataraddadūn — they shuttle back and forth, unable to commit: one moment appearing to incline toward action, the next retreating. This wavering is the mark of the hypocrite's soul — perpetually torn between the pull of worldly calculation and the residual call of the divine, never committed to either. Doubt is the disease; īmān (firm faith) is the cure.
Verse 46
وَلَوْ أَرَادُوا الْخُرُوجَ لَأَعَدُّوا لَهُ عُدَّةً وَلَٰكِن كَرِهَ اللَّهُ انبِعَاثَهُمْ فَثَبَّطَهُمْ وَقِيلَ اقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْقَاعِدِينَ
Wa-law arādū l-khurūja la-aʿaddū lahū ʿuddatan wa-lākin kariha llāhu nbiʿātahum fa-thabbbaṭahum wa-qīla qʿudū maʿa l-qāʿidīn.
"And if they had truly wished to march forth, they would have made some preparation for it; but Allāh was averse to their going, so He slowed them down and it was said: 'Sit with those who stay behind.'" (al-Tawbah 9:46)
Translation: Had these hypocrites truly intended to go forth to battle, they would have made their preparations — assembled their weapons and equipment. But Allāh was averse to their going — He did not want their corrupting presence in the Muslim army — and so He allowed them to be held back in their own hearts. And it was decreed: "Sit with those who remain behind."
Commentary: This verse is a profound disclosure of divine wisdom: Allāh Himself did not want the hypocrites in the army because their presence would have been more harmful than beneficial. Kariha llāhu nbiʿātahum — "Allāh was averse to their being sent forth": their presence in the ranks of jihād would have introduced discord, spread rumours, weakened resolve, and potentially created treachery from within. So Allāh allowed their own laziness and cowardice to hold them back — what appeared to be their choice was in reality a divine tamkīn (providential arrangement). Fa-thabbbaṭahum — He slowed them, weighed them down internally. Qīla qʿudū maʿa l-qāʿidīn — "it was said: sit with those who stay behind" — a humiliating designation: they are equated with the genuinely incapacitated and the old, though they are able-bodied.
Verse 47
لَوْ خَرَجُوا فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا خَبَالًا وَلَأَوْضَعُوا خِلَالَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ
Law kharajū fīkum mā zādūkum illā khabālan wa-la-awḍaʿū khilālakum yabghūnakumu l-fitnata wa-fīkum sammāʿūna lahum wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-ẓ-ẓālimīn.
"Had they gone out with you, they would have added nothing but disorder among you, and would have hurried through your ranks spreading chaos and seeking sedition — and among you there are some who would lend them an ear. Allāh knows well the wrongdoers." (al-Tawbah 9:47)
Translation: Had they marched out among you, they would only have added confusion and disorder (khabāl) to your ranks. They would have rushed through your ranks, spreading sedition (fitna) and scandal, seeking to create division and demoralise the army. And within your number there are people who would be willing to listen to them and be swayed by them. Allāh is fully aware of the wrongdoers.
Commentary: Khabāl — disorder, confusion, disruption, moral and strategic disorganisation. Awḍaʿū khilālakum — "they would have rushed through your midst" — iḍāʿa from a root meaning to urge a camel forward, implying frantic, purposeful movement with malicious intent. Yabghūnakumu l-fitna — "seeking sedition for you": their deliberate goal would have been to engineer division, spread rumours, create doubt, and ultimately cause the Muslim army to break apart from within. Wa-fīkum sammāʿūna lahum — "and among you there are listeners for them": this is a sobering disclosure — there were weak-hearted individuals among the Muslim force who might have been susceptible to the hypocrites' insinuations. The divine mercy lay in keeping the hypocrites out. Allāhu ʿalīmun bi-ẓ-ẓālimīn — He knows the wrongdoers perfectly; no manipulation escapes His sight.
Verse 48
لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ حَتَّىٰ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ
Laqad ibtaghaw l-fitnata min qablu wa-qallabū laka l-umūra ḥattā jāʾa l-ḥaqqu wa-ẓahara amru llāhi wa-hum kārihūn.
"They sought to cause discord before this, and they turned the matters upside down for you — until the truth came and the command of Allāh prevailed while they were averse to it." (al-Tawbah 9:48)
Translation: These hypocrites had already sought to stir up discord and sedition before this — they had twisted and manipulated every affair against you — until the truth arrived and the command of Allāh became fully manifest and triumphant, while they despised it.
Commentary: Ibtaghaw l-fitna min qabl — "they sought fitna before this": this is not their first offence; the hypocrites had consistently, from the earliest days of Islam in Madīna, worked to undermine the Muslim community from within. Qallabū laka l-umūr — "they turned matters upside down against you": they reversed facts, spread false reports, sabotaged plans, and sought to confuse and discredit the Prophetﷺ. Ḥattā jāʾa l-ḥaqq — until the truth arrived: all their schemes ultimately failed because Allāh's truth is indestructible. Wa-ẓahara amru llāh — the command of Allāh prevailed and became visible. Wa-hum kārihūn — and they detested it. This is the ultimate posture of the hypocrite: hating the victory of the truth, yet unable to stop it. The author closes this commentary with a note of reassurance and spiritual exhortation: the Muslim nation, however oppressed and undermined, will ultimately be vindicated by Allāh. The promise of divine support (naṣr) belongs to those who are patient, truthful, and sincere.
Sūrat al-Tawbah (9) — continued
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ
Wa-ʿlamū anna fīkum rasūla llāhi law yuṭīʿukum fī kathīrin mina l-amri la-ʿanittum wa-lākinna llāha ḥabbaba ilaykumu l-īmāna wa-zayyanahu fī qulūbikum wa-karraha ilaykumu l-kufra wa-l-fusūqa wa-l-ʿiṣyāna ulāʾika humu l-rāshidūn.
"And know that the Messenger of Allāh is among you. If he were to follow your wishes in many matters, you would suffer. But Allāh has endeared faith to you and adorned it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you. Such are the rightly-guided." (al-Tawbah 9:7) [reconstructed verse number per muṣḥaf — this corresponds to 9:7, continuing the running commentary on the hypocrites]
Translation: Know well that the Messenger of Allāhﷺis among you. Had he followed your desires in many affairs, you would have fallen into hardship. But Allāh has made faith beloved to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, transgression (fusūq), and disobedience hateful to you. Those — they are the ones who are rightly guided.
Commentary: In this verse, Allāh Most High reminds the believers of a great blessing: His Messengerﷺis in their midst, guided by divine revelation rather than by the whims and opinions of men. The word la-ʿanittum — "you would have suffered hardship" — signifies that had the Prophetﷺyielded to the counsel of those whose advice was tainted by self-interest or weak judgment, harm would have befallen the community. This is a rebuke to those who raised objections or made suggestions contrary to the Prophet's divinely guided course.
The phrase ḥabbaba ilaykumu l-īmān — "Allāh endeared faith to you" — is a reference to the grace (tawfīq) that Allāh bestows upon the sincere believer: faith does not merely reside as an abstract proposition in the mind, but is beautified in the heart, made beloved and sweet, so that the believer finds it natural and delightful to obey. By contrast, kufr (disbelief), fusūq (moral transgression), and ʿiṣyān (disobedience) have been made repugnant. Those who enjoy this grace of Allāh — who find faith dear and sin hateful — are the rāshidūn, the rightly-guided. This quality is the hallmark of genuine faith.
The commentary also draws attention to the preceding context: some hypocrites (munāfiqūn) had whispered objections, tried to manipulate affairs, and sowed sedition (fitna) before; but Allāh brought the truth to light and His command prevailed — wa-ẓahara amru llāh — and they remained in a state of hatred and resentment.
فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Faḍlan mina llāhi wa-niʿmatan wa-llāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm.
"As a grace from Allāh and a favour. And Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:8) [reconstructed]
Translation: This is a grace and a blessing from Allāh. And Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Commentary: The endearing of faith and the making hateful of disbelief — both are faḍl (divine grace) and niʿma (favour), not something earned by human effort alone. Allāh, in His perfect knowledge (ʿilm) and wisdom (ḥikma), has disposed human hearts toward goodness. The scholar's note here emphasises gratitude: the Muslim should recognise that the sweetness of faith in the heart is itself a divine gift, not a personal achievement, and should be moved to praise and thankfulness.
وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّىٰ تَفِيءَ إِلَىٰ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ
Wa-in ṭāʾifatāni mina l-muʾminīna qtatalū fa-aṣliḥū baynahumā fa-in baghat iḥdāhumā ʿalā l-ukhrā fa-qātilū l-latī tabghī ḥattā tafīʾa ilā amri llāh.
"And if two factions among the believers fall into fighting, then make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight against the one that transgresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allāh." (al-Tawbah 9:9) [continuing commentary; this passage corresponds contextually to the ongoing discourse on the munāfiqūn and their schemes]
Translation: If either good fortune (ḥusnā) befalls you — that is, victory and divine favour — or a misfortune (muṣība) strikes, the hypocrites claim: "We had already taken our own counsel beforehand" — and they turn away rejoicing.
Commentary: This passage describes a characteristic attitude of the hypocrites (munāfiqūn): whenever things go well for the Muslims, the hypocrites feel no genuine joy in the community's success. And if a difficulty befalls the believers, the hypocrites seize the moment to congratulate themselves, saying "We had taken our precautions — we were wise to stay back." They turn away in self-satisfaction at the misfortune of others. This is a portrait of profound moral corruption: the absence of genuine loyalty and sincere affiliation with the community of faith.
The phrase qad akhadhnā amranā min qablu — "we took our own counsel beforehand" — reveals the inner logic of the hypocrite: he is always calculating, never committed. His heart has never been surrendered to Allāh or to the Prophetﷺ.
قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
Qul lan yuṣībanā illā mā kataba llāhu lanā huwa mawlānā wa-ʿalā llāhi fa-l-yatawakkali l-muʾminūn.
"Say: Nothing will befall us except what Allāh has decreed for us. He is our Guardian (mawlā). And in Allāh let the believers place their trust." (al-Tawbah 9:51)
Translation: Say — O Prophet! — "Nothing shall ever afflict us except what Allāh has written for us. He is our Guardian and our Sustainer. And in Allāh alone let the believers place their trust."
Commentary: This verse is the answer of the Prophetﷺand the true believers to the self-congratulation of the hypocrites. Whatever good or ill comes to the Muslim is by divine decree (qaḍāʾ wa-qadar) and nothing falls outside the knowledge and will of Allāh Most High. The word mawlā — Guardian, Patron, Master — expresses the total reliance of the believer upon his Lord. The command fa-l-yatawakkali l-muʾminūn — "let the believers place their trust" — is addressed to the entire community of faith: tawakkul (reliance upon Allāh) is not passivity; it is active submission to divine will while performing one's duty, trusting that the outcome belongs to Allāh alone. The entire affair is entrusted to the Lord; the believer's task is only to submit with sincerity.
قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا إِلَّا إِحْدَى الْحُسْنَيَيْنِ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا فَتَرَبَّصُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُتَرَبِّصُونَ
Qul hal tatarabbaṣūna binā illā iḥdā l-ḥusnayayni wa-naḥnu natarabbaṣu bikum an yuṣībakumu llāhu bi-ʿadhābin min ʿindihi aw bi-aydīnā fa-tarabbaṣū innā maʿakum mutarabbiṣūn.
"Say: Are you waiting for anything to befall us except one of two good outcomes? And we are waiting for you, that Allāh may afflict you with punishment from Himself or by our hands. So wait — indeed we too are waiting along with you." (al-Tawbah 9:52)
Translation: Say — O Prophet! — "What are you waiting for in our regard but one of the two most blessed outcomes? — either we die as martyrs (shuhadāʾ) or we conquer as victors (ghuzāt). Both are, for us, the finest possible ends. And we too are waiting in regard to you: that Allāh may send upon you a punishment from Himself, or that He may disgrace you at our hands. So go ahead and wait — we too are waiting alongside you."
Commentary: The address here is to the hypocrites who gloated over any misfortune of the believers and held back from jihād. The Prophetﷺis commanded to declare the believer's absolute confidence: the Muslim goes forth in the path of Allāh facing only two possible outcomes, both of which are ḥusnā — supremely good. If he is killed, he achieves martyrdom (shahāda), which is the highest honour. If he returns victorious, he achieves the dignity of the warrior of Allāh (ghāzī). In either case, the believer is a winner.
As for the hypocrites: the believers await one of two outcomes for them as well — either divine punishment descends upon them directly (min ʿindihi), or the Muslims are instruments of their chastisement (bi-aydīnā). The verse ends with a remarkable symmetry: the hypocrites wait with malice; the believers wait with faith. The former wait for calamity to overtake the community; the latter wait for truth and justice to prevail. Let them wait — the believers are waiting too.
Farhas — "so wait" — is a challenge born not of arrogance but of complete trust in Allāh. The verse also contains a profound lesson on sabr (patient steadfastness): the believer does not panic under pressure but remains composed, trusting that Allāh's outcome is always good.
وَمِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنْفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَائِرَ
Wa-mina l-aʿrābi man yattakhidhu mā yunfiqu maghrama wa-yatarabbaṣu bikumu l-dawāʾir.
"And among the desert Arabs are those who regard what they spend as a forced payment and who await adverse turns of fortune for you." (al-Tawbah 9:98) [reconstructed; this section of the source treats a group of hypocritical Bedouin]
Translation: And among the desert Arabs there are those who regard what they spend in the way of Allāh as a loss and a burden, and who wait for misfortune to overtake you.
Commentary: The passage describes a type of hypocrite found among the desert Arabs (aʿrāb): those whose support of the Muslim community is purely reluctant and transactional, who consider any expenditure in Allāh's cause a maghram — a forced levy, a fine, a loss — rather than an act of worship and an investment in the hereafter. Their hearts are unattached; they wait eagerly for the tide to turn against the Muslims, hoping to be vindicated in their half-hearted position. The author notes that they flee to their tents, their caves, or any gathering-place the moment they hear the call to go forth — using any excuse to avoid responsibility.
وَمِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنْفِقُ قُرُبَاتٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوَاتِ الرَّسُولِ أَلَا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَهُمْ سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Wa-mina l-aʿrābi man yuʾminu bi-llāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-yattakhidhu mā yunfiqu qurubātin ʿinda llāhi wa-ṣalawāti l-rasūli alā innahā qurbatun lahum sa-yudkhiluhumu llāhu fī raḥmatihi inna llāha ghafūrun raḥīm.
"And among the desert Arabs are those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day and regard what they spend as a means of drawing near to Allāh and receiving the prayers of the Messenger. Is it not indeed a means of drawing near for them? Allāh will admit them into His mercy. Indeed, Allāh is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Tawbah 9:99)
Translation: And among the desert Arabs there are those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day and regard their spending as a means of drawing close to Allāh and as worthy of the Messenger's prayer and blessing. Indeed, it truly is a means of nearness for them. Allāh will soon admit them into His mercy. Surely Allāh is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Commentary: Having described the hypocritical type among the desert Arabs, the verse now contrasts them with the sincere believers among the same community. These are people of genuine faith who spend in Allāh's way not under compulsion but with the intention of taqarrub — seeking nearness to Allāh — and in the hope that the blessed prayer (ṣalawāt) and supplication of the Prophetﷺwill be directed toward them. The divine confirmation comes: alā innahā qurbatun lahum — "Indeed, it truly is a means of nearness for them!" This is a direct divine endorsement of their sincerity.
The verse contains an important lesson on niyyah (intention): the same act of spending wealth — which for the hypocrite is a maghram (loss) — becomes, for the sincere believer, a qurba (nearness to Allāh). The difference lies entirely in the heart. The author emphasises that the promise of raḥma (divine mercy) is extended to all sincere believers, wherever they may be, even those not yet fully integrated into the learned urban community of faith.
فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ
Fa-lā tuʿjibka amwāluhum wa-lā awlāduhum innamā yurīdu llāhu li-yuʿadhdhibahum bihā fī l-ḥayāti l-dunyā wa-tazhaqa anfusuhum wa-hum kāfirūn.
"Let not their wealth and their children fill you with admiration. Allāh only desires to punish them through these things in worldly life, and that their souls should depart while they are disbelievers." (al-Tawbah 9:55)
Translation: O Prophet! Let their wealth and their children not fill you with wonder. Allāh's intent is only that through these very things He should afflict them with torment in this worldly life, and that their souls should depart from them in a state of disbelief.
Commentary: The verse is an address to the Prophetﷺ— and through him to every believer — cautioning against being dazzled by the apparent prosperity of the hypocrites and disbelievers. The wealth and progeny that appear to be blessings are in reality instruments of divine chastisement for those whose hearts are sealed. Their affluence keeps them heedless of Allāh; their children become a source of anxiety and temptation rather than true joy; and in the end, their souls depart in a state of kufr, sealed off from divine mercy. This is the worldly torment (ʿadhāb fī l-ḥayāt al-dunyā): not poverty and disease alone, but the spiritual torment of a life lived in vain, in pursuit of the transient, without the coolness of true faith.
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَلْمِزُكَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذَا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ
Wa-minhum man yalmizuka fī l-ṣadaqāti fa-in uʿṭū minhā raḍū wa-in lam yuʿṭaw minhā idhā hum yaskhaṭūn.
"And among them are those who criticise you regarding the distribution of charitable gifts. If they are given from them, they are pleased; but if they are not given from them, at once they are filled with rage." (al-Tawbah 9:58)
Translation: Among them are those who reproach you — O Prophet! — in the matter of the distribution of charitable gifts (ṣadaqāt). If they receive a share, they are satisfied and pleased; but if they are not given anything, they immediately become furious and fill with resentment.
Commentary: This verse exposes a class of hypocrites who used complaints about the distribution of zakāt and ṣadaqāt (obligatory and voluntary alms) as a pretext to find fault with the Prophetﷺ. Their criticism was not motivated by any concern for fairness or justice; it was purely self-interested. When their greed was satisfied, they were content; when denied, they raged. This is the mark of a soul enslaved to its own desires (nafs ammāra).
The author comments here with some feeling on the proper administration of zakāt. He notes that those responsible for the distribution — al-ʿāmilīna ʿalayhā — must be thoroughly acquainted with the genuine needs of recipients. The category of muʾallafat al-qulūb — those whose hearts are being won over to Islām — is mentioned: some people are given funds as a matter of wise policy, to encourage their adherence to the faith or to prevent their opposition. The Prophetﷺexercised this discretion under divine guidance, and no hypocrite had the right to question it.
The mulmiz — the one who "criticises and reproaches" — is acting from ignorance or malice. The author notes that such complainers about charitable works exist in every age, and the believer of sincerity should rise above their carping and continue working for the sake of Allāh alone.
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللَّهِ رَاغِبُونَ
Wa-law annahum raḍū mā ātāhumu llāhu wa-rasūluhu wa-qālū ḥasbunā llāhu sa-yuʾtīnā llāhu min faḍlihi wa-rasūluhu innā ilā llāhi rāghbūn.
"And if only they had been content with what Allāh and His Messenger gave them and had said: 'Allāh is sufficient for us! Allāh will give us of His bounty, and His Messenger too — indeed it is to Allāh that we turn in hope.'" (al-Tawbah 9:59)
Translation: How much better it would have been had they been content with what Allāh and His Messenger gave them, and had they said: "Allāh is enough for us. Allāh will soon bestow more upon us from His grace, and so will His Messenger. It is to Allāh alone that we turn in longing and hope."
Commentary: This verse presents the alternative disposition that should characterise the true believer: riḍā (contentment), tawakkul (trust), and raghba ilā llāh (turning eagerly toward Allāh). Instead of complaining about what was not given, the sincere believer says ḥasbunā llāh — "Allāh is sufficient for us" — an expression of absolute reliance upon the divine. This phrase is among the most powerful utterances in the language of faith; the Messengerﷺhimself said it, and Allāh praised Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) for a similar posture of complete reliance.
The verse also contrasts the orientation of the hypocrite — toward wealth and worldly share — with that of the believer, whose orientation (raghba) is toward Allāh Himself. The hypocrite seeks what Allāh gives; the believer seeks Allāh. This is the fundamental distinction between the two.
The author then observes that prior to this verse, some foolish complainers had been raising objections about the distribution of ṣadaqāt to the Prophetﷺ. Allāh Most High now clarifies the proper categories of recipients — a matter that silences all such cavils — because those who have genuine knowledge of the divine wisdom behind these rulings would never complain.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Innamā l-ṣadaqātu lil-fuqarāʾi wa-l-masākīni wa-l-ʿāmilīna ʿalayhā wa-l-muʾallafati qulūbuhum wa-fī l-riqābi wa-l-ghārimīna wa-fī sabīli llāhi wa-ibni l-sabīli farīḍatan mina llāhi wa-llāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm.
"Indeed, the charitable gifts (ṣadaqāt) are only for the poor (fuqarāʾ), and the destitute (masākīn), and those employed to collect them (ʿāmilīna ʿalayhā), and those whose hearts are to be won over (muʾallafat al-qulūb), and for the freeing of captives (riqāb), and for those in debt (ghārimīn), and in the cause of Allāh (fī sabīl allāh), and for the wayfarer (ibn al-sabīl). This is an obligation from Allāh. And Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:60)
Translation: The obligatory alms (zakāt and ṣadaqāt) are designated only for: the poor (fuqarāʾ); the destitute (masākīn); those who administer and collect them (ʿāmilūn); those whose hearts are being reconciled to Islām (muʾallafat al-qulūb); the freeing of slaves and captives (fī l-riqāb); debtors unable to discharge their obligations (ghārimūn); the cause of Allāh (fī sabīl allāh) — which encompasses striving, education, and all works of general welfare; and the stranded wayfarer (ibn al-sabīl). This is a divine ordinance (farīḍa) from Allāh, and Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Commentary: This verse — the most comprehensive legal statement on the disbursement of zakāt in the entire Qurʾān — defines the eight categories of legitimate recipients. The Ḥanafī scholars and all four schools agree that these categories are binding; disagreement exists only in matters of detail.
Fuqarāʾ are those who possess less than the niṣāb (minimum threshold of taxable wealth) and are unable to meet their essential needs. Masākīn are those who have nothing at all — though some scholars hold the miskīn to be more destitute than the faqīr, while others reverse the order. The ʿāmilūn — collectors and administrators of zakāt — are entitled to a wage from it even if personally wealthy. The muʾallafat al-qulūb received a portion in the early period of Islām as a matter of public interest and policy; Ḥanafī scholars hold that this category lapsed after the strength of Islām was established, while other schools maintain it continues.
Fī l-riqāb refers to the liberation of enslaved persons — mukātab contracts and ransom. Ghārimūn are those crushed by debt through no fault of their own. Fī sabīl allāh is a broad expression applicable to every meritorious work in Allāh's service — military, educational, and communal. Ibn al-sabīl is the traveller cut off from his resources.
The author then launches into a passionate personal reflection: zakāt is as obligatory as ṣalāt and ṣawm. Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allāh be pleased with him) fought those who refused to pay zakāt, thereby preserving the fabric of Islām itself. If all Muslims were to discharge zakāt properly, the condition of the Muslim community would be transformed. Those who discharge it are preserved from calamity; those who withhold it are headed toward ruin.
He writes with pain that the collection and administration of zakāt is, in theory, the responsibility of the Islamic ruler (bādshāh-e-waqt). In the absence of an Islamic state operating on proper principles, the duty devolves upon the community itself, and it requires meticulous organisation: a supervisor (ṣadr) for each district, a trustworthy register, and a transparent system of distribution based on genuine need. He recalls having drafted such a scheme himself for all districts, but laments that no one gave it attention, and it came to nothing.
He calls out with grief: where have all these capable workers gone? Once they gathered with enthusiasm, cries of Allāhu Akbar! and wāh wāh! filled the air — but for enduring, faithful service, hearts grow weary. He prays fervently: may Allāh grant this community courage, sincerity, noble aspiration (akhlāq), and above all, strength of faith (quwwat-e-īmān). Āmīn.
He continues the discussion of proper zakāt administration. He notes that the affairs of collection require a dedicated ṣadr (head official) for every locality, each district having its own officer, and all under a single supervisory authority (kullī) responsible for maintaining a proper register and coordinating with government records. He had personally drafted and circulated such a framework for all districts, but laments that it was entirely ignored and has now been completely abandoned.
He reflects sorrowfully on the state of communal affairs: in Hyderabad and across the whole of Hindustan, funds are collected for various causes but dissipate without reaching their intended purposes. Ornament, display, and vanity swallow the contributions; those who sincerely want to serve Allāh are few; hence the community's humiliation and degradation. Even those who try to do good do so half-heartedly and with divided loyalties. Those who give also give — but the givers and the recipients deal with each other timidly, without the courage to speak the truth openly. Courageous criticism is needed; godly boldness is needed. He prays: may Allāh grant wisdom, magnanimity, and godly courage — and above all, faith.
Wa-l-ʿaṣri — "By the Age!" — (al-ʿAṣr 103:1–3): Indeed, the human being is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to patience.
وَمِنْهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ النَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Wa-minhum alladhīna yuʾdhūna l-nabiyya wa-yaqūlūna huwa udhunun qul udhunu khayrin lakum yuʾminu bi-llāhi wa-yuʾminu lil-muʾminīna wa-raḥmatun lil-ladhīna āmanū minkum wa-lladhīna yuʾdhūna rasūla llāhi lahum ʿadhābun alīm.
"And among them are those who hurt the Prophet and say: 'He is all ears!' Say: 'An ear of goodness for you — he believes in Allāh and trusts the believers, and is a mercy to those among you who believe. And those who hurt the Messenger of Allāh — for them is a painful punishment.'" (al-Tawbah 9:61)
Translation: Among the hypocrites are those who hurt the Prophetﷺand mock him, saying: "He is all ears — he listens to everyone!" Say — O Prophet! — "An ear he may be, but an ear of goodness for you: he believes in Allāh, and he gives credence to the believers, and he is a mercy for those among you who have faith. As for those who cause pain to the Messenger of Allāhﷺ— for them there is a grievous punishment."
Commentary: Udhun — literally "an ear" — was the taunt of the hypocrites: they accused the Prophetﷺof being gullible, of listening to everyone and believing everything he was told. This they meant as a criticism, but Allāh Most High transforms it into a seal of nobility. The Prophetﷺlistens — but he listens with discernment, with faith, and with mercy. He believes Allāh and he trusts the believers. His listening is not weakness; it is grace and compassion.
Raḥmatun lil-ladhīna āmanū minkum — "a mercy for those among you who believe" — confirms that the Prophet'sﷺvery presence is a raḥma (mercy) for the community of faith. This connects to the broader Qurʾānic description:﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ﴾"We sent you only as a mercy to the worlds" (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:107).
The warning at the close of the verse is severe: those who cause pain (adhā) to the Messenger of Allāhﷺ— whether in his lifetime by their slanders or in later ages by disrespect to his Sunna and his honour — face a painful punishment. The adab (reverence) owed to the Prophetﷺis among the most fundamental obligations of the believer; its violation is not a trivial matter.
يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُرْضُوهُ إِنْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ
Yaḥlifūna bi-llāhi lakum li-yurḍūkum wa-llāhu wa-rasūluhu aḥaqqu an yurḍūhu in kānū muʾminīn.
"They swear to you by Allāh in order to please you. But Allāh and His Messenger are more worthy that they should please Him, if they are believers." (al-Tawbah 9:62)
Translation: The hypocrites swear oaths to you by Allāh, seeking to win your approval and pleasure. But Allāh and His Messenger are far more deserving to be pleased — if only they were truly believers.
Commentary: The hypocrisy of the munāfiqūn is laid bare: they swear oaths to the believers to placate them, but give no thought to the pleasure of Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. Their social calculations are entirely horizontal — managing perceptions among people — while their orientation toward the divine is nil. The conditional phrase in kānū muʾminīn — "if they were believers" — is devastating: it implies that their oath-swearing to please people over pleasing Allāh is itself evidence of their lack of genuine faith. A true believer's first concern is riḍā Allāh — the pleasure of Allāh — not the approval of created beings.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَنْ يُحَادِدِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا فِيهَا ذَٰلِكَ الْخِزْيُ الْعَظِيمُ
Alam yaʿlamū annahu man yuḥādidi llāha wa-rasūlahu fa-anna lahu nāra jahannama khālidan fīhā dhālika l-khizyu l-ʿaẓīm.
"Did they not know that whoever opposes Allāh and His Messenger — for him is the fire of Hell, to remain therein forever? That is the supreme disgrace." (al-Tawbah 9:63)
Translation: Did they not know — and have they not been informed — that whoever sets himself against Allāh and His Messengerﷺshall have the fire of Hell as his abode, dwelling therein for ever? That is the great humiliation.
Commentary: Yuḥādid — from ḥadd, "boundary" — means to place oneself on the opposite side, to stand in opposition and defiance. To oppose Allāh and His Messenger is not simply a religious failing; it is a catastrophic choice whose ultimate consequence is permanent residence in Hellfire (khālidān fīhā — "remaining therein forever"). The word khizy — disgrace, humiliation — is used: the ultimate fate of the one who opposed the divine is not merely punishment but humiliation, the complete and final overturning of whatever pretence of superiority they maintained in this world. The author reflects: those who in this world imagine they are cleverly circumventing Allāh's commandments will discover in the next the full weight of khizyu l-ʿaẓīm, the supreme disgrace.
يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ قُلِ اسْتَهْزِئُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَا تَحْذَرُونَ
Yaḥdharu l-munāfiqūna an tunazzala ʿalayhim sūratun tunabbiʾahum bimā fī qulūbihim quli stahziʾū inna llāha mukhrijun mā taḥdhurūn.
"The hypocrites fear lest a sūra be sent down against them, informing others of what is in their hearts. Say: 'Mock on! Indeed, Allāh will bring to light what you dread.'" (al-Tawbah 9:64)
Translation: The hypocrites live in dread that a sūra may be revealed that will expose to all what lies hidden in their hearts — their secrets and inner thoughts. Say — O Prophet! — "Mock away to your heart's content! Allāh will surely bring to light the very thing you dread."
Commentary: The hypocrites were aware that the Prophetﷺreceived divine revelation. Their very fear of exposure — yaḥdharu — testifies against them: the guilty conscience is already at work. They knew that their hidden scheming, their whispering, their treachery was known to Allāh even if concealed from men. The command to the Prophetﷺis one of utter composure and confidence: quli stahziʾū — "tell them: mock away." This is not indifference to impiety; it is the serene confidence of one who knows that truth cannot be indefinitely concealed. Inna llāha mukhrijun mā taḥdhurūn — "Allāh will bring out what you dread" — is both a warning and a comfort: the believer is reassured that divine justice cannot be evaded, and the hypocrite is warned that his mask will be removed.
The author then makes an acute observation about his own age: look at the state of those who merely perform the outward forms of Islām today. Prayer has become mechanical; fasting is questioned; the Qurʾān is disparaged. People say of fasting: "Did not Allāh create food to be eaten?" — as if the divine wisdom in the institution of ṣawm (fasting) is beyond their comprehension. And of the Qurʾān, they compare its recitation to mere sound, with no benefit. Such attitudes are the inheritance of the munāfiqūn of every age.
وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
Wa-la-in saʾaltahum la-yaqūlunna innamā kunnā nakhūḍu wa-nalʿabu qul a-bi-llāhi wa-āyātihi wa-rasūlihi kuntum tastahziʾūn.
"And if you were to question them, they would surely say: 'We were only talking idly and joking.' Say: 'Was it Allāh, and His signs, and His Messenger that you were mocking?'" (al-Tawbah 9:65)
Translation: If you were to ask them about their mockery, they would say: "We were just chatting and joking around — it was nothing serious." Say — O Prophet! — "Was it Allāh, His signs (āyāt), and His Messenger that you were making the subject of your idle jest?"
Commentary: This is the classic deflection of those who mock sacred things and then retreat behind the excuse of humour. But the divine response brooks no such evasion: when the object of mockery is Allāh, His revealed signs, and His Messengerﷺ, there is no such thing as "just joking." The author applies this to his own day with directness: in the present age, mocking Islāmic practices, the ʿulamāʾ, and the sacred symbols of faith has become fashionable among a certain class. They dress it in philosophical language, claim to be educated and rational — but in truth, as the verse says, such persons are inwardly aligned with the munāfiqūn of earlier times, who said much the same things. Familiarity with philosophy and secular sciences does not excuse this mockery; it only makes it more deliberate.
He continues this theme: the mockery of the prayer, the fast, the Qurʾān, and the religious scholars has become commonplace among a certain pseudo-enlightened stratum. They consider those who practise Islām diligently to be simple-minded, while claiming for themselves some superior understanding of "reality." In truth, such persons are the spiritually simple ones, their cleverness a fitnah (affliction) for themselves. The day Allāh's reckoning opens, the pretence will collapse. Islām and the Muslims will remain; such fashionable irreligion will prove as transient as all things in this world.
لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ إِنْ نَعْفُ عَنْ طَائِفَةٍ مِنْكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَائِفَةً بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ
Lā taʿtadhirū qad kafartum baʿda īmānikum in naʿfu ʿan ṭāʾifatin minkum nuʿadhdhib ṭāʾifatan bi-annahum kānū mujrimīn.
"Make no excuses. You have disbelieved after your faith. If We pardon a party among you, We will punish another party, because they have been criminal." (al-Tawbah 9:66)
Translation: Make no excuses — do not try to exonerate yourselves. You have indeed disbelieved after your faith. If We pardon one group among you, We shall punish another group, because they were guilty of wilful sin and transgression.
Commentary: The word kafartum baʿda īmānikum — "you have disbelieved after your faith" — is addressed to those hypocrites whose mockery of divine things crossed the line into kufr (disbelief). The fact that they had once professed faith makes the offence more grave, not less. The conditional in naʿfu ʿan ṭāʾifatin — "if We pardon a party" — refers to those who repented and were sincere; the ṭāʾifa that is punished is the group that persisted in its crime without genuine repentance. The verse thus holds open the door of mercy while making clear that divine justice cannot be perpetually deflected by hollow excuses.
الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنْكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Al-munāfiqūna wa-l-munāfiqātu baʿḍuhum min baʿḍin yaʾmurūna bi-l-munkari wa-yanhawna ʿani l-maʿrūfi wa-yaqbiḍūna aydiyahum nasū llāha fa-nasiyahum inna l-munāfiqīna humu l-fāsiqūn.
"The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are all of one kind: they enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right, and they close their hands. They have forgotten Allāh, so He has forgotten them. Indeed, the hypocrites are the defiantly disobedient." (al-Tawbah 9:67)
Translation: The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are all of a piece — they are drawn from one another, share the same nature and the same agenda. They command what is reprehensible (munkar) and forbid what is good (maʿrūf); they clench their fists and withhold from the way of Allāh. They have forgotten Allāh, and so Allāh has forsaken them. Indeed, the hypocrites are the wicked transgressors (fāsiqūn).
Commentary: The verse draws a striking mirror-image: just as the believers are described elsewhere as a community of mutual support that enjoins good and forbids evil (al-Tawbah 9:71), the hypocrites form their own community of mutual corruption — they too enjoin, but they enjoin munkar (evil); they too forbid, but they forbid maʿrūf (good). Their "solidarity" is in sin.
Wa-yaqbiḍūna aydiyahum — "they clench their fists" — is a vivid image of miserliness in the way of Allāh. The extended hand (basṭ al-yad) symbolises generosity in the Qurʾānic idiom; the closed fist (qabḍ) symbolises withholding. The hypocrite does not spend: not wealth, not effort, not loyalty.
Nasū llāha fa-nasiyahum — "they forgot Allāh, so He forgot them" — is one of the most theologically weighty phrases in this sūra. The "forgetting" attributed to Allāh is, of course, not literal — Allāh does not forget — but it is a divine retribution in kind: those who ignore Allāh find themselves abandoned by His mercy and care, left to themselves in this world and in the next.
The final declaration: inna l-munāfiqīna humu l-fāsiqūn — "the hypocrites are the wicked transgressors" — establishes that nifāq (hypocrisy) is not merely a social failing but a fundamental moral and spiritual corruption. Fāsiq (transgressor) is the technical term for one who has stepped outside the bounds of obedience.
The author reflects with grief on the condition of nominal Muslims in his own day: those who carry an Islāmic name but whose hearts are far from Allāh; who perform Islāmic acts for show and social standing; who inwardly disdain what they outwardly profess; who criticise others' piety while themselves engaged in every lowly act. He notes: it appears as though they speak to Allāh with their tongues while keeping Allāh entirely out of their work and conduct. It is for this reason — this very disconnect — that the community finds itself in disgrace and humiliation, both in this world and in Allāh's reckoning.
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ
Waʿada llāhu l-munāfiqīna wa-l-munāfiqāti wa-l-kuffāra nāra jahannama khālidīna fīhā hiya ḥasbuhum wa-laʿanahumu llāhu wa-lahum ʿadhābun muqīm.
"Allāh has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, to remain therein forever. It is sufficient for them. And Allāh has cursed them; and for them is an enduring punishment." (al-Tawbah 9:68)
Translation: Allāh has given His solemn promise — to the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and to the disbelievers — of the fire of Hell, to dwell therein eternally. That is sufficient for them as a recompense. And Allāh has cast His curse upon them, and for them is a punishment that never ceases.
Commentary: The verse uses the word waʿada — "He has promised" — applying to punishment the same language usually associated with the promise of reward. This is a sign of divine seriousness: the punishment of the hypocrites and disbelievers is not a possibility or a threat; it is a divine waʿd (promise), and Allāh never breaks His promise. The word ḥasbuhum — "it is sufficient for them" / "it is what they deserve" — carries a note of finality: Hellfire is the appropriate, the adequate, the exact recompense for their conduct. ʿAdhābun muqīm — "an enduring, permanent punishment" — means it is without end, without intermission, and without escape.
كَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِخَلَاقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ بِخَلَاقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
Ka-lladhīna min qablikum kānū ashadda minkum quwwatan wa-akthara amwālan wa-awlādan fa-stamtaʿū bi-khalāqihim fa-stamtaʿtum bi-khalāqikum kamā stamtaʿa lladhīna min qablikum bi-khalāqihim wa-khuḍtum ka-lladhī khāḍū ulāʾika ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum fī l-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati wa-ulāʾika humu l-khāsirūn.
"Just like those before you — they were stronger than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share, and you have enjoyed your share just as those before you enjoyed their share; and you have engaged in idle talk as they did. For these, their deeds have collapsed in this world and the next, and they are the losers." (al-Tawbah 9:69)
Translation: O you hypocrites! You are behaving just as those before you did — they who were stronger in power, more plentiful in wealth and progeny than you. They indulged in their worldly portion (khalāq), and you too have indulged in yours, just as those before you indulged in theirs; and you have plunged into idle and corrupt discourse just as they did. Those people — their deeds collapsed and came to nothing in this world and the next, and they are the utter losers.
Commentary: The verse makes a historical argument: the hypocrites of the Prophet'sﷺera are not unique; they are part of a recurring pattern. Every age has produced those who preferred the world, mocked the prophets, and indulged their desires — and every such age has witnessed the collapse of what was built on such foundations. Khalāq — the portion or share allotted in this world — when pursued without reference to Allāh and the hereafter, becomes its own punishment.
Wa-khuḍtum ka-lladhī khāḍū — "you have plunged in as they plunged in" — refers to the hypocrites' participation in the discourse of mockery, doubt, and mischief that has characterised every community of spiritual pretenders throughout history. Ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum — "their deeds collapsed" — uses the agricultural image of crops withering: all the elaborate constructions of the hypocrite's life — his social manoeuvring, his self-preservation — come to nothing, in this world and the next. Al-khāsirūn — "the losers" — is the Qurʾānic epithet for those who make the ultimate miscalculation: gaining the world (or a portion of it) at the price of the hereafter.
أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَصْحَابِ مَدْيَنَ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَاتِ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Alam yaʾtihim nabaʾu lladhīna min qablihim qawmi nūḥin wa-ʿādin wa-thamūda wa-qawmi ibrāhīma wa-aṣḥābi madyana wa-l-muʾtafikāti atatʾhum rusuluhum bi-l-bayyināti fa-mā kāna llāhu li-yaẓlimahum wa-lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn.
"Has not the account reached them of those who came before them — the people of Nūḥ, and ʿĀd, and Thamūd, and the people of Ibrāhīm, and the companions of Madyan, and the overthrown cities? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. It was not Allāh who wronged them; rather, they wronged themselves." (al-Tawbah 9:70)
Translation: Has news not reached these hypocrites of those who came before them? — the people of Nūḥ (upon him be peace), the tribe of ʿĀd, the tribe of Thamūd, the people of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), the people of Madyan, and those whose settlements were overturned? Their messengers came to every one of them with clear and decisive proofs (bayyināt). It was never Allāh who wronged them — rather, they wronged themselves.
Commentary: A catalogue of destroyed nations is invoked as a collective warning. The people of Nūḥ (upon him be peace), ʿĀd (the tribe of Hūd, upon him be peace), Thamūd (the tribe of Ṣāliḥ, upon him be peace), the community surrounding Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), the people of Madyan (Shuʿayb, upon him be peace), and the muʾtafikāt — the "overturned" cities, referring to the communities of Lūṭ (upon him be peace) — all received messengers bearing bayyināt (manifest proofs). All rejected them. All were destroyed.
The closing declaration — fa-mā kāna llāhu li-yaẓlimahum wa-lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn — "it was not Allāh who wronged them; they wronged themselves" — is a comprehensive exoneration of divine justice and a total indictment of human self-destruction. The calamity that befell each of these nations was the direct consequence of their own choices: their messengers warned them; they had time and opportunity to repent; they chose defiance. The act of bringing destruction upon oneself through one's own heedlessness is the very definition of ẓulm al-nafs (self-wronging), which is one of the gravest spiritual conditions a human being can fall into.
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Wa-l-muʾminūna wa-l-muʾminatu baʿḍuhum awliyāʾu baʿḍin yaʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūfi wa-yanhawna ʿani l-munkari wa-yuqīmūna l-ṣalāta wa-yuʾtūna l-zakāta wa-yuṭīʿūna llāha wa-rasūlahu ulāʾika sa-yarḥamuhumu llāhu inna llāha ʿazīzun ḥakīm.
"And the believing men and believing women are guardians of one another: they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and they establish the prayer and pay the zakāt and obey Allāh and His Messenger. Those — Allāh will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might, Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:71)
Translation: And the believing men and believing women — they are each other's protectors and allies (awliyāʾ): they enjoin what is good (maʿrūf) and forbid what is evil (munkar), they establish the prayer (ṣalāt) with full devotion, they give the zakāt, and they obey Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. Such people — Allāh will soon shower them with His mercy. Indeed, Allāh is Almighty, Wise.
Commentary: This verse stands in direct contrast to the description of the hypocrites in verse 9:67. Where the hypocrites enjoin evil and forbid good, the believers enjoin good and forbid evil. Where the hypocrites withhold their hands, the believers give zakāt. Where the hypocrites have forgotten Allāh, the believers obey Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. The community of faith is here defined not merely by creedal assertion but by active mutual guardianship: awliyāʾ signifies not only "friends" but protectors, supporters, and those who stand by one another.
Yaʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūf wa-yanhawna ʿani l-munkar — enjoining good and forbidding evil (amr bi-l-maʿrūf wa-nahy ʿani l-munkar) — is a collective obligation (farḍ kifāya) upon the Muslim community: when some discharge it adequately, the rest are absolved; but if none do, the entire community bears the sin. The Ḥanafī scholars have detailed the conditions and methods of this obligation carefully.
The promise at the close — sa-yarḥamuhumu llāh — "Allāh will have mercy upon them" — uses sa- (imminence): the mercy is near, not far off. It is the divine response to the sincere fulfilment of these obligations. And the closing names — ʿazīzun ḥakīm (Almighty, Wise) — remind the community that Allāh's mercy flows from His invincible power and perfect wisdom, not from indulgence or indifference.
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Waʿada llāhu l-muʾminīna wa-l-muʾminati jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa-masākina ṭayyibatan fī jannāti ʿadnin wa-riḍwānun mina llāhi akbaru dhālika huwa l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīm.
"Allāh has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever, and blessed dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; and the pleasure of Allāh is greater still. That is the supreme triumph." (al-Tawbah 9:72)
Translation: Allāh has made a solemn promise to the believing men and believing women: Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever; and beautiful, wholesome dwellings in Gardens of eternal abode (jannāt ʿadn). But above all of that — riḍwānun mina llāh — the pleasure and good-will of Allāh Most High, which is greater than all else. That is the supreme, magnificent triumph (fawz ʿaẓīm).
Commentary: The verse describes the rewards of the believers in the hereafter in three ascending stages. First: Gardens of Paradise with flowing rivers — the physical beauty and abundance of the afterlife. Second: masākin ṭayyiba — pure, wholesome, blessed dwellings in jannāt ʿadn (Gardens of Eden / Gardens of Perpetual Abode) — a higher station of Paradise characterised by permanence and beauty. Third — and supremely: riḍwānun mina llāhi akbar — the pleasure (riḍwān) of Allāh is greater than all the Gardens and all their delights.
This last point is a cornerstone of the Sunnī theological tradition: the highest reward of the believers is not the sensory or even the spiritual pleasures of Paradise but the riḍwān Allāh — the divine approval and pleasure — which includes, in the understanding of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamāʿa, the ruʾyat Allāh (the beatific vision of Allāh), a grace bestowed upon the inhabitants of Paradise that surpasses all other gifts. The Ḥadīth of the beatific vision is mutawātir (mass-transmitted):«إِنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ»Innakum sa-tarawna rabbakum — "You will see your Lord" (al-Bukhārī; Muslim). Dhālika huwa l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīm — "That is the supreme triumph" — is the Qurʾānic verdict on the totality of this divine promise.
The author then addresses the Commander — the Prophetﷺ— and the broader community: fight the disbelievers (kuffār) and the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) and be firm and harsh with them. Their abode is Hell, and their end is evil.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
Yā ayyuhā l-nabiyyu jāhidi l-kuffāra wa-l-munāfiqīna wa-ghluẓ ʿalayhim wa-maʾwāhum jahannamu wa-biʾsa l-maṣīr.
"O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be firm (ghliẓ) with them. Their abode is Hell — and what a wretched destination." (al-Tawbah 9:73)
Translation: O Prophet! Wage jihād against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm and unyielding toward them. Their dwelling-place is Hell, and what a terrible final destination that is.
Commentary: Jāhid — strive, wage jihād — is directed against two categories: the kuffār (disbelievers, primarily the polytheists and enemies of Islām who take up arms) and the munāfiqūn (hypocrites). The jihād against each is different in form: against the armed disbeliever, it involves military engagement; against the hypocrite, whose inner disbelief is concealed by outward conformity, it involves firm speech, clear proof, decisive legal measures, and unambiguous rejection of their attempts to compromise the community from within. The command wa-ghluẓ ʿalayhim — "be firm/harsh with them" — does not mean cruelty for its own sake, but rather the opposite of soft acquiescence: the Prophetﷺis not to be manipulated, cajoled, or made to overlook their corruption. The character of the Prophetﷺwas mercy itself — wa-law kunta faẓẓan ghalīẓa l-qalbi la-nfaḍḍū min ḥawlik (Āl ʿImrān 3:159) — but mercy toward sincere followers does not extend to enabling hypocrisy. The firmness here is measured, principled, and just.
The author adds: those who advise excessive leniency toward manifest hypocrisy and apostasy in the name of conciliation often end up weakening Islām from within. The Prophetﷺwas commanded both to be a mercy and to be firm — these are not contradictions but complementary aspects of leadership guided by revelation.
The author returns to the practical guidance embedded in this verse. The hypocrites of the Prophet'sﷺtime had disclosed their unbelief — they had mocked, schemed, and plotted — and yet as long as they maintained the outward forms of Islām, they were treated with a degree of tolerance. But the command ghluẓ — be firm — means that their schemes are not to be indulged, their pretexts not accepted, and their treachery not excused. For disbelievers and hypocrites alike, the inner reality — their rejection of faith — is the basis of their treatment in the hereafter, regardless of outward appearances.
He notes: the distinction between nifāq iʿtiqādī (doctrinal hypocrisy — outward Islām, inner disbelief) and nifāq ʿamalī (practical hypocrisy — performing Islāmic duties with laziness, insincerity, or ostentation) is important. The former is outright disbelief in the technical sense; the latter is a severe spiritual ailment that the believer must work to cure in himself through sincere repentance and renewed commitment. The community of faith must be vigilant against both.
He also raises the issue of a verse about intercession:﴿وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾— "argue with them in a way that is best" (al-Naḥl 16:125): engage those who are not fully hostile with wisdom and beautiful argumentation. Killing one disbeliever and converting another through wisdom and persuasion — the latter is far more valuable for the cause of Islām. The author urges Muslims of his own day to look at the extraordinary tolerance and openness that the early Muslims demonstrated and to reflect on how that spirit enabled Islām to spread.
يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِسْلَامِهِمْ وَهَمُّوا بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا وَمَا نَقَمُوا إِلَّا أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَإِنْ يَتُوبُوا يَكُ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَإِنْ يَتَوَلَّوْا يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
Yaḥlifūna bi-llāhi mā qālū wa-la-qad qālū kalimata l-kufri wa-kafarū baʿda islāmihim wa-hammū bimā lam yanālū wa-mā naqamū illā an aghnāhumu llāhu wa-rasūluhu min faḍlihi fa-in yatūbū yaku khayran lahum wa-in yatawallawu yuʿadhdhibhumu llāhu ʿadhāban alīman fī l-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati wa-mā lahum fī l-arḍi min waliyyin wa-lā naṣīr.
"They swear by Allāh that they did not say it — yet they certainly did utter the word of disbelief, and they disbelieved after their Islām, and they plotted what they could not achieve. And they sought revenge for no other reason than that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them from His bounty. So if they repent, it will be better for them; but if they turn away, Allāh will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the next, and there will be for them on earth no protector and no helper." (al-Tawbah 9:74)
Translation: They swear by Allāh that they never said what they said — but they most certainly did utter the word of disbelief and became disbelievers after having been Muslims. And they plotted and harboured the intention to do that which they were unable to accomplish. They resented the Prophetﷺand his community for no other reason than that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them from divine bounty. If they repent, that will be better for them; but if they turn away, Allāh will afflict them with a painful punishment in this world and in the next, and there will be for them on earth no guardian and no helper.
Commentary: Wa-la-qad qālū kalimata l-kufr — "they most certainly uttered the word of disbelief" — is the divine testimony against the denials of the hypocrites. They had sworn oaths denying certain statements; Allāh declares their oaths false. Kalimatu l-kufr refers to a specific utterance during the campaign of Tabūk in which certain hypocrites made statements of mockery about the Prophetﷺand the believers that crossed the line into technical disbelief.
Wa-hammū bimā lam yanālū — "they schemed for what they could not achieve" — refers to plots against the Prophet'sﷺlife that were known to Allāh and thwarted by divine protection.
Wa-mā naqamū illā an aghnāhumu llāhu wa-rasūluhu — "they resented nothing except that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them" — is a devastating exposure of ingratitude. The very prosperity they enjoyed came from Allāh through the Prophetﷺ, yet instead of gratitude, they nursed resentment. This is among the most psychologically acute observations in the sūra: the ungrateful recipient of kindness sometimes resents the benefactor precisely because the dependency embarrasses him.
The door of repentance is held open: fa-in yatūbū yaku khayran lahum. But if they persist in turning away (tawalla), the punishment will be comprehensive: in this world (dunyā) and the next (ākhira), and without any helper on earth.
The author reflects on the two kinds of hypocrisy identified by scholars: nifāq iʿtiqādī — doctrinal hypocrisy, where one outwardly professes Islām but inwardly denies it — and nifāq ʿamalī — practical hypocrisy, where one performs Islāmic duties negligently, ostentatiously, or with divided loyalty. The former is a form of kufr; the latter is a spiritual disease that weakens the community. Both must be diagnosed and treated — the first by da'wah and clear exposition; the second by self-examination, sincere repentance, and renewed commitment to the inward reality of Islām.
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Wa-minhum man ʿāhada llāha la-in ātānā min faḍlihi la-naṣṣaddaqanna wa-la-nakūnanna mina l-ṣāliḥīn.
"And among them are those who made a covenant with Allāh: 'If He gives us of His bounty, we will surely give in charity and be among the righteous.'" (al-Tawbah 9:75)
Translation: Among the hypocrites there are those who made a covenant with Allāh: "If He bestows upon us from His grace and bounty, we will assuredly give in charity, and we will certainly be among the righteous."
Commentary: A specific incident lies behind this verse: a man made a solemn pledge to Allāh that if he were blessed with wealth, he would spend it generously in Allāh's way and become one of the righteous (ṣāliḥīn). This pledge was made in a moment of poverty and sincerity — or apparent sincerity.
فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
Fa-lammā ātāhum min faḍlihi bakhilū bihi wa-tawallawu wa-hum muʿriḍūn.
"But when He gave them of His bounty, they were miserly with it and turned away, while they were averse." (al-Tawbah 9:76)
Translation: But when Allāh gave them from His bounty, they became miserly and turned away, averting themselves in heedlessness.
Commentary: The pattern of the broken covenant is one of the recurring themes of this sūra: a pledge made in adversity is abandoned in prosperity. The word bakhilū — "they became miserly" — points to the spiritual disease of bukhl (miserliness), one of the gravest ailments of the soul in the Islamic moral framework. Allāh enriched them; they refused to acknowledge the debt of gratitude and discharged none of their vow. Wa-tawallawu wa-hum muʿriḍūn — "they turned away while averting themselves" — captures the posture of the person who has received divine favour and then deliberately turns his back, a double act of ingratitude.
فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ
Fa-aʿqabahum nifāqan fī qulūbihim ilā yawmi yalqawnahu bi-mā akhlafū llāha mā waʿadūhu wa-bi-mā kānū yakdhibūn.
"So He placed hypocrisy in their hearts as a consequence, until the day they meet Him — because they broke their covenant with Allāh and because they were lying." (al-Tawbah 9:77)
Translation: As a consequence, Allāh caused hypocrisy (nifāq) to take root in their hearts and to remain there until the day they meet Him — because they broke the covenant they had made with Allāh, and because they were given to lying.
Commentary: Fa-aʿqabahum nifāqan — "He placed hypocrisy as a sequel/consequence" — means that the broken covenant was not merely a single moral failing but the seed from which a deepening hypocrisy grew. The nifāq that became lodged in the hearts of these people was itself a divine punishment for their betrayal: the one who breaks his covenant with Allāh does not simply return to a neutral state; his heart becomes progressively more diseased.
Ilā yawmi yalqawnahu — "until the day they meet Him" — means the hypocrisy remained until death and the Day of Judgment. There was no repentance, no reversal. The cause is explicitly stated: bi-mā akhlafū llāha mā waʿadūhu — because they broke their promise to Allāh — and bi-mā kānū yakdhibūn — because lying had become their habitual practice. The connection between lying and hypocrisy is central to the Prophetic tradition: the Prophetﷺsaid:«أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا»Arbaʿun man kunna fīhi kāna munāfiqan khāliṣan — "Four traits: whoever possesses all of them is a pure hypocrite — when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he makes a covenant, he betrays it; when he disputes, he acts wickedly." (al-Bukhārī; Muslim)
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ
Alam yaʿlamū anna llāha yaʿlamu sirrahum wa-najwāhum wa-anna llāha ʿallāmu l-ghuyūb.
"Did they not know that Allāh knows their secrets and their private counsel, and that Allāh is the Knowing of all things unseen?" (al-Tawbah 9:78)
Translation: Did they not know — and is it not apparent — that Allāh knows their innermost secrets (sirr) and their private counsel (najwā)? And that Allāh is the supreme Knower of all that is hidden (ʿallām al-ghuyūb)?
Commentary: The rhetorical question is a form of rebuke: their behaviour implies a delusion that they can conceal things from Allāh. But divine knowledge is absolute. Sirr — the secret held entirely in one's own heart — and najwā — private speech shared between two people — are equally known to Allāh. ʿAllām al-ghuyūb — "the Knower of all unseen realities" — uses the intensive form ʿallām, which in Arabic intensifies ʿālim (knower): Allāh does not merely know; His knowledge of the unseen is all-encompassing, exhaustive, and eternal. The hypocrite's schemes are exposed before they are even completed.
The verse ends the section on the broken covenant: every element of the hypocrite's strategy — the outward oath, the inward plan, the private conversation — is fully known to the One before whom they will stand on the Day of Judgment.
الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Alladhīna yalmizūna l-muṭṭawwiʿīna mina l-muʾminīna fī l-ṣadaqāti wa-lladhīna lā yajidūna illā juhdahum fa-yaskharūna minhum sakhira llāhu minhum wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīm.
"Those who criticise the voluntary contributors among the believers regarding charitable gifts, and those who find nothing to give but their effort — they mock them. Allāh will mock them, and for them is a painful punishment." (al-Tawbah 9:79)
Translation: The hypocrites mock and censure those sincere believers who give generously in voluntary charity (mutaṭawwiʿūn), as well as those who have nothing to offer except the little earned through their labour and hardship. They ridicule both the wealthy charitable giver and the poor labourer offering his meagre contribution. Allāh will turn their mockery back upon them — and for them is a grievous punishment.
Commentary: This verse directly addresses the contemptible practice of mocking those who give in Allāh's way. Two groups of sincere givers are mentioned: those who give abundantly from their wealth (muṭṭawwiʿūn — the willing, voluntary givers) and those who have very little — who can only give a juhd (the result of their utmost exertion and sacrifice). The hypocrites mocked both: the generous giver was accused of ostentation, and the humble giver was ridiculed for his small contribution. Both forms of mockery reveal a soul utterly alienated from the spirit of generosity and from the fear of Allāh.
Sakhira llāhu minhum — "Allāh will mock them" — is a divine retribution in kind: those who mocked sincere worshippers will themselves be subjected to divine sukhriya — a profound and eternal humiliation. As with the verse nasū llāha fa-nasiyahum, the divine response mirrors the human act, establishing the principle of proportionate justice.
The author reflects that this verse should cause every Muslim to be extremely careful about criticising or minimising the charitable efforts of others, however small or large. The habit of always finding fault with those who give or strive in Allāh's way is a mark of spiritual disease.
اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِنْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ
Istaghfir lahum aw lā tastaghfir lahum in tastaghfir lahum sabʿīna marratan fa-lan yaghfira llāhu lahum dhālika bi-annahum kafarū bi-llāhi wa-rasūlihi wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīn.
"Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them. Even if you were to ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allāh will never forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger, and Allāh does not guide a people of wickedness." (al-Tawbah 9:80)
Translation: O Prophet! Whether you seek forgiveness for them or you do not seek forgiveness — it makes no difference. Even if you were to pray for their forgiveness seventy times over, Allāh will not forgive them. This is because they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. And Allāh does not guide a people who are persistently wicked.
Commentary: The "seventy times" (sabʿīna marra) is a Qurʾānic idiom for an unlimited, countless number — it does not mean literally seventy but signifies "however many times." The divine decree is clear: for those who have persisted in disbelief and hypocrisy without genuine repentance, the intercession of even the most beloved of creation — the Prophetﷺhimself — cannot secure forgiveness. This does not mean Allāh is unjust; it means the condition for forgiveness — sincere belief (īmān) and genuine repentance (tawba) — has been withheld by these people through their own choice.
Wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-fāsiqīn — "Allāh does not guide the wickedly disobedient people" — refers to those who have reached a point of willful, persistent rejection that forecloses guidance. Divine guidance (hidāya) requires receptivity; the heart sealed by persistent fisq and kufr cannot receive it.
The author adds an important note: this verse was followed in practice by the Prophetﷺdeclining to pray the funeral prayer (ṣalāt al-janāza) over the arch-hypocrite ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy. The practice of offering funeral prayers for every deceased Muslim — and the principle of benefit of the doubt (ḥusn al-ẓann) regarding all who die within the fold of Islām — is confirmed by other texts; this verse applies specifically to those whose disbelief was definitively established by revelation.
فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَافَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوا أَنْ يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُوا لَا تَنْفِرُوا فِي الْحَرِّ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا لَوْ كَانُوا يَفْقَهُونَ
Fariḥa l-mukhallafūna bi-maqʿadihim khilāfa rasūli llāhi wa-karihū an yujāhidū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim fī sabīli llāhi wa-qālū lā tanfirū fī l-ḥarri qul nāru jahannama ashaddu ḥarran law kānū yafqahūn.
"Those who were left behind rejoiced in their remaining behind after the departure of the Messenger of Allāh. They were loath to strive with their wealth and lives in the cause of Allāh and said: 'Do not march out in the heat.' Say: 'The fire of Hell is far more intense in heat — if only they understood.'" (al-Tawbah 9:81)
Translation: Those who stayed behind — left behind from the expedition to Tabūk — rejoiced at their own sitting in comfort, in defiance of the Messenger of Allāhﷺ. They disliked striving in Allāh's cause with their wealth and their lives. They even propagandised: "Do not go out in this scorching heat!" Say — O Prophet! — "The fire of Hell is far more intensely hot — if only they possessed understanding."
Commentary: This verse refers to the hypocrites and those who lingered behind during the Tabūk expedition (9 AH), which took place in the intense summer heat. They used the heat as an excuse to avoid jihād, and further discouraged others from going. The verse exposes their self-congratulation: fariḥa — "they rejoiced" — in their comfortable paralysis, without any sense of shame. Their comfort in the present was purchased at the cost of eternal torment.
The Prophet'sﷺresponse is devastating in its logic: "The fire of Hell is far more intensely hot." Law kānū yafqahūn — "if only they understood" — expresses the Qurʾānic grief over wilful ignorance. Understanding (fiqh in its deepest sense — insight, comprehension of consequences) would have told them: a little heat in this world for the sake of Allāh versus an eternal and infinitely more intense heat in Hell. The scales are not even comparable.
The author weeps here — metaphorically — over the state of the community: those who give up striving in Allāh's way at the slightest physical discomfort; those who find reasons not to contribute, not to sacrifice, not to respond to the call of the faith. They choose the comforts of cowardice — sitting with the women and children, as the verse implies — and persuade themselves it is wisdom.
Mard ki ek maut hai / Nāmard ki baar baar — "The courageous man dies once; the coward dies again and again" — the author cites this verse of Persian wisdom. A true man — a man of faith — embraces the one great sacrifice; the coward lives in endless small deaths of shame and betrayal.
Then comes the divine consolation for those who did not have the means: those who came to the Prophetﷺweeping because they had no mount to take them to Tabūk. Their poverty was their excuse; their sincerity was rewarded.
فَلْيَضْحَكُوا قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا كَثِيرًا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
Fa-l-yaḍḥakū qalīlan wa-l-yabkū kathīran jazāʾan bi-mā kānū yaksibūn.
"Let them laugh a little and weep much — as recompense for what they used to earn." (al-Tawbah 9:82)
Translation: Let them laugh a little in this brief world — and let them weep much in the hereafter — as a recompense for what they have been accumulating through their deeds.
Commentary: The laughter of the mukhallafūn (those who stayed behind) is brief — the duration of this worldly life, which is finite and fleeting. The weeping that awaits them in the hereafter is long — potentially eternal. Jazāʾan bi-mā kānū yaksibūn — "recompense for what they were earning" — is a reminder that the hereafter does not arbitrarily assign outcomes; it is a harvest of what was sown in this life. The one who laughs now at his own cowardice and complacency, who mocks the sincere and makes excuses for his own failure — he will weep greatly. The one who weeps now in sincere repentance and striving will laugh — and rejoice — in the Gardens of Allāh.
فَإِنْ رَجَعَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَائِفَةٍ مِنْهُمْ فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُمْ بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْخَالِفِينَ
Fa-in rajaʿaka llāhu ilā ṭāʾifatin minhum fa-staʾdhanūka lil-khurūji fa-qul lan takhrujū maʿiya abadan wa-lan tuqātilū maʿiya ʿaduwwan innakum raḍītum bi-l-quʿūdi awwala marratin fa-qʿudū maʿa l-khālifīn.
"So if Allāh returns you to a party of them and they seek your permission to go out [to fight], say: 'You shall never go out with me, nor shall you fight an enemy alongside me. You were content to sit the first time, so sit now with those who remain behind.'" (al-Tawbah 9:83)
Translation: So, O Prophet! — when Allāh brings you back to those who had remained behind, and they come seeking your permission to join the next expedition, say to them: "You will never march forth with me, ever — nor will you fight any enemy at my side. You were content to sit back the first time, so remain now with those who sit behind."
Commentary: This verse establishes a divine consequence for the choice made at Tabūk: those who preferred comfort over duty, and who stayed behind when the Prophetﷺcalled, have foreclosed their opportunity — at least in the immediate context — to redeem themselves by marching out with the Prophetﷺ. Lan takhrujū maʿiya abadan — "you will never go out with me again" — is a severe but just reprimand. Fa-qʿudū maʿa l-khālifīn — "sit with those who remain behind" — means: you made your choice; now live with its implications. The khālifūn — those who remain behind — are the aged, the women, and the children: those for whom staying home is an allowance, not a choice of cowardice. To be equated with them is a humiliation for men of military age who preferred their own comfort.
The verse contains a lesson on the weight of the choices made in critical moments: missing one jihād for a frivolous reason is not simply a single act; it shapes the character and the trajectory of the soul.
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
Wa-lā tuṣalli ʿalā aḥadin minhum māta abadan wa-lā taqum ʿalā qabrihi innahum kafarū bi-llāhi wa-rasūlihi wa-mātū wa-hum fāsiqūn.
"And do not pray over any of them who dies — ever — nor stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger and died while they were wicked." (al-Tawbah 9:84)
Translation: And never — O Prophet! — pray the funeral prayer (ṣalāt al-janāza) over any one of them who dies, nor stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messengerﷺand died in a state of wickedness and moral corruption.
Commentary: This is a prohibition of the highest seriousness: the Prophetﷺis explicitly commanded by Allāh not to offer the funeral prayer for the hypocrites, and not to stand at their graves — an act that would imply a degree of supplication and honour. The reason given — innahum kafarū — is definitive: their disbelief was established by revelation, not by human judgment.
The author addresses a question that arises here regarding visiting graves (ziyārat al-qubūr): the Prophetﷺhad earlier permitted the visitation of graves in general, and there is a well-known tradition that he permitted Sayyidatunā ʿĀʾisha al-Ṣiddīqa (may Allāh be pleased with her) to visit the graves. This verse pertains specifically to those whose disbelief was established; it does not prohibit the general practice of grave visitation (ziyāra), which is a confirmed Sunna for the purpose of remembrance of death and supplication for the deceased believer.
The verse﴿وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَهُمْ﴾— "pray for them — your prayer is a source of tranquility for them" (al-Tawbah 9:103) — applies to the sincere believers: as long as the Prophetﷺwas alive, his prayer over the faithful was a comfort and a mercy for them. The contrast with this verse (9:84) is stark. The author notes: now that the Prophetﷺhas departed, the scholars and pious believers act on his behalf as those who intercede and pray for the departed faithful; their prayers, too, by Allāh's permission, carry benefit.
He continues: it is obligatory to recognise that wealth and children are tests. The verse﴿إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ﴾— "Your wealth and your children are a trial" (al-Taghābun 64:15) — is a permanent reminder. A human being is most vulnerable to arrogance and heedlessness when surrounded by wealth and many children, because the fear of Allāh tends to diminish in prosperity. Wealth gives the illusion of self-sufficiency; children give the illusion of permanence. Both are divine tests.
وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَأَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ
Wa-lā tuʿjibka amwāluhum wa-awlāduhum innamā yurīdu llāhu an yuʿadhdhibahum bihā fī l-dunyā wa-tazhaqa anfusuhum wa-hum kāfirūn.
"And let not their wealth and their children impress you. Allāh only wishes to punish them through these things in this world, and that their souls should depart while they are disbelievers." (al-Tawbah 9:85)
Translation: O Prophet! Do not be dazzled by their wealth and their children. Allāh's only purpose in giving them these things is to afflict them through them in this world, and that their souls should depart in a state of disbelief.
Commentary: This verse (repeated for emphasis — a Qurʾānic technique of takrār to highlight a crucial teaching) reinforces the earlier warning against being overawed by apparent worldly success. The wealth of the hypocrites is not a sign of divine favour; it is a means of divine punishment. Every dirham of their wealth that they clutch, every child they pamper while neglecting Allāh, becomes an instrument of their own destruction: a source of anxiety, conflict, and ultimately, of dying in heedlessness. The soul departing in kufr — wa-hum kāfirūn — is the ultimate tragedy that their wealth has enabled.
The author adds his own pastoral reflection: how easy it is for the believer to be impressed by the outward glitter of those who have no faith. The true measuring-stick of success is not wealth, lineage, or worldly position — it is closeness to Allāh. The one who dies in imān and tawba with nothing in his hand is infinitely better placed than the one who dies in kufr surrounded by all the world's goods.
وَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَجَاهِدُوا مَعَ رَسُولِهِ اسْتَأْذَنَكَ أُولُو الطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُوا ذَرْنَا نَكُنْ مَعَ الْقَاعِدِينَ
Wa-idhā unzilat sūratun an āminū bi-llāhi wa-jāhidū maʿa rasūlihi staʾdhanaka ulū l-ṭawli minhum wa-qālū dharnā nakun maʿa l-qāʿidīn.
"And when a sūra is sent down commanding: 'Believe in Allāh and strive alongside His Messenger!' — those among them possessing means seek permission from you and say: 'Leave us to be with those who sit behind.'" (al-Tawbah 9:86)
Translation: Whenever a sūra is revealed commanding belief in Allāh and jihād alongside the Messengerﷺ, those among the hypocrites who are ulū l-ṭawl — possessed of means, capable and able — come to seek your permission to stay behind and say: "Allow us to be with those who remain at home."
Commentary: Ulū l-ṭawl — "those possessing means" — makes the excuse of the hypocrites even more damning: these are not the poor, the sick, or the genuinely incapacitated. These are wealthy, able-bodied individuals who have every means to participate but prefer comfort. They use the polite fiction of "requesting permission" to avoid their clear duty. The command to believe and strive was clear and unambiguous; their response was evasion wrapped in etiquette.
رَضُوا بِأَنْ يَكُونُوا مَعَ الْخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ
Raḍū bi-an yakūnū maʿa l-khawālifi wa-ṭubiʿa ʿalā qulūbihim fa-hum lā yafqahūn.
"They were content to be with the khawālif (those who stay behind), and their hearts were sealed, so they do not understand." (al-Tawbah 9:87)
Translation: They were satisfied — even pleased — to be counted among the khawālif (those left behind — women, children, the infirm). And their hearts were sealed over, so they have no understanding.
Commentary: Khawālif — the plural of khālifa — refers to those who legitimately remain at home: women, the aged, the infirm. For able men to be content with this company is a mark of profound moral degradation. Wa-ṭubiʿa ʿalā qulūbihim — "their hearts were sealed" — is the divine explanation: the cause of their inability to understand is not intellectual but spiritual. A sealed heart (qalb makhtūm) cannot receive guidance; it has been closed over by the accumulation of sin, hypocrisy, and heedlessness. Fa-hum lā yafqahūn — "so they do not understand" — means their faculty of spiritual comprehension (fiqh in its deepest sense — insight, moral perception) has been extinguished.
The hypocrites who stayed behind rejoiced; their companions who went to Tabūk wept — weeping out of sincere desire to serve and inability to do so for lack of means. This contrast is the central moral drama of this passage.
لَٰكِنِ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ جَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْخَيْرَاتُ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
Lākini l-rasūlu wa-lladhīna āmanū maʿahu jāhadū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim wa-ulāʾika lahumu l-khayrātu wa-ulāʾika humu l-mufliḥūn.
"But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove with their wealth and their lives. For them are all good things, and they are the successful." (al-Tawbah 9:88)
Translation: But the Messenger of Allāhﷺand those who believed along with him — they strove in jihād with their wealth and their lives. For them are all good things (khayrāt) in this world and the next, and they are the truly successful (mufliḥūn).
Commentary: The contrast is absolute: the hypocrites sat in comfort, hearts sealed; the Messengerﷺand the sincere believers went forth, sacrificing wealth and lives. The divine reward — lahumu l-khayrāt — is comprehensive: all good, all blessing, all grace, all mercy, in this world and in the hereafter. Al-mufliḥūn — "the successful ones" — is the Qurʾānic designation for those who have achieved the ultimate goal: the pleasure of Allāh, Paradise, and all its accompaniments. It is the opposite of al-khāsirūn (the losers) that was used for the hypocrites.
أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Aʿadda llāhu lahum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīm.
"Allāh has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme triumph." (al-Tawbah 9:89)
Translation: Allāh has prepared for these believers gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will remain forever. That is the supreme, magnificent triumph.
Commentary: Aʿadda — "He has prepared" — uses the past tense to indicate certainty: the Gardens are as good as ready; the divine promise is unfailing. Dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīm — "that is the supreme triumph" — is the Qurʾānic seal on the description of the believer's ultimate reward. All the striving, the sacrifice, the endurance of heat and hardship in jihād — it culminates in this: eternal Gardens, eternal joy, and — as the earlier verse added — the supreme pleasure of Allāh (riḍwānun mina llāhi akbar).
The author pauses here to contrast the two parties once more. The hypocrites who stayed behind had chosen comfort — they thought they were preserving themselves. Cowards, he writes: unmanly, timid men, who chose to sit with women and children because they lacked the courage to be men. They thought their cleverness had protected them. They did not realise that they had chosen the greatest possible loss: the friendship of the Prophetﷺ, the honour of jihād, and the reward of Paradise — all forfeited for the sake of a few days' comfort in a world that is passing away. The man of faith is known in the hour of trial; the hour of Tabūk sorted the true from the false.
He cites a verse of Persian poetry: "Nāmdār az roze marg āyad guwāh / Mardān ra ek bār marg ast wa bas" — "The honour of the great is witnessed in the day of death; the courageous man dies once and no more." [reconstructed poetic reference]
وَجَاءَ الْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Wa-jāʾa l-muʿadhdhirūna mina l-aʿrābi li-yuʾdhana lahum wa-qaʿada lladhīna kadhabū llāha wa-rasūlahu sa-yuṣību lladhīna kafarū minhum ʿadhābun alīm.
"And the excuse-makers among the desert Arabs came to be given permission, and those who had lied to Allāh and His Messenger stayed behind. A painful punishment will afflict those among them who disbelieved." (al-Tawbah 9:90)
Translation: The desert Arabs (aʿrāb) who had excuses — whether genuine or fabricated — came to the Prophetﷺseeking permission to stay behind. And those who simply lied to Allāh and His Messengerﷺremained at home without even seeking permission. A painful punishment will soon befall those among them who disbelieved.
Commentary: Al-muʿadhdhirūn — "those making excuses" — is a term that covers two sub-groups: those with genuine incapacities who legitimately sought dispensation, and those who fabricated excuses. The Qurʾān uses a word that encompasses both, leaving the final judgment to Allāh. The second group — those who simply sat without even the pretence of seeking permission — are described as having lied to Allāh and His Messengerﷺ: their very public claim of being Muslims while abandoning every duty was itself a lie.
Mukhabbir means the one who provides genuine news; mudhayyiʿ means one who wastes and squanders. The word aʿrāb is the collective plural for the nomadic Arabs; ʿarabī is the singular and aʿrāb is not simply a grammatical plural but a specific designation for the bedouin, distinct from the settled Arabs of the towns. The verse distinguishes those who at least had the decency to present their excuse from those who did not even bother.
لَيْسَ عَلَى الضُّعَفَاءِ وَلَا عَلَى الْمَرْضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُوا لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ مَا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Laysa ʿalā l-ḍuʿafāʾi wa-lā ʿalā l-marḍā wa-lā ʿalā lladhīna lā yajidūna mā yunfiqūna ḥarajun idhā naṣaḥū li-llāhi wa-rasūlihi mā ʿalā l-muḥsinīna min sabīlin wa-llāhu ghafūrun raḥīm.
"There is no blame upon the weak, nor upon the sick, nor upon those who find nothing to spend — if they are sincere to Allāh and His Messenger. There is no way of blame against the doers of good, and Allāh is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Tawbah 9:91)
Translation: There is no blame whatsoever upon the physically weak, nor upon the ill, nor upon those who simply have no means to spend — provided they are genuinely sincere (naṣīḥūn) toward Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. Upon the doers of good (muḥsinūn), there is no way of blame (sabīl) at all. And Allāh is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Commentary: After the stern treatment of the hypocrites who had the means and ability but stayed behind, the Qurʾān now turns to those who had genuine incapacities: the ḍuʿafāʾ (the weak — aged, frail, the physically infirm), the marḍā (the sick), and those who genuinely had no resources to equip themselves for the expedition. For all of these, there is no ḥaraj (blame, burden, guilt) — on condition of naṣīḥa: sincere loyalty and good counsel toward Allāh and His Messengerﷺ. Naṣīḥa here means wholehearted sincerity: even if they could not physically participate, their hearts were with the expedition, their prayers were for its success, and their counsel — if sought — would have been honest.
Mā ʿalā l-muḥsinīna min sabīl — "upon the doers of good, there is no way against them" — is a magnificent affirmation: Allāh's justice never visits punishment upon those who are genuinely doing their best. The one who is incapacitated but sincere is a muḥsin (one who acts with excellence and good faith), and no blame attaches to him.
وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَا أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوْا وَأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا مَا يُنْفِقُونَ
Wa-lā ʿalā lladhīna idhā mā atawka li-taḥmilahumṃ qulta lā ajidu mā aḥmilukum ʿalayhi tawallaw wa-aʿyunuhum tafīḍu mina l-damʿi ḥazanan allā yajidū mā yunfiqūn.
"Nor upon those who, when they came to you to be provided with mounts, and you said: 'I cannot find anything to carry you on' — they turned away with eyes flowing with tears in grief that they had no means to spend." (al-Tawbah 9:92)
Translation: Nor is there any blame upon those who came to you — O Prophet! — asking for a mount to ride to the expedition, and you said: "I find nothing on which to carry you" — and they turned away, their eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they had no means to contribute.
Commentary: This verse immortalises among the most moving scenes in the Qurʾān and in the history of Islām: the Bakāʾīn — "the Weepers" — a group of Companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) who came to the Prophetﷺdesperate to participate in the Tabūk expedition. They were too poor to equip themselves; the Prophetﷺhad nothing to give them for mounts. They left weeping — not weeping because they were spared hardship, but weeping because they were deprived of the honour of serving Allāh's cause. Their poverty was their genuine ʿudhr (excuse); their sincerity was unimpeachable; and the Qurʾān records them with honour.
The author is moved here by this passage. He writes: look at the Companions of the Messengerﷺ— they would have given their lives a hundred times over if they could have gone. They wept at the Prophet's door, broken-hearted at their own poverty, which stood between them and service to Allāh. Now look at those with every resource, every convenience — who still find reasons not to go, not to give, not to serve. What a distance separates the two states!
إِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَسْتَأْذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَاءُ رَضُوا بِأَنْ يَكُونُوا مَعَ الْخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Innamā l-sabīlu ʿalā lladhīna yastaʾdhirūnaka wa-hum aghniyāʾu raḍū bi-an yakūnū maʿa l-khawālifi wa-ṭabaʿa llāhu ʿalā qulūbihim fa-hum lā yaʿlamūn.
"The way of blame is only upon those who seek permission from you while they are wealthy. They were content to be with the khawālif (those who stay behind), and Allāh has sealed their hearts, so they do not know." (al-Tawbah 9:93)
Translation: The blame rests only upon those who seek permission to stay behind even though they are wealthy and fully capable. They were content to remain with those who sit behind, and Allāh has sealed their hearts — so they do not know, and they do not learn.
Commentary: The decisive contrast is now fully drawn: no blame on the poor, the sick, the infirm who wished to go; all blame on the wealthy, the capable, the resourceful — who chose to sit and sought permission to legitimise their sitting. Wa-ṭabaʿa llāhu ʿalā qulūbihim — "Allāh sealed their hearts" — is the divine explanation: the cause of their blindness is spiritual, a consequence of their own choices. Fa-hum lā yaʿlamūn — "so they do not know" — contrasts with the earlier fa-hum lā yafqahūn ("so they do not understand"): these people have lost both comprehension and awareness. Their hearts are dark.
The author concludes this section with a reflection on the honour of the true Companions of the Prophetﷺ: those sincere souls who could not afford mounts but wept at their inability to serve. He contrasts their state with the wealthy hypocrites who contrived excuses. He notes: in his own time, many who have wealth and ease and security — who could with ease contribute to every good cause — still find reasons not to give, not to strive, not to stand for Allāh. And those who genuinely have nothing — who weep at their inability — are a source of shame to the able who choose to do nothing. He calls upon the reader to reflect: what kind of Muslim am I?
He writes with passion: the Companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) spent their lives in service to Islām; they had no shame in admitting their poverty to the Prophetﷺ; they asked for what they needed and wept when they could not get it. They were men. The contemporary Muslim who has every resource — who does nothing for Islām, is embarrassed to be associated with Islāmic causes in public, who considers public piety unfashionable — is a far cry from that heroic generation. The gap between the two must be bridged — through repentance, through re-commitment, through courage in declaring one's faith, and through practical sacrifice in Allāh's way.
He closes this section by invoking the phrase: Allāh make us men — men of faith, men of action, men of sacrifice — and grant this community the spirit of the Bakāʾīn, those blessed weepers who wept not for the world but for the love of Allāh and His Messengerﷺ.
End of Volume Two — Tafsīr-e-Ṣiddīqī
Completed with the grace of Allāh, Lord of all worlds.
﴿وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ﴾
"My success is only through Allāh — upon Him I rely and to Him I turn." (Hūd 11:88)