Surah 9. At-Tawbah

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-16 [2], 17-24 [3], 25-29 [4], 30-37 [5], 38-42 [6], 43-59 [7], 60-66 [8], 67-72 [9], 73-80 [10], 81-89 [11], 90-99 [12], 100-110 [13], 111-118 [14], 119-122 [15], 123-129 [16]

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Quran Text of Verse 73-809. At-Tawbah Page 199یٰۤاَیُّهَاO ProphetالنَّبِیُّO ProphetجَاهِدِStrive (against)الْكُفَّارَthe disbelieversوَ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَand the hypocritesوَ اغْلُظْand be sternعَلَیْهِمْ ؕwith themوَ مَاْوٰىهُمْAnd their abodeجَهَنَّمُ ؕ(is) Hellوَ بِئْسَand wretchedالْمَصِیْرُ (is) the destination یَحْلِفُوْنَThey swearبِاللّٰهِby Allahمَا(that) they said nothingقَالُوْا ؕ(that) they said nothingوَ لَقَدْwhile certainlyقَالُوْاthey saidكَلِمَةَ(the) wordالْكُفْرِ(of) the disbeliefوَ كَفَرُوْاand disbelievedبَعْدَafterاِسْلَامِهِمْtheir (pretense of) Islamوَ هَمُّوْاand plannedبِمَا[of] whatلَمْnotیَنَالُوْا ۚthey could attainوَ مَاAnd notنَقَمُوْۤاthey were resentfulاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatاَغْنٰىهُمُAllah had enriched themاللّٰهُAllah had enriched themوَ رَسُوْلُهٗand His Messengerمِنْofفَضْلِهٖ ۚHis BountyفَاِنْSo ifیَّتُوْبُوْاthey repentیَكُit isخَیْرًاbetterلَّهُمْ ۚfor themوَ اِنْand ifیَّتَوَلَّوْاthey turn awayیُعَذِّبْهُمُAllah will punish themاللّٰهُAllah will punish themعَذَابًا(with) a punishmentاَلِیْمًا ۙpainfulفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةِ ۚand (in) the Hereafterوَ مَاAnd notلَهُمْfor themفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمِنْ[of]وَّلِیٍّany protectorوَّ لَاand notنَصِیْرٍ any helper وَ مِنْهُمْAnd among themمَّنْ(is he) whoعٰهَدَmade a covenantاللّٰهَ(with) AllahلَىِٕنْIfاٰتٰىنَاHe gives usمِنْofفَضْلِهٖHis bountyلَنَصَّدَّقَنَّsurely we will give charityوَ لَنَكُوْنَنَّand surely we will beمِنَamongالصّٰلِحِیْنَ the righteous فَلَمَّاۤBut whenاٰتٰىهُمْHe gave themمِّنْofفَضْلِهٖHis Bountyبَخِلُوْاthey became stingyبِهٖwith itوَ تَوَلَّوْاand turned awayوَّ هُمْwhile theyمُّعْرِضُوْنَ (were) averse فَاَعْقَبَهُمْSo He penalized themنِفَاقًا(with) hypocrisyفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsاِلٰیuntilیَوْمِthe dayیَلْقَوْنَهٗwhen they will meet Himبِمَاۤbecauseاَخْلَفُواthey brokeاللّٰهَ(the covenant) with Allahمَاwhatوَعَدُوْهُthey had promised Himوَ بِمَاand becauseكَانُوْاthey used toیَكْذِبُوْنَ lie اَلَمْDo notیَعْلَمُوْۤاthey knowاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیَعْلَمُknowsسِرَّهُمْtheir secretوَ نَجْوٰىهُمْand their secret conversationوَ اَنَّand thatاللّٰهَAllahعَلَّامُ(is) All-Knowerالْغُیُوْبِۚ(of) the unseen اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoیَلْمِزُوْنَcriticizeالْمُطَّوِّعِیْنَthe ones who give willinglyمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersفِیconcerningالصَّدَقٰتِthe charitiesوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoلَاnotیَجِدُوْنَfindاِلَّاexceptجُهْدَهُمْtheir effortفَیَسْخَرُوْنَso they ridiculeمِنْهُمْ ؕthemسَخِرَAllah will ridiculeاللّٰهُAllah will ridiculeمِنْهُمْ ؗthemوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful 9. At-Tawbah Page 200اِسْتَغْفِرْAsk forgivenessلَهُمْfor themاَوْorلَا(do) notتَسْتَغْفِرْask forgivenessلَهُمْ ؕfor themاِنْIfتَسْتَغْفِرْyou ask forgivenessلَهُمْfor themسَبْعِیْنَseventyمَرَّةًtimesفَلَنْneverیَّغْفِرَwill Allah forgiveاللّٰهُwill Allah forgiveلَهُمْ ؕ[for] themذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمْ(is) because theyكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖ ؕand His Messengerوَ اللّٰهُand Allahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالْفٰسِقِیْنَ۠the defiantly disobedient

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Translation of Verse 73-80

73. O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and deal strictly with them.¹⁴² Their destination is Hell, and evil refuge.

74. They swear by Allah that they did not say so, but though indeed they did utter words of disbelief, and rejected faith after accepting Islam, and they sought to do what they could not attain.¹⁴³ The reason for their annoyance is nothing except that Allah and His messenger have enriched them through His bounty.¹⁴⁴ If they repent it will be better for them, and if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a grievous punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no protecting friend or helper on the face of the earth.

75. And among them there are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying): “If He give us of His bounty, we will give in charity and be righteous.

76. “But when He gave them of His bounty, they became miserly, and turned away from their covenant totally averse (to righteousness).

77. As a result He caused hypocrisy to settle in their hearts until the day they will meet Him, because they broke their covenant with Allah, and because they lied.¹⁴⁵

78. Are they not aware that Allah knows their secrets and their secret counsels, and that Allah is the Knower of Things Hidden?

79. Those who taunt such of the believers as give freely in charity, and such as can find nothing to give in charity but their hard earnings, ¹⁴⁶ and ridicule them. Allah ridicules them, and for them is grievous punishment.

80. (O prophet!) Pray for forgiveness for them or do not pray for forgiveness for them; even if you pray for forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them. That is because they rejected Allah and His messenger¹⁴⁷, and Allah does not guide the evil-doers.

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Commentary

142. That is: Now no quarters should be shown to the hypocrites, but they should be dealt with strictly and firmly, and if necessary, force should be used against them to the extent that may be required. The command for strict dealing was given because their hypocrisy had been disclosed and their disbelief had come out in the open. These were so-called Muslims, but there was no difference between them and the disbelievers in the matter of their hostility towards Islam. They were guilty of uttering blasphemy, but besides they had not left any stone unturned in damaging Islam, discouraging Muslims and creating mischief among the Muslims; so much so that they had even plotted against the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Therefore, it had become necessary that these snakes in the sleeves be dealt with like the enemies.

143. They had conspired and plotted against Islam and its Prophet in many ways, but fortunately none of their schemes fructified.

144. Before the migration of the Prophet to Madina, the economic condition of the general population of that city was not good. After his arrival, when Madina became the capital city of the Islamic state, the trade of the city picked up, and thereafter when the Muslims went on winning victory after victory, people of Madina became richer and quite well to do. In this way Allah widened their means of livelihood from His bounty and the favours of the prophet blessed them. But these hypocrites in return adopted the attitude of rejection with Allah and enmity with His Messenger.

145. It may be noted that to turn away from Allah after making a covenant with Him and speaking lies repeatedly helps hypocrisy to settle in a person’s heart permanently.

146. On the occasion of the Tabuk Expedition. in view of the expenses involved in the journey and the impending war. there was need for the Muslims to spend in the cause of Allah freely and without reservations. On this important occasion the hypocrites not only withheld their hands from spending in the cause of Allah but also taunted those Muslims who had contributed generously by saying that they were doing so to show off, and ridiculed the efforts of those poor Muslims who could offer only the meagre amounts that they could earn by putting in manual labour, and they said that Allah does not want such meagre amounts of their charity.

147. The appearance of these hypocrites is that of the Muslims, because they offer prayers and pay zakat, therefore, it is likely that the Prophet may request for forgiveness for them from Allah, being misled by their appearances, but since they nurse the feelings of disbelief against Allah and His messenger in their hearts, Allah will never forgive them. In the sight of Allah as the sin of polytheism is unforgivable similarly the sin of disbelief is also unforgivable.

It may be noted that seventy times has been mentioned to denote large number of times and not any actual figure, and the idea is to state emphatically that even the prayer of the prophet in favour of the hypocrites is not acceptable to Allah, even if the prophet prays for them a large number of times.

Almost a similar point is made in Surah Munafiqoon which was revealed earlier than this Surah, Taubah.