Surah At-Tawbah 9:17-24 - Quran Translation Commentary

(9:17) And, it was not for the polytheists that they tend²⁹ Allah's Sanctuaries,³⁰ while they bear witness infidelity against themselves.³¹ They .. their deeds have fallen to nothing and in Fire they shall abide forever.

(9:18) Surely, those tend Allah's Sanctuaries who believe in Allah and the Hereafter,³² offer Prayers, pay the Zakah, and fear none other than Allah.³³ These .. haply³⁴ these will be of those that are guided.

(9:19) Have you made the providing of the pilgrims with drinks, and tending the Grand Mosque equal to one who believed in Allah and the Hereafter, and fought in the way of Allah?³⁵ They are not equal in the sight of Allah. And Allah does not guide a transgressing people.

(9:20) Those who believed, migrated, and fought in the way of Allah with their wealth and their persons, they are of higher status with Allah, and they indeed .. they are successful.

(9:21) Their Lord gives them glad tiding of a mercy from Him and approval,³⁶ and of gardens for them wherein is enduring pleasure.³⁷

(9:22) Abiding therein forever. Verily with Allah are great rewards.

(9:23) Believers! Do not take your fathers and brothers as allies if they prefer disbelief over belief.³⁸ Then, whosoever of you took them as allies they indeed they are the transgressors.³⁹

(9:24| Say, ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce that you fear may slacken,⁴⁰ and the dwellings in which you take pleasure are dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger and fighting in His cause,⁴¹ then, wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide a transgressing people.⁴²

Commentary

29. The textual word `imarah denotes construction (of a place), maintenance, habitation therein, as well as visit for purposes of worship, or, as Yusuf Ali has written, "fill with light and life and activity." Hence Bayt al Ma`mur meaning, the House of worship, or, the House that is served.

However, Zamakhshari has cautioned that it is not used in the sense of i`tamara, i.e., offering of an `Umrah. But, when it is said "`amara Allaha", it means he worshiped Allah, or "`ammara fulanan rakatayni" would mean, so and so offered two cycles of Prayer. Raghib has said that `imarah is the antonym of khirab, i.e., destruction. Raghib also disagrees with Zamakhshari when he says that one might not use `amara in the sense of i`tamara, i.e., he performed an `Umrah. According to Raghib, such usage is allowed. Deductively, the verse under discussion denies the unbelievers `imarah in all the above senses, that is, entry into the mosques for the purposes of worship, service, maintenance, building, custodianship, or pilgrimage (Manar).

In Yusuf Ali's words: "Before the preaching of Islam the Pagans built, repaired, and maintained the Mosque, and celebrated Pagan ceremonies in it. They made an income out of it. Islam protested, and the Pagans ejected Muslims and their Leader from Makkah and shut them out from the Ka`bah itself. When the Muslims were strong enough to re take Makkah (A.H. 8), they purified the Mosque and re established the worship of the true God. If they became Muslims, it was a different matter. Then the further question arose: should they be allowed to visit it and practice their unseemly Pagan rites? Obviously this would be derogatory to the dignity and honour of the Mosque, and was forbidden. This was the particular occasion to which the verse refers. The general deduction is clear. A house of Allah is a place of sincere devotion, not a theater for vulgar rites nor a source of worldly income."

Rashid Rida also expresses the opinion that if a non Muslim donates money for the construction of a mosque, it could be used since mere donation does not entail a hold over the mosque. However, if that is feared, then it might not be accepted. Thanwi points out that that is also the ruling stated in the Hanafiyy work Hidayah (as also in Radd al Muhtar, Shami and Maraghi: Shafi`).

30. Earlier, Allah announced that He and His Prophet were quit of the polytheists. The polytheists of course disapproved of this, saying, ‘there should be cooperation and collaboration, especially when we are the ones who tend to the Grand Mosque.' In answer, Allah pointed out that there could be no co operation or collaboration with such glaring contradictions as disbelief in He, for whom the Grand Mosque was built and themselves who believed in stone gods (Razi).

Rashid Rida writes: When Allah got His House cleared of the filth of idols, He gives orders that the House be cleansed of the filth of their worshippers: the polytheists.

31. Suddi has said that the unbelievers bear witness to their unbelief. If you asked a Christian what his religion is, he will reply, "I am a Christian." If you asked a Jew what his religion is, he will reply, "Judaism." If you asked a pagan what his religion is, he will reply, "I am a polytheist" (Razi, Qurtubi). That is, none of them will say he is submitted to One Allah (Au.).

32. Allah thus bore witness to the faith of him who frequents Allah's mosques. We have a hadith too on this topic. Preserved by Tirmidhi who declared it hasan gharib (a kind of weak report: Au.), [as well as in Ibn Marduwayh and Hakim: Ibn Kathir], which says,

إذا رأيتم الرجل يعتاد المساجد فاشهدوا له بالإيمان

"When you see a man frequenting the mosques, bear witness to his faith." Then the Prophet recited this verse: "Surely, those tend to Allah's Sanctuaries who believe in Allah and the Hereafter."

Ibn al `Arabiyy has cautioned that this frequenting the mosque, however, will not be considered enough for a man to be accepted as a witness (in the courts). For, to be a witness, one has to meet other qualifications (Qurtubi). Another hadith preserved by Ahmad says:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ ذِئْبُ الْإِنْسَانِ كَذِئْبِ الْغَنَمِ يَأْخُذُ الشَّاةَ الْقَاصِيَةَ وَالنَّاحِيَةَ فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالشِّعَابَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ وَالْعَامَّةِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ

"Satan is man's wolf, just like the wolf for sheep which seizes the stray one. Lo! Be with the people, be with the community and the common people and (frequent) the mosques" (Ibn Kathir).

The hadith is also in Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Hakim, who rated it sahih (Alusi).

On the topic of mosques, Majid has the following to quote: "After remarking that Islam ‘has preserved the character of pure monotheism much more faithfully than the Mosaic and Christian religions,' he (Haeckel) proceeds: ‘When I visited the East for the first time in 1873, and admired the noble mosques in Cairo, Smyrna, Brussa, and Constantinople, I was inspired with a feeling of real devotion by the simple and tasteful decoration of the interior, and the lofty and beautiful work of the exterior. How noble and inspiring these mosques appear in comparison with the majority of Catholic churches, which are covered normally with gaudy pictures and gilt, and are outwardly disfigured by an immoderate crowd of human and animal figures' (Haeckel, Riddle of the Universe, p. 233)."

33. The "fear of none but Allah" has been coupled with "belief in Him" because fear of other than Allah betrays secret association (shirk al khafiyy) Sayyid.

34. Muhammad b. Is haq b. Yasar has said that every `asa (haply) coming from Allah is a firm promise (Ibn Kathir).

35. Several incidents are quoted as those occasioning this verse. Nu`man b. Bashir al Ansari says, "I was sitting by the pulpit of the Prophet's mosque along with a few others. One of them said that he was not bothered about anything after Islam except that he wished he could supply water to the pilgrims. Another said, "Rather, maintain the Grand Mosque." A third said that Jihad in the cause of Allah was the best of deeds. `Umar interrupted and told us not to make noise near the Prophet's pulpit, rather wait for the Friday Prayer to be over to ask him about the best of deeds and this verse was revealed. (Qurtubi says that probably the verse was revealed earlier, so, when the Prophet was asked, he recited it in reply).

Another incident quoted is that of `Abbas who said, when taken prisoner at Badr, "Well, you might have overtaken us in Islam, hijrah and Jihad, but we on our part maintained the Grand Mosque, supplied water to the pilgrims, and relieved the distressed."

A third report says that Talha b. Shaybah, `Abbas and `Ali disputed between themselves over the best of deeds. Ibn Shaybah said: "I own the keys of the House of Ka`bah and can, if I wish, sleep inside it." `Abbas said: "I am the one who is in charge of supplying water to the pilgrims." `Ali remarked: "I do not know what you two are talking about. All I know is that I Prayed facing the Qiblah six months before the rest of the people did, and I fought in the way of Allah." In response, Allah revealed this verse.

Ibn `Abbas added that in fact the pagans were proud of their maintenance of the Grand Mosque and supply of water to the pilgrims, but turned away from Allah in arrogance. Allah said about them (23: 66 67): "Surely, My signs were recited to you but you turned away on your backs in arrogance, spending evenings in evil talk" (Ibn Jarir).

Supplying water to the pilgrims was, in those days of scarcity, of no small benefit. Scores of pilgrims died of thirst. Yet, it was counted out as a deed of no value in the absence of faith (Au.).

Yusuf Ali offers his perceptive comments applicable to peoples of all times: "Giving drinks of cold water to thirsty pilgrims, and doing material services to a mosque are meritorious acts, but they are only external. If they do not touch the soul, their value is slight. Far greater, in the sight of Allah, are Faith, Endeavour, and self surrender to Allah. Men who practice these will obtain honor in the sight of Allah. Allah's light and guidance comes to them, and not to those self sufficient beings who think that a little show of what the world considers piety is enough."

36. Jabir b. `Abdullah reports the Prophet:

إذا دخل أهل الجنة الجنة، قال الله سبحانه: أُعطيكم أفضل من هذا، فيقولون: ربَّنا، أيُّ شيء أفضل من هذا؟ قال: رِضْواني

"When the people would have entered Paradise, Allah will say, ‘I shall give you something better than all these things.' They will ask, ‘What could be better than these blessings?' He will say, ‘My Approval (ridwan)'" Ibn Jarir.

The above hadith is declared trustworthy and has its equivalent in roughly the same words in Bukhari and other collections (Au.).

37. Note that in verse 20 Allah of three kinds of deeds: belief in Allah, hijrah and jihad in His cause. In verse 21 He followed it up with three kinds of rewards: mercy, being pleased, and, gardens. Also note that the three deeds are in the order of their importance, higher to lower. The rewards too are in the order of their importance: higher to lower (Au.).

38. Asad comments on the general meaning: "The term walayah ("alliance" or "friendship") is used in this context in the sense of an alliance against other believers, as in 3: 28. That it does not refer to "friendship" in the sense of normal human affection is obvious from the many exhortations in the Qur'an to be good to one's parents and kinsfolk; and, more explicitly, from 60: 8 9, where the believers are reminded that friendly relations with unbelievers who are not hostile to the Muslim community are permissible.."

But Qurtubi is more specific. He writes: Obviously, the verse is of general nature, applicable to believers of all times, but at the time of its revelation, special reference was to those who had embraced Islam but had remained in the unbelievers' lands, whether in Makkah, or other places, while the Prophet had already emigrated to Madinah. The Muslims were told, in this and the next verse, that they ought to prefer their religion over everything else. Although of course, the main point remains, viz. Muslims should not take the unbelievers to their heart. It is love of Allah alone that should reside there. One of the Sufis has said:

يقولون لي دار الاحبة قد دنت

وأنت كئيب إن ذا لعجيب

فقلت وما تغني ديار قريبة

إذا لم يكن بين القلوب قريب

فكم من بعيد الدار نال مراده

وآخر جار الجنب مات كئيب

They tell me the house of the beloved is close

Yet strange that you appear downcast

I said, it matters not how close the houses

If the hearts be not close

How many distantly placed have not achieved their desires?

While another next door died gloomy.

Ibn Kathir writes: The theme of this verse is expressed in a slightly different manner elsewhere in the Qur'an. It says (58: 22):

لَا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُولَئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ [المجادلة : 22]

"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Hereafter, having affection for those who opposed Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers, sons, brothers, or kinsfolk. Such, Allah has written faith in their hearts and has helped them with a Spirit from Him and shall admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow."

It is reported by Hafiz al Bayhaqi that during the Badr battle Abu `Ubaydah's father, al Jarrah began chanting praises of his deities. Initially Abu `Ubaydah avoided encounter with him. But when he would not stop, he confronted him. The two fought, and Abu `Ubaydah killed his father. Allah revealed the verse, "You will not find .."

On the topic of love of Allah and His Messenger, Ibn Kathir also writes that a hadith of Bukhari tells us that once the Prophet was strolling with his hand in `Umar's when `Umar said,

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَأَنْتَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ فَإِنَّهُ الْآنَ وَاللَّهِ لَأَنْتَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْآنَ يَا عُمَرُ

"By Allah. You are dearer to me than anything else in this world, save for my own soul." The Prophet remarked, "A man is not a true believer until he loves me more than his own self." At that `Umar said, (according to some reports, being quiet for a while, consulting his inner self: Au.), "By Allah, now you are dearer to me than my own soul." The Prophet said, "Now, O `Umar." (That is, now you have become a true believer: Au.).

It is also reported (by Bukhari: Hussain b. Ibrahim) that the Prophet (saws) said:

لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ

"One of you does not believe in me until I am dearer to him than his father, sons and the rest of the people." (There is a hadith that strongly disapproves of the love of this world against the love of the Hereafter: Au.).

The Prophet said in a hadith preserved by Abu Da'ud:

إِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالْعِينَةِ وَأَخَذْتُمْ أَذْنَابَ الْبَقَرِ وَرَضِيتُمْ بِالزَّرْعِ وَتَرَكْتُمُ الْجِهَادَ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ ذُلاًّ لاَ يَنْزِعُهُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ

"When you begin to deal in `Ina (a dealing with a tinge of usury), hold on to the tails of the oxen (i.e., cattle-breeding) and are quite satisfied with farming, and give up Jihad, then Allah will impose on you such humiliation that He will not remove from you until you return to your religion."

39. The verse forbids approval of the unbelievers as long as they remain unbelievers. For, as the scholars say, to show approval of disbelief is itself disbelief and to approve of wickedness is itself wickedness. The verse however, does not forbid being dutiful to unbelieving parents, or, employing an unbeliever. Forbidden is love or approval of their ways (Au.). Bukhari has a report coming down from Asma'. She asked the Prophet (saws),

قَدِمَتْ أُمِّي وَهِيَ مُشْرِكَةٌ ..فَاسْتَفْتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ..أَفَأَصِلُهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ صِلِي أُمَّكِ

"My mother has come down to me (from Makkah) although she is still a pagan. I asked the Prophet, ‘Should I treat her well?" He replied, "Treat your mother well" (Qurtubi).

A longer version of the above report is in Bukhari (Au.)

40. An alternative interpretation put forward by Ibn al Mubarak is that the allusion is to the daughters and sisters who, one fears, might not get married if the guardian emigrated. This kind of usage has precedence in poetical works (Qurtubi).

41. A hadith of Bukhari and Nasa'i says the Prophet said:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَعَدَ لِابْنِ آدَمَ بِأَطْرُقِهِ فَقَعَدَ لَهُ بِطَرِيقِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَتُسْلِمُ وَتَذَرُ دِينَكَ وَدِينَ آبَائِكَ وَآبَاءِ أَبِيكَ قَالَ فَعَصَاهُ فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ لَهُ بِطَرِيقِ الْهِجْرَةِ فَقَالَ أَتُهَاجِرُ وَتَذَرُ أَرْضَكَ وَسَمَاءَكَ .. َ فَعَصَاهُ فَهَاجَرَ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ لَهُ بِطَرِيقِ الْجِهَادِ فَقَالَ لَهُ .. فَتُقَاتِلُ فَتُقْتَلُ فَتُنْكَحُ الْمَرْأَةُ وَيُقَسَّمُ الْمَالُ قَالَ فَعَصَاهُ فَجَاهَدَ

"Shaytan sat in the path of Adam's son at various points. He sat by the path of Islam and said, ‘Will you embrace Islam and abandon your ancestral religion?' (The man) disobeyed him and embraced Islam. Then he sat by the path of hijrah saying, ‘Will you emigrate abandoning your land and your sky?' The man opposed him and emigrated. Then he sat by the path of jihad in person and with his wealth and said, ‘Will you fight to be killed, your wife be married to another man and your wealth distributed?' The man did not give him an ear and participated in jihad" (Qurtubi).

The hadith is in Ibn Hibban and, according to Shu`ayb Arna’ut, of a good chain of narrators (Au.).

42. This is one of the toughest verses of the Qur'an for the faithful. It offers a criterion by which everyone can check about himself whether he meets the requirement of faith or not (Zamakhshari).

At the Ummah level, we have the following that should drive fear into every heart. The Prophet said,

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَئِنْ تَرَكْتُمْ الْجِهَادَ وَأَخَذْتُمْ بِأَذْنَابِ الْبَقَرِ وَتَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالْعِينَةِ لَيُلْزِمَنَّكُمْ اللَّهُ مَذَلَّةً فِي رِقَابِكُمْ لَا تَنْفَكُّ عَنْكُمْ حَتَّى تَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَتَرْجِعُوا عَلَى مَا كُنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ (قال الحافظ فى " البلوغ " 1 / 172 : رواه أبو داود من رواية نافع عنه و فى إسناده مقال ، و لأحمد نحوه من رواية عطاء و رجاله ثقات ، و صححه ابن القطان) .

“If you abandoned Jihad, took hold of the tails of the cows, and did sale purchase by the rules of ‘`Eenah’, surely Allah will fasten humility in your necks, that will not be removed until you repent and return to originally what you were on.”

Hafiz Ibn Hajr remarked that this report has been recorded by Abu Da’ud, but through a questionable chain. However, the one in Ahmad (which is the version here) has sound narrators that Ibn al-Qattan declared as Sahih.

And, ‘`Eenah’ is a kind of trade in which usury is surreptitiously involved (Au.).