Surah At-Tawbah 9:67-72 - Quran Translation Commentary

(9:67) The hypocrites men and women¹³⁷ some of them are of the others:¹³⁸ they enjoin evil, forbid the virtuous, and keep their hands closed.¹³⁹ They forgot Allah¹⁴⁰ so He He has forgotten them. Surely, the hypocrites they are the wicked ones.¹⁴¹

(9:68) Allah has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the unbelievers Fire of Jahannum, abiding therein forever. Sufficient it is for them.¹⁴² Allah has cursed them;¹⁴³ and for them is an abiding punishment.

(9:69| Like those before you: they were mightier than you in power and more abundant of wealth and offspring. They enjoyed to their full their share, as you have enjoyed your share, exactly as those who were before you enjoying their share.¹⁴⁴ You have also indulged (in wrongs) as they indulged. Those their works failed in this world and the next; those it is they who are the losers.

(9:70) Has not the news of the past peoples reached them: the people of Nuh, `Ad, Thamud, the people of Ibrahim,¹⁴⁵ the men of Madyan,¹⁴⁶ and those (towns) that were turned upside down?¹⁴⁷ Their Messengers went to them with clear signs. Allah was not such as to wrong them, rather they were wronging themselves.¹⁴⁸

(9:71) The believers men and women they are patrons unto each other.¹⁴⁹ They enjoin the virtuous, forbid evil, Pray, pay the alms¹⁵⁰ and obey Allah and His Messenger.¹⁵¹ These Allah will show them mercy. Surely, Allah is All mighty, All wise.

(9:72) Allah has promised the believing men and believing women¹⁵² gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever,¹⁵³ and dwellings pleasant in the Gardens of Eden.¹⁵⁴ But the Good Pleasure of Allah is the greatest (of blessings).¹⁵⁵ That indeed is the great triumph.

Commentary

137. The two unbelieving men and women have been separately mentioned in order to register the message that the female hypocrites were no better than male hypocrites, but rather, possessed the same qualities (Razi).

That the female hypocrites were separately addressed is a sign of Allah's mercy. In contrast to the male hypocrites who were occasionally named by their acquaintances, nobody knew of the female ones, nor did anyone ever speak of them. If Allah had not spoken of them, nobody would have even suspected, including themselves, that hypocrisy existed among them also. But Allah did not deny them His warning and admonition (Au.).

138. The translation is literal. But commentators such as Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir have understood the words to mean ‘they are similar to each other,' i.e., they are alike in their attitudes towards truth and falsehood. And, in explanation of the article "min" (of), Alusi says that the sentence is of the same order as the Prophet's words to `Ali:

أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى

"You are unto me (anta minni) like what Harun was to Musa."

That is, when the Prophet (saws) said anta minni, (lit. you are `of' me), he meant, ‘you are unto me’ (Au.).

Sayyid writes: "The hypocrites men and women are from one soil and are of one nature .. in every place and in every epoch. Their deeds and words might differ but it all amounts to the same, and spring out from the same springs. They are of evil designs, mean guiles, full of jibes, intrigues, afraid to look straight into the eyes, and fearful of openness. These are their unfailing signs. As for their deeds, they forbid the good and bid the evil, niggardly of wealth unless they be spending in order to put up a show .. They have completely forgotten Allah and, therefore, are concerned about nothing except material advantages."

139. Since opening the hands means to be very liberal, its opposite, closing them means to be parsimonious. That is, the hypocrites do not spend anything in the right cause (Alusi and others).

140. Since a man cannot forget God, the obvious implication is that they ignored to act by His commandments. And He in turn denied them His mercy (Razi).

141. The textual word is "fasiq" and the meaning is, they are perfect in fisq. The use of this word in such a strong manner to describe the hypocrites, should be a warning to those of the believers whose life style evokes the same criticism from the tongues of the believers (from Zamakhshari with some addition).

Asad offers the rejoinder, "It is to be borne in mind that this and the following verses refer to the conscious hypocrites spoken of in the last sentence of the preceding verse, and not to the waverers, whose hypocrisy is an outcome of inner fears and uncertainties.”

142. That is, it is enough of a chastisement, to which nothing need be added for severity (Alusi and others).

143. Yusuf Ali explains the meaning of Allah's curse: "Curse, here as elsewhere, is deprivation of grace and mercy, brought about by the rejection of Allah by the Unbelievers."

144. The repetition of the words, "you enjoyed," "they enjoyed," confuse some people. The commentators, such as Zamakhshari, have explained that it is like telling someone: ‘You are like Fir`awn. He used to do this and that, etc. You also do like he used to do. So, you are like Fir`awn in doing things that he did.'

145. “The reference to "Abraham's people" seems to point to the Babylonians, who rejected the monotheism preached by him, and to the overthrow of their first empire, at about 1100 B.C., by the Assyrians" (Asad).

146. The reference is to the people of Shu`ayb.

147. The allusion is to the people of Lut. They dwelt in three towns which were turned upside down when they denied their Messenger and continued with their evil ways (Tabari and others).

148. That is, if they were destroyed it was because they had committed wrongs despite warnings conveyed to them by their messengers. They were given every opportunity to choose the right course, but they scoffed at them and insisted on doing things their way. The destruction that followed, in the form of various calamities, was in consequence of their repeated wrong choices. They were not destroyed, as the secularist historians portray, for no fault of theirs (Au.).

Sayyid comments: "A deviated soul is encouraged to recklessness by power and, therefore, does not respond to reminders. It is blinded by the material welfare and so, does not see. Stories of the past and admonitory sentences do not benefit it. That cannot happen unless someone were to open his eyes to realize that the ways of Allah (Sunnatu Allah) do not alter over time, are not suspended, and do not spare any of the nations. But, most of those whom Allah tries with power and wealth are blinded by them. They cannot see the end of the powerful that went before them nor do they observe the fate of the rebellions. When they persist in denial, then Allah's Sunnah takes over. It is then that Allah seizes them the seizing of the Powerful, the All capable, the while they are in their enjoyments and gloating over their power. But in the meanwhile Allah is circumscribing them from their rear. It is nothing but heedlessness, blindness, and ignorance that we see as characteristics of the rich and the powerful. And we see them in every place, in every epoch, save for a few to whom Allah showed mercy."

149. Imam Razi raises the question. Why did Allah say about the hypocrites that ‘some of them are of the others,' whereas He said about the believers that they are believing men and women, awliya' unto each other (and not some of them of others)? Then he answers that the hypocrites were a people who followed the example of hypocritical men of the past. So they were of them. In contrast, the believers used the faculty of the intellect provided to them to decide between right and wrong, and, as a reward, were made awliya' unto each other.

On the topic of the believers being awliya' unto each other, a few of the Prophet's traditions can be quoted here. He said in a hadith (of Bukhari: Hussain),

المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان يشد بعضه بعضا

"(The example of) a believer as related to another is like a wall, some of which strengthens the others” then he inserted the fingers of one hand into the other to demonstrate. In another hadith, (also of Bukhari: Hussain) he said,

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِى تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى

"The example of the believers in their love, tenderness, and kindness toward each other is like a body. When one of its limbs feels pain the whole of the body responds to it with fever and sleeplessness" (Ibn Kathir).

150. Thus, the believers are endowed with qualities that are the opposite of the qualities of hypocrites: against the hypocrites enjoining evil, they enjoin virtue; against the hypocrites forbidding virtue, they forbid evil; against their heedlessness to Allah, the believers perform the Prayers; and against their withholding of the wealth, the believers expend in charities. Finally, while the believers obey Allah in all matters, the hypocrites are always sinning, the fasiqun (Au.).

151. Mawdudi comments: "The Muslims and hypocrites stood apart, each a separate entity. Superficially they seemed identical insofar as both groups recognized Islam as their religion and outwardly followed the same set of religious practices. Nevertheless, they differed in character, temperament, behaviour, and habits; in short, in their total orientation. In the case of the hypocrites, faith was a mere verbal claim devoid of true conviction. This claim was repudiated by their life style. Their case is similar to that of a man who fills up a container with filth, and labels it perfume; a claim which will instantly be known to be false by the stench it gives off.

"In the case of the true believers, their claim can be verified by reference to their character and conduct. The label of perfume is justified by the sweet smell. The hypocrites and true believers passed off as members of the same Muslim community due to the label of Islam. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the two were so different that they could not be considered one community. The hypocrites, by dint of their heedlessness to God, their instinctive interest in evil, their revulsion against goodness, their unwillingness to co operate with good causes, were a community by themselves. On the other hand, the true believers men and women constituted a distinct community because they shared many traits."

152. To mention believing women separately is to impress that in Islam both men and women are treated equal in rewards (Manar).

153. Ibn Kathir quotes several ahadith that describe Paradise. The Prophet (saws) said,

إن للمؤمن في الجنة لخيمة من لؤلؤة واحدة مجوفة طولها ستون ميلاً في السماء! للمؤمن فيها أهلون يطوف عليهم لا يرى بعضهم بعضا

"For the believer there will be a tent in Paradise made up of a single hollow pearl of length sixty miles in the heavens. There will be spouses for him whom he will visit, but they wo not be seeing each other" (Sahihayn).

In another hadith of the Sahihayn he said:

مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَصَامَ رَمَضَانَ كَانَ حَقًّا عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ يَعْنِى الْجَنَّةَ هَاجَرَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مَاتَ فِى أَرْضِهِ الَّتِى وُلِدَ فِيهَا ». قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ نُنْبِئُ النَّاسَ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ :« إِنَّ فِى الْجَنَّةِ مِائَةَ دَرَجَةٍ مَا بَيْنَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَيْنِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ أَعَدَّهَا اللَّهُ لِلْمُجَاهِدِينَ فِى سَبِيلِهِ فَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ فَسَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ وَسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ وَفَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمَنِ

"Whosoever believed in Allah and His Messenger, Prayed and fasted in Ramadan, it is binding on Allah that He admit him into Paradise, whether he migrated in the way of Allah or was restricted to the land he was born in." The people asked, "Messenger of Allah. Should we not inform the people?" He said, "There are a hundred levels of Paradise that Allah has prepared for the mujahidin in His cause. Between each level is the distance like between the earth and the heavens. So, when you supplicate, supplicate for Firdaws Paradise. It is the highest of Paradises and is in the best part of them. From here spring forth the rivers of Paradise and above it is `Arsh of the All-merciful."

In another hadith, also of the Sahihayn he said,

إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ لَيَتَرَاءَوْنَ الْغُرَفَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ كَمَا تَتَرَاءَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ فِي السَّمَاءِ

"The inhabitants of Paradise will see each other's chambers as you see stars in the heavens."

In another hadith of Ahmad reported by Abu Hurayrah he said in answer to how Paradise was constructed:

لَبِنَةُ ذَهَبٍ وَلَبِنَةُ فِضَّةٍ وَمِلَاطُهَا الْمِسْكُ الْأَذْفَرُ وَحَصْبَاؤُهَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْيَاقُوتُ وَتُرَابُهَا الزَّعْفَرَانُ مَنْ يَدْخُلُهَا يَنْعَمُ وَلَا يَبْأَسُ وَيَخْلُدُ وَلَا يَمُوتُ لَا تَبْلَى ثِيَابُهُ وَلَا يَفْنَى شَبَابُهُ

"A brick of gold over a brick of silver cemented with misk and gravel of white and red pearls and plaster of saffron. Whoever entered will be in bliss, never wretched, eternal, and never dying. His clothes will never get worn and his youth will never slip into old age."

The hadith has been evaluated as Sahih by Arna’ut (Au.).

154. In explanation of what is `Adn (Eden), opinions among the Salaf varied between a place of permanent habitation, a place completely unknown and unimaginable to the humans, a lush green garden, a place in the center of Paradise, a very special palace, a city with a river around on the two banks of which is Paradise (Ibn Jarir).

Ibn Kathir quotes a hadith of Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet said,

جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَجَنَّتَانِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَمَا بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا رِدَاءُ الْكِبْرِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي جَنَّةِ عَدْنٍ

"Two gardens with all dishes and goblets and what they contain in silver. And two gardens with dishes and goblets and what they contain in gold. And, there will be nothing between the people and the sight of their Lord but the Veil of Greatness on His face in the Garden of Eden."

155. In explanation of this verse, the following may be quoted. Abu Sa`id al Khudri reports the Prophet:

يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُونَ لَبَّيْكَ رَبَّنَا وَسَعْدَيْكَ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ رَضِيتُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ وَمَا لَنَا لَا نَرْضَى وَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنَا مَا لَمْ تُعْطِ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ فَيَقُولُ أَنَا أُعْطِيكُمْ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا يَا رَبِّ وَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَيَقُولُ أُحِلُّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِضْوَانِي فَلَا أَسْخَطُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا

"Allah will address the inhabitants of Paradise with these words, ‘O people of Paradise.' They will answer, ‘Here we are O our Lord, at Your service.' He will ask, ‘Are you satisfied?' They will answer, ‘Why should we not be satisfied when You have given us what You did not give any of Your creation?' He will say, ‘I shall give something better than that.' They will ask, ‘What could be better than this?' He will reply, ‘My good pleasure, so that I shall never be angry at you again'" (Ibn Jarir, Razi).

The hadith is in Bukhari (Hussain).