Surah At-Tawbah 9:81-89 - Quran Translation Commentary

(9:81) Rejoice those who were left behind¹⁷² at their sitting back behind the Messenger of Allah and hated that they should struggle with their possessions and their selves in Allah's cause. They said, ‘Do not venture out in the heat.'¹⁷³ Say, ‘The Fire of Hell is hotter.'¹⁷⁴ If only they understood.

(9:82) Let them, then, laugh a little (now) and weep a lot (later):¹⁷⁵ a recompense for what they were earning.¹⁷⁶

(9:83) If, then, should Allah bring you back to face some of them,¹⁷⁷ and they seek your permission to go forth (in an expedition), say, ‘You will never go forth with me (to any expedition) nor will you ever fight an enemy together with me. You were well pleased to sit back on that first occasion.¹⁷⁸ Sit back now with those who sat back.'¹⁷⁹

(9:84) And Pray not ever, over any of them that dies, nor stand by his grave.¹⁸⁰ They disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were perversely rebellious.¹⁸¹

(9:85) Let not their wealth and offspring amaze you. Allah wishes to punish them therewith in the life of this world and let their souls depart while they are unbelievers.

(9:86) When a chapter is revealed (enjoining) that ‘You should believe in Allah and fight along with His Messenger,' the affluent ones among them seek excuse of you, saying, ‘Leave us behind to be with those who sit (back).'

(9:87) They were well pleased to be with those left behind.¹⁸² A seal is set upon their hearts, therefore, they will not understand (anything).¹⁸³

(9:88) But the Messenger and the believers with him struggled with their possessions and their selves. For them are the good (returns); and they are the ones that are prospererers.

(9:89) Allah has prepared for them gardens underneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. That is the great success.

Commentary

172. Now onward, the Tabuk expedition will be often referred to. It will be in order therefore, to present the background story:

The Tabuk Expedition

It was the 9th year after Hijrah. Makkah had fallen. The Prophet (saws) was in Madinah when he received the news that the Romans were raising a huge army at Tabuk to launch an attack on Madinah. He decided to take the initiative and ordered preparations for an immediate march to Tabuk. It was not the right time though. The crops in Madinah were near ready for harvest; the Muslims were feeling both the economic as well as the physical strains of previous excursions; and this year's summer was exceptionally hot. But no excuses were acceptable. Every able person was to go. And, as against the normal practice of concealing the intent of an expedition, this time the Prophet publicly announced that he was making for the Romans in Tabuk. The journey was long some 600 km the weather dry, provisions low, and the enemy in great strength.

The Prophet urged his Companions to help out those who intended to go but could not because they lacked means. In response, `Uthman and `Abdul Rahman b. `Awf donated huge sums. Others too brought in what they could.

Hypocrites began to stream in presenting false excuses and requesting permission to be left behind. The Prophet allowed them to stay back. He learnt that the hypocrites were assembling in the house of Suwaylim the Jew keeping men away from joining him in the expedition. He sent Talha b. `Ubaydullah along with a few others, with orders to burn down the house. When his orders were executed, Dahhak b. Khalifa jumped down from the top of the house and broke his leg. His companions rushed out and escaped.

After a hectic preparation lasting a week or so, the Prophet set off with some 30,000 men. Some of the true believers were slow to make up their minds. Ka`b b. Malik, Murara b. Rabi` and Hilal b. Umayyah were among them. Their Islam was above suspicion, but by the time they could make up their mind, the Prophet and his Companions were far afield.

Having set out, the Prophet pitched his first camp by Thaniyat al Wada`. `Abdullah ibn Ubayy pitched his camp separately below him at a distance. At Madinah, the Prophet had ordered `Ali to remain behind. The hypocrites spoke ill of him saying that he was a burden on the Prophet and that he wanted to get rid of him. So `Ali seized his weapons and hastened to catch up with the Prophet. He informed him of what the hypocrites were saying about him. The Prophet told him, "Are you not content that you stand to me as Harun stood to Musa except that there will be no Prophet after me?" So `Ali returned and the Prophet continued with his march. Abu Khaythumah was also one of those who had delayed his decision. But, when he went to his orchard, after the Prophet had left, he told himself, "Here I am in the cool of the orchard, while the Prophet is out in the sun." Ashamed, he did not even enter the farm house, rather, went straight to his camel, saddled it, picked up his journey stuff, and hastened at full speed to join up with the Prophet. `Umayr b. Wahb was another late starter. Abu Khaythumah caught up with him on the way yet the two were able to catch up with the Prophet only at Tabuk. When they got close, Abu Khaythumah told `Umayr to tarry behind a while until he had gone and seen the Prophet. As he approached, the Companions drew his attention to a man on the road. The Prophet involuntarily said, "Be it Abu Khaythuma." And so it was.

When they passed by al Hijr the Prophet covered his face with his cloak, urged his camel on and said, "Do not go among the houses of those who sinned (and were destroyed) unless you are riding fast, weeping, for fear that you meet with the same end." Some people collected water from its wells. But he ordered them to empty their pitchers saying, "Do note drink or make ablution with it. If you have made dough with it, feed it to the camels." The men did as they were told. He allowed them water from the well from which Saleh's camel used to drink. He also disallowed that any man venture out alone except with a companion. Two men however disobeyed him and went afield alone. One was choked (although he recovered) and another blown away by the winds that dropped him in the mountains of Tayy. Next day when the Companions complained of water, the Prophet prayed for it and the rains came in a heavy downpour. When one of the hypocrites was asked if he still harbored doubts about the Messengership of the Prophet, he replied, "It was a passing cloud."

The hypocrites that had accompanied created several problems on the way. One of them remarked, "Do you think fighting the Romans is like fighting the Arabs? By God I can see ourselves bundled up in ropes tomorrow." When at one point the Prophet's camel strayed away, one of them remarked, "Look at this man. He claims to be a Prophet giving you news of the heavens but he does not even know where his camel is." When informed the Prophet said, "By Allah I know only what Allah tells me. And He has (just now) informed me that it is in such and such a glen of such and such a valley." They went after it and brought it back.

As he advanced, hypocritical men began to drop behind. Whenever the Messenger was told that so and so had dropped behind, he would remark, "Let him. There was no good in him." Until, when he was told that Abu Dharr had dropped behind, he said the same thing. Actually, Abu Dharr's camel had failed him. So, when he felt that it was no use prodding it up on the road, he dropped the camel behind and began to march on foot. He caught up with the Prophet as he pitched his camp for a halt. When they spotted someone plodding up the desert track, the Prophet said, "Be it Abu Dharr." And when told that it was indeed he, he remarked, "May Allah show him mercy. He walks alone, will die alone and will be raised alone."

The journey proved to be strenuous and they reached Tabuk in 22 days, hungry and thirsty. Sometimes a dozen men chewed a single date in turns. At Tabuk the Prophet addressed them on several occasions. Once he leaned against a tree trunk and said: "Should I not tell you about the best of the people and the worst of the people? The best of the people is he who goes into the way of Allah on the back of his horse, or camel, or on his feet, (and continues) until death overtakes him. And the worst of the people is that audacious man who reads the Qur'an but pays no attention to its demands."

The Romans, impressed by the Prophet's courage, seemed to have dispersed and no fighting took place. Some say that although there had been some movement of the troops, the rumors had gone too far. In any case, the Prophet sent troops to surrounding areas to subdue the tribes. Yuhanna b. Ru`aba submitted and agreed to pay tribute. Khalid b. Walid was dispatched to the governor of Duma, Ukaydar b. `Abdul Malik. He was captured and brought to the Prophet, his golden brocaded gown having preceded him. Some say Ukaydar had sent it as a gift. The Muslims were feeling and admiring it. The Prophet said, "Do you admire this? By Allah Sa`d's (b. Mu`adh) napkin in Paradise is better than this." The Prophet made peace with Ukaydar and released him. He had agreed to pay tribute. A few other tribes also submitted and agreed to pay jizyah.

In another 20 days time the Prophet and his men were back on the same trail, marching home through the same difficult terrain. On the way back they stopped at a place called Mushaqqaq where water was issuing forth from a rock in quantity just enough for two or three riders. The Prophet ordered that none was to draw water from it until he came. But a number of the hypocrites got there and drew water. When he arrived he found it dry. He asked who had drawn the water, and cursed them when told their names. He dismounted from his camel, sprinkled some water on the rock and prayed until water burst forth. He remarked, "If you lived long enough, you will hear that this valley is more fertile than its neighbors." (A prediction which is reported to have come true: Au.). During the journey a Companion died. `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud reports that I woke up in the middle of the night. I saw light near the camp. I went up to find that the Messenger, Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Abdullah Dhu 'l Bijadayn had dug a grave. Abu Bakr and `Umar had lifted the corpse and the Prophet was inside the grave. He was saying, ‘Gently. Hand me over your brother.' As he placed him in the niche he said, ‘O Allah, I am pleased with him. Be You pleased with him too.' Ibn Mas`ud used to say, ‘Would that I had been in the grave.'

Abu Ruhm Kulthum was one of those who had traveled to Tabuk. He reports, "During one of those night journeys, sleep was heavy on me. I only woke up when my mount got too close to the Prophet's. Once my camel jostled against the Prophet's. I heard a voice, ‘Watch out.' I asked his pardon and moved my mount away. He began to ask me about those who had dropped out from Banu Ghifar. I named them. He asked me about the people with long straggling red beards and I told him that they had dropped out too. Then he asked me about men with short curly hair and I confessed that I did not know that they were of us. ‘But yes,' he exclaimed, ‘they are the ones who own camels in Shabakatu Shadakh.' Then I remembered that they were of the Banu Ghifar, but I did not remember them until I recalled that they were a clan of Aslam who were our allies. When I told him that, he remarked, ‘What prevented one of these when he fell out from mounting a camel in the way of Allah? The most painful thing to me is that any of the Muhajirun, Ansar, B. Ghifar and Aslam should stay back.'" (There was somebody there who was worried about those who had fallen out, in the middle of the night during that arduous journey: Au.).

It was during one of those night journeys that twelve of the hypocrites tried to bolt off the Prophet's camel so that he might fall down a cliff. He also learned through revelation of the construction of a mosque by disaffected ones for the purpose of planning mischief against Islam and Muslims. He got it destroyed after his return. When he entered Madinah, he first entered the mosque, offered two rak`ah of prayers before going home. The hypocrites began to stream in seeking to be excused for not having participated. He accepted their excuses.

173. Majid quotes: "The summer is the worst and the hardest season in Arabia. Wells, few as they are, are dried up, even the last vestiges of posture are burnt up, and the intensity of the blazing, scorching sun is ferocious. `Painful indeed was the distress of the march; lassitude and thirst were aggravated by the scorching and pestilential winds of the desert' (GRE. V.p.372)."

No few words will ever faithfully describe the summer heat of the Arabian Peninsula. Birds drop down dead, the sky is silvery, the land pale, and the spirits broken. To venture into the open even for a few minutes is a voyage postponed for the evening. Nothing moves. Restricted to the shades, the restless body demands nothing but liquids. The inexperienced who stray into the desert are collected dead after a couple of hours. Carpets left in the sun can be collected as dust at the end of the season. Perhaps the best single sentence describing the heat came from T.E.Lawrence in his Seven Pillars of Wisdom. On arrival at Jeddah he described the first shock in words, "The heat left us speechless" (Au.).

It is reported that when the Prophet urged the Companions to the Tabuk expedition, a man went and told him, "Messenger of Allah. It's extremely hot. We can not venture out. So, do not go forth." In response Allah revealed, "Say, the Fire of Hell is hotter" and the Prophet told him to join in (Ibn Jarir). The report is also in Ibn Marduwayh (Shawkani). This of course does not rule out, as pointed out by Rashid Rida, that the hypocrites urged each other to stay back (Au).

174. Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad b. Ka`b al Qurazi have said that the reference is to the hypocrites sitting back from the Tabuk expedition which took place in mid summer and in conditions of drought (Ibn Jarir).

Ibn Kathir notes that the Sahihayn have a hadith according to which the Prophet said,

نَارُكُمْ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ

"Your fire is one seventieth of the Fire of Hell."

According to another sahih report of Tirmidhi and Ahmad he said,

إِنَّ نَارَكُمْ هَذِهِ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَضُرِبَتْ بِالْبَحْرِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهَا مَنْفَعَةً لِأَحَدٍ

"This fire of yours is one seventieth part of the Fire of Hell. Moreover, it has been dipped into the sea twice. If not for that, it would have been of no use to any creature."

The above is Ahmad’s version (Ahmad).

Another hadith (of Muslim: Hussain) says,

أَدْنَى أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا رَجُلٌ يُجْعَلُ لَهُ نَعْلَانِ يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ

"The least punished people of the Hell fire will wear shoes of Fire. That will boil his brain."

The above is Ahmad’s version (Au.).

175. Abu Razin is widely reported as having said: This life has a short span during which the unbelievers may laugh. But the Hereafter is for ever. There they will cry forever (Ibn Jarir). The Prophet said in a hadith preserved by Ibn Majah,

يا أيها الناس ابكوا فإن لم تبكوا فتباكوا فإن أهل النار يبكون حتى تسيل دموعهم في وجوهم كأنها جداول حتى تنقطع الدموع فتسيل الدماء فتقرح العيون, فلو أن سفناً أزجيت فيها لجرت

"People! Cry. And if you cannot cry, make crying faces. The companions of the Fire will cry until they will shed tears of blood running like water in the canals. It will damage their eyes. They'd cry so much that you could sail a boat in their tears" (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

The above report has been termed weak (Au.).

In another report of Tirmidhi the Prophet said,

لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا وَمَا تَلَذَّذْتُمْ بِالنِّسَاءِ عَلَى الْفُرُشِ وَلَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ تَجْأَرُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

"By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and cry a lot. You would not go into the women in the beds, but would go out into the deserts seeking Allah's protection."

The above report was thought as weak by Tirmidhi (Au.).

Therefore, a person like Hasan al Busri never laughed out of the fear of the Hereafter. However, the Companions laughed. It is only the excess that is undesirable. According to a hadith excessive laughing deadens the heart (Qurtubi).

176. Sufi Thanwi cautions that the verse does not contain a command to cry as some people have thought. They go to the Shuyukh and complain about themselves "I am not able to cry, try however much I may." Do they not notice that the verse adds, "a recompense for what they were earning (of the evil deeds)"? That is, they will cry a lot in the Hereafter as a recompense for what they earned in this life. Yes, it is laudable that one cry over the sins of the past, or for other legitimate reasons, but to cry or not is not in the power of man. And what is not in the power of man is not declared obligatory.

177. At the time of the revelation of this verse, the Prophet was in Tabuk. It was possible that by the time he returned, some of the hypocrites in Madinah would have died. Accordingly, Allah said, “If, then, should Allah bring you face to face with some of them ..” (Shabbir).

Another possibility is that they would have absconded, avoiding to see him altogether (Au.).

178. That is, ‘since you were well pleased to stay back the first time, surely, even if you are allowed to accompany in the future expeditions, you will again sit back on one pretext or the other. You will never fight an enemy with us. Therefore, it is better that you sit back with those who sit back (i.e. with women)' - Thanwi.

179. As noted by Ibn Jarir earlier, it is also reported of Ibn `Abbas as saying that when the Prophet ordered his Companions to participate in the Tabuk expedition, some people came to him to say that it was too hot and so he better postpone the journey. In reply Allah revealed, "Say, `The Fire of hell is hotter.'"

Nevertheless, some people preferred to stay back. Only three of them felt sorry and caught up with him as he was journeying. The rest remained behind to the end. Allah revealed this verse during the journey, "If, then, should Allah take you back to some of them," ... until, "those who stay back" (Ibn Jarir).

Another opinion is that the allusion by the words "those who stay back" is to women, children, old men, the sick and handicapped who were not required to participate in jihad. A third opinion is that the textual word "khalifin" has been used in the sense of the pervert, the corrupt or the evil as, for example, the word "khaluf," i.e., foul smell (of the fasting man's mouth) Alusi.

180. This is in reference to the Prophet's participation in the burial of `Abdullah ibn Ubayy. After the revelation of this verse the Prophet gave up attending the burial of known hypocrites (Ibn Jarir). Similar reports are in Bukhari and others (Ibn Kathir).

Alusi uses the occasion to discuss the issue of the Prophet's visit to his mother's grave. (How could he do it, knowing that apparently she died on kufr)? He points out that although the verse in question speaks of hypocrites, by analogy it can be extended to the polytheists. It might be said that the visit took place in the year of Hudaybiyyah (6 A.H.) whereas the prohibition came after the expedition of Tabuk (9 A.H.); but, had not the Prophet sought Allah's permission and was granted to visit his mother's grave? So, what does the visit imply? Well, it implies that his mother died believing in Oneness of Allah. Had she been a polytheist, Allah would not have allowed him to visit her grave. He also points out that although there is difference in opinion over visits to the graves of the unbelievers, he is inclined to believe that it is undesirable to do so. (With due respect to his mother, it might be pointed out however, that the Prophet was not given the permission to seek forgiveness for his mother. The text of the hadith is: I sought my Lord’s permission to visit my mother's grave and pray for her. He allowed me to visit but did not allow me to pray for her forgiveness: Au.).

Thanwi has another useful note. The Prophet's action of standing near the grave and supplicating for the dead implies that such standing and supplication is profitable to the dead. This is confirmed by the condition added in the later part of the verse, viz., "they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were perversely rebellious." (That is, his standing would have profited them, had they not been unbelievers who died in the state of unbelief). The verse also implies that supplicating near the grave for the dead is not just the same as supplicating from anywhere else away from their graves. The former course is more beneficial to the dead.

Thanwi also adds in another note that if visitation to the graves leads to religious corruption, then such visits should be disallowed.

181. It is reported that out of the great many hypocrites of the Prophet's time, twelve were to die as hard core hypocrites. They did not repent as most others did. These were the same twelve who had attempted to push him down a ravine during the Tabuk return journey. The Prophet knew their identity and had shared the secret with Hudhayfah b. al Yaman. Accordingly, during his caliphate `Umar watched Hudhayfah if he would participate in the funeral Prayers of a dead person. If he slipped away, `Umar too would not Pray for him (Au).

182. Ibn `Abbas, `Atiyyah, Dahhak and others have said that the reference by the textual word "khawalif" is to women who are not required to participate in Jihad (Ibn Jarir).

183. Sayyid writes: "Had those people understood the benefits of jihad, in terms of power, honor, and an honorable living, they would not have showed their backs to it out of weakness, so unmindful of humiliation, and disgraceful destruction. Surely, there is a price to be paid for dishonor as there is a price to be paid for honor. But, most of the time the price of dishonor is more overburdening than that to be paid for honor. But weak personalities imagine that the price of honor is a back breaking one. They opt for dishonor and ignominy in their effort to escape from the burdensome requirements of honor. In consequence, they live a worthless, cheap life, always fearful, worrisome, scared of their own shadows, and startled by their own echoes. (As the Qur'an said), ‘They believe every calamity is upon them; you will find them the most greedy of this life..’. These dishonored ones pay the price for their choice greater than what they would pay for honor. They pay a whole lot of price for their choice. They pay them by way of their shrunk personalities, by way of the loss of values, by way of reputation, by way of peace, and, quite often by way of their lives and property, although they do not realize. Who is it we are talking of? Well, none other than those ‘Who were well pleased to be with those left behind. A seal is set upon their hearts; therefore, they do not understand.'"