Verse:90 Commentary Commentary

The details given in the verse tell us that there were two kinds of people among the Bedouins of the desert. First, there were those who visited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and requested that they might be excused from Jihad and allowed to stay behind. Then, there were the arrogant and rebellious among them who did not even bother to take the trouble of excusing themselves out of it. They just stayed behind.

When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم allowed Jadd ibn Qays that he may not go on Jihad,' says Sayyidna Jabir ibn ` Abdullah ؓ ، ` some hypocrites also came to him, offered their excuses and sought his permission to stay out of Jihad. As for the permission, he let them have it, but he did realize that they were making false excuses, therefore, he turned away from them. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.'

It made it clear that their excuse was unacceptable. Therefore, they were served with the warning of a painful punishment. However, by saying: اَلَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنھُم (those of them who disbelieve), a hint was given that the excuse given by some of them was not because of their disbelief or hypocrisy, rather, it was because of their natural laziness. So, they were not to be affected by the punishment to fall upon those disbelievers. Verse:91 Commentary Commentary

Previous verses mentioned people who were not really excusable from participation in Jihad but sat it out because of laziness. Then, there were hypocrites who had taken permission from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم under false pretexts because of their disbelief and hypocrisy. And then there were the arrogant ones who did not bother about excuses and permissions and just sat back. They were told there that they were not excusable and that there was a painful punishment waiting for those of them who practiced disbelief and hypocrisy.

The present verses mention sincere Muslims who were deprived of participation in Jihad because they were genuinely incapable of doing so. Some of them were blind, or sick, or handicapped. Their excuse was all too evident. Then, there were some of those who were ready to take part in Jihad, in fact, were ` dying' to go into the Jihad, but they could not make the trip because they did not have an animal to ride on. The journey was long and the weather was very hot. They told the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم how eager they were to participate in the Jihad but how unfortunate that they had nothing to ride on. They requested him to see if they could have some mounts.

There are many events of this nature recorded in books of Exegesis and History. So, different things happened. To some of them who came initially, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had no choice but to say that they had no arrangements to provide mounts to warriors. But, these people returned from him weeping and when they kept weeping in despair, Allah Ta` ala took care of them in His own way. Six camels arrived before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم right at that time. He let them have these. (Mazhari) Then, Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ arranged mounts for three of them, although he had already made similar ar-rangements for many more of them earlier. Verse:92 Commentary - - - Verse:93 Commentary Ultimately, there were some of them still left out for the simple reason that they could not find a mount. Rendered totally helpless, they could do nothing about their aspirations for Jihad. These are the kinds of people mentioned in the cited verses whose excuse was accepted by Allah Ta` ala. However, at the end, the warning was repeated by saying that particularly cursed are those who, despite their ability, elected to stay away from Jihad like women. The sentence: الَّذِينَ يَسْتَأْذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَاءُ (Blame lies, in fact, on those who ask your permis-sion despite being rich - 93) means exactly this. Verse:94 Commentary Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses were hypocrites who came up with false excuses at the time Jihad forces were getting ready to march out and succeeded in being allowed to stay behind. The present verses mention those who visited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم after his return from Jihad and offered false excuses for their absence from it. These verses had been revealed before his return to Madinah and had told him beforehand about the forthcoming event, that is, the hypocrites will come to him as soon as he reaches Madinah and will offer their excuses. And so it happened.

Three instructions about them have been given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the verses cited above. These are as follows:

1. When they come to make excuses, they should be told that they do not have to make false excuses for they were not going to be believed in their word. Allah Ta` ala had already told the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about the condition of their thinking and doing including the details of their wicked plans and secret intentions. This was enough to prove that they were liars, therefore, offering excuses makes no sense. After that, it was said: وَسَيَرَ‌ى اللَّـهُ عَمَلَكُمْ (And Allah will see what you do...). Here, respite has been given to them so that they could still make their Taubah (repentance), renounce Nifaq (hypocrisy) and become true Muslims - because, the wording of the text stipulates that Allah and His Messenger shall see what they do and how they do it. In other words, action shall be taken in consonance with their behavior pattern. If they repented sincerely and became true Muslims, their sins shall stand forgiven. Otherwise, these false excuses were not going to do them any good. Verse:95 Commentary 2. The second instruction to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم appears in the second verse (95) where it has been said that these people will come to him after his return to Madinah, impress him with their feigned oaths and try to satisfy him. What they would wish to achieve from this initiative is: لِتُعْرِ‌ضُوا عَنْهُمْ (so that you may ignore their misdeed), that is, ignore their absence from Jihad and spare the reproach due on it.' Thereupon, it was said that he might as well grant their wish. The text says: فَأَعْرِ‌ضُوا عَنْهُمْ :` you ignore them.' Thus, the instruction carries the sense: ` neither reproach and admonish, nor deal with pleasantly' - because, reproach usually brings no good. When they have no faith in their heart - and they do not want to have it either - what would come out of reproach? So, why waste good time! Verse:96 Commentary 2. The third instruction given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم appears in the third verse (96): "They swear before you so that you may be pleased with them." The order of Allah Ta` ala is that their wish was not to be granted and he was not to be pleased with them. However, it was also said that, ` even if you were to be pleased with them, it was not going to work for them in any manner, because Allah is not pleased with them. And how could Allah be pleased with them when they are still adamant about their denial and hypocrisy? Verse:97 Commentary Commentary

Described in the previous verses were the hypocrites of Madinah. The present verses mention hypocrites who lived on the desert around the outskirts of Madinah.

The word اَلاَعرَاب (al-a` rab) is not a plural form of اَلعَرَب (al-'arab). It is اِسم جمع (ism al jam`: collective noun) and is used for the Bedouins of the desert. In its singular form, it becomes اَلاَعرَابی (al-a` rabiyy) - similar to (al-ansariyy), the singular form of اَلاَنصَار (al-ansar).

According to their condition described in verse 97, they outdid city dwellers in disbelief and hypocrisy. The reason given is that these people generally remained ignorant and hard-hearted as they lived far away from knowledge and the knowledgeable. Then the text says: ` the Bedouins are more likely to be ignorant of the limits of what Allah has sent down.' It means that the very surroundings in which they live are such as would keep them in the dark about the limits set by Allah through the revelation - because the Qur'an does not come before them, nor do they have access to its meanings, explanations and injunctions. Verse:98 Commentary In the second verse (98) too, yet another aspect of the condition of these very Bedouins has been described as: ` those who take what they spend (in Zakah etc.) as a penalty.' Why would they do so? The reason is that they hardly have any faith in their heart. When it comes to making Salah, they would, though, do that, but just to camouflage their disbelief. They would even fulfill the obligation of Zakah, but their hearts would keep worrying as to why they had to put good money down the drain. Therefore, they always look forward to the time when Muslims are hit by some calamity or defeat that may possibly deliver them from having to pay this penalty. The word: الدَّوَائِرَ‌ (aldawa'ir: the cycles of time) is the plural of: دَائِرَ‌ةُ (da'irah). According to the Arabic lexicon, da'irah is the changed state that shifts away from the good state into a bad one. Therefore, the Holy Qur'an says in response to them: عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَ‌ةُ السَّوْءِ (upon them is the evil cycle). In other words, the evil state of affairs they wish would strike at Muslims is going to descend upon them all right - and, because their words and deeds are such, they will find themselves far more disgraced. Verse:99 Commentary After having described the state of affairs prevailing among hypocrites of distant deserts, it was considered appropriate that the true and staunch Muslims from among the same stock of Bedouins should also be mentioned. This was done in verse 99 - very much in line with the typical style of the Qur'an - so that, it stands established that Bedouins too are not all alike. Among them, there are many sincere Muslims, and people of sense and discernment as well. Their style of life is different. When they give in obligatory alms (Zakah) or in voluntary charities (Sadaqat), they regard these as a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala and hope that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would be praying for them.

That Sadaqat are a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala is obvious. However, the hope of prayers from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is on a different basis. It should be borne in mind that the Holy Qur'an - wherever it has asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to collect Zakah on the wealth and property of Muslims - has also directed him that he should also pray for those who pay Zakah. The forthcoming verse (103): خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُ‌هُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah [ obligatory alms ] through which you may cleanse and purify them, and pray for them) is a good example? The instruction to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he should pray for these people has been termed: وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (and pray for them) using the word: صلٰوہ (salat) for it. Therefore, in the present verse as well, the sense of the prayers of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been expressed by the use of the word: صلٰوہ (salat).