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 67-72اَلْمُنٰفِقُوْنَThe hypocrite menوَ الْمُنٰفِقٰتُand the hypocrite womenبَعْضُهُمْsome of themمِّنْۢ(are) ofبَعْضٍ ۘothersیَاْمُرُوْنَThey enjoinبِالْمُنْكَرِthe wrongوَ یَنْهَوْنَand forbidعَنِwhatالْمَعْرُوْفِ(is) the rightوَ یَقْبِضُوْنَand they closeاَیْدِیَهُمْ ؕtheir handsنَسُواThey forgetاللّٰهَAllahفَنَسِیَهُمْ ؕso He has forgotten themاِنَّIndeedالْمُنٰفِقِیْنَthe hypocritesهُمُthey (are)الْفٰسِقُوْنَ the defiantly disobedient وَعَدَAllah has promisedاللّٰهُAllah has promisedالْمُنٰفِقِیْنَthe hypocrite menوَ الْمُنٰفِقٰتِand the hypocrite womenوَ الْكُفَّارَand the disbelieversنَارَFireجَهَنَّمَ(of the) Hellخٰلِدِیْنَthey (will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ؕin itهِیَIt (is)حَسْبُهُمْ ۚsufficient for themوَ لَعَنَهُمُAnd Allah has cursed themاللّٰهُ ۚAnd Allah has cursed themوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentمُّقِیْمٌۙenduring 9. At-Tawbah Page 198كَالَّذِیْنَLike thoseمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكُمْbefore youكَانُوْۤاthey wereاَشَدَّmightierمِنْكُمْthan youقُوَّةً(in) strengthوَّ اَكْثَرَand more abundantاَمْوَالًا(in) wealthوَّ اَوْلَادًا ؕand childrenفَاسْتَمْتَعُوْاSo they enjoyedبِخَلَاقِهِمْtheir portionفَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْand you have enjoyedبِخَلَاقِكُمْyour portionكَمَاlikeاسْتَمْتَعَenjoyedالَّذِیْنَthoseمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكُمْbefore youبِخَلَاقِهِمْtheir portionوَ خُضْتُمْand you indulge (in idle talk)كَالَّذِیْlike the one whoخَاضُوْا ؕindulges (in idle talk)اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseحَبِطَتْworthlessاَعْمَالُهُمْ(are) their deedsفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةِ ۚand (in) the Hereafterوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَAnd thoseهُمُtheyالْخٰسِرُوْنَ (are) the losers اَلَمْHas notیَاْتِهِمْcome to themنَبَاُ(the) newsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ(were) before themقَوْمِ(the) peopleنُوْحٍ(of) Nuhوَّ عَادٍand Aadوَّ ثَمُوْدَ ۙ۬and Thamudوَ قَوْمِand (the) peopleاِبْرٰهِیْمَ(of) Ibrahimوَ اَصْحٰبِand (the) companionsمَدْیَنَ(of) Madyanوَ الْمُؤْتَفِكٰتِ ؕand the towns overturnedاَتَتْهُمْCame to themرُسُلُهُمْtheir Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِ ۚwith clear proofsفَمَاAnd notكَانَwasاللّٰهُAllahلِیَظْلِمَهُمْto wrong themوَ لٰكِنْbutكَانُوْۤاthey were toاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesیَظْلِمُوْنَ doing wrong وَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَAnd the believing menوَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتُand the believing womenبَعْضُهُمْsome of themاَوْلِیَآءُ(are) alliesبَعْضٍ ۘ(of) othersیَاْمُرُوْنَThey enjoinبِالْمَعْرُوْفِthe rightوَ یَنْهَوْنَand forbidعَنِfromالْمُنْكَرِthe wrongوَ یُقِیْمُوْنَand they establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ یُؤْتُوْنَand giveالزَّكٰوةَthe zakahوَ یُطِیْعُوْنَand they obeyاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗ ؕand His MessengerاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseسَیَرْحَمُهُمُwill have mercy on themاللّٰهُ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَزِیْزٌ(is) All-Mightyحَكِیْمٌ All-Wise وَعَدَ(Has been) promisedاللّٰهُ(by) Allahالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ(to) the believing menوَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِand the believing womenجَنّٰتٍGardensتَجْرِیْflowمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath itالْاَنْهٰرُthe riversخٰلِدِیْنَ(will) abide foreverفِیْهَاin itوَ مَسٰكِنَand dwellingsطَیِّبَةًblessedفِیْinجَنّٰتِGardensعَدْنٍ ؕ(of) everlasting blissوَ رِضْوَانٌBut the pleasureمِّنَofاللّٰهِAllahاَكْبَرُ ؕ(is) greaterذٰلِكَThatهُوَitالْفَوْزُ(is) the successالْعَظِیْمُ۠great

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Translation of Verse 67-72

[9:67] The hypocrites, be they men or women, are all alike. They enjoin what is evil, and forbid what is good, and withhold their hands from doing good.⁷⁵ They forgot Allah, so Allah also forgot them. Surely the hypocrites are wicked.

[9:68] Allah has promised Hell-Fire to the hypocrites, both men and women, and to the unbelievers. They shall abide in it: a sufficient recompense for them. Allah has cursed them, and theirs is a lasting torment.

[9:69] Your ways are like the ways of those who have gone before you.⁷⁶ They were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in riches and children. They enjoyed their lot for a while as you have enjoyed your lot, and you also engaged in idle talk as they did. Their works have come to naught in this world, and in the Hereafter they are surely the losers.

[9:70] Have they not heard the accounts of those who came before them⁷⁷ - of the people of Noah and 'Ad and Thamud, and the people of Abraham and the dwellers of Madyan (Midian), and the cities that were overturned?⁷⁸ Their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs. Then, it was not Allah Who caused them any wrong; they rather wronged themselves.⁷⁹

[9:71] The believers, both men and women, are allies of one another. They enjoin good, forbid evil, establish Prayer, pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger.⁸⁰ Surely Allah will show mercy to them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

[9:72] Allah has promised the believing men and believing women Gardens beneath which rivers flow. They shall abide in it. There are delightful dwelling places for them in the Gardens of Eternity. They shall, above all, enjoy the good pleasure of Allah. That is the great achievement.

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Commentary

75. These are the common characteristics of all hypocrites. All of them are interested in evil and inimical to good. If someone undertakes to do an evil thing, they would dedicate all their sympathies, counsels, encouragements, contributions, good wishes, praises, and their approvals to such a one. They would join hands to accomplish that evil thing and persuade others to take part in it and encourage others in every way. Moreover, they would show in every way their hearty pleasure if they perceived that the evil thing was progressing satisfactorily. On the other hand, if someone undertakes to do a good thing, they are shocked to bear the very news of it for it pains their hearts; nay, they do not even like that such a thing should be undertaken at all. Then, if they see someone coming forward to help it, they feel very uncomfortable and try their best to hinder him from it, and if he does not give it up, they would wish that he should fail in it. Then all of them have this common characteristic that they do not spend anything at all for good ends irrespective of the fact whether they be otherwise parsimonious or generous. At any rate, their wealth is either for hoarding or for evil deeds. As a matter of fact, they would spend large sums on evil works generously but would not be willing to spend a farthing for good things.

76. In the preceding verse, they were being mentioned in the third person, but here they are being addressed directly in the second person.

77. Again they are being mentioned in the third person.

78. These were the people of Lot.

79. “They used to wrong themselves” for they were themselves responsible for their destruction. Allah had no enmity with them and had no desire to destroy them. As a matter of fact, they themselves adopted the way of life that led to destruction, whereas Allah had sent His Messengers to them and afforded them the opportunities of thinking, understanding, and reforming. His Messengers admonished and warned them of the consequences of treading wrong paths, and presented very clearly before them the way that leads to success, and also the ways that lead to destruction. But when they did not benefit from the opportunities that were offered to them to mend their ways, and persisted in treading the ways that led to destruction, they inevitably met with the end for which they were heading. And this horrible end was not due to Allah’s will to be unjust to them but due to their own evil doings."

80. The contrast between the characteristics of the hypocrites (Ayat 67) and of the true believers (Ayat 71) clearly shows that the two are entirely different from each other, in spite of their outwardly similar profession of faith in Islam and obedience to it. The difference lies in their morals, conducts, habits, attitudes and ways of thinking. On the one hand, are the hypocrites whose tongues are never tired of professing faith in Islam, but who are void of sincere faith, and whose conduct belies their professions. They are, as it were, like bottles which have labels of musk, but contain cow-dung which may easily be recognized from its appearance and unpleasant odor. On the other hand, are the true believers, who are like those bottles which contain musk which may be tested in any way by its appearance, its smell and other characteristics to be the musk. Likewise, though the outward label of Islam apparently makes both of them one community of Muslims, the real characteristics of the hypocritical Muslims are so different from those of the true Muslims that they have, in fact, become two different communities. The hypocritical Muslims, men and women, form a separate community with those who have similar characteristics. They all are neglectful of Allah, take interest in evil things and deviate from all that is good and never cooperate with true believers. In short, they are allies to one another and practically dissociate themselves from true believers and form a group of their own. In contrast to them, the true believers, men and women, have practically become one community. All of them take interest in what is good, and abhor what is evil. They remember Allah day and night and cannot think of life without the constant remembrance of Allah. They are very generous in spending in the Way of Allah, and obey Him and His Messenger (peace be upon him) without any mental reservations. These common characteristics have dissociated them from the hypocrites and united them in one community and made them allies to one another.