093 - Tafsir of Surat At-Tawbah & Tabuk

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There is one incident left that happened after the return of the Prophet PBUH to Madinah, and that is the death of the leader of the munafiqun, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. Probably around one month after Tabuk, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul fell sick, and they realized he was about to die. And he requested the Prophet PBUH to visit him on his deathbed.

The CV of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul

Who is Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul? He was going to be one of the main leaders of Yathrib pre-Islam, and he was the seniormost politician who was alive when the Prophet PBUH Emigrated to Yathrib/Madinah. The other leaders had either died in the Wars of Bu'ath or fled the city within a year or two after the coming of the Prophet PBUH. So eventually, the only senior elderly leader left was Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. He embraced Islam hesitantly after the Battle of Badr due to social pressure [see episode 41], and he showed us his true colors at the Battle of Uhud: He turned back with ⅓ of the army and abandoned the Prophet PBUH. What was his excuse? He criticized the Prophet PBUH for not listening to him, i.e., "You didn't listen to me, so I'm not fighting for you" [see episode 46]. And what did he do in the Battle of Ahzab? He tried to terrify the Muslims (even though he himself was genuinely terrified). He would go around and keep on telling the sahaba, "Can't you see how many people (enemies) are here?!" "Aren't you terrified?" etc. But what did Allah say in the Quran happened instead? "Their (the sahaba's) Iman went up" [3:173]. (Note: Had Ibn Salul actually cooperated with the Banu Qurayza or the Quraysh, that would have been clear treason, and he would have been executed.)

And after the Incident of Banu al-Mustaliq, Allah revealed Surah al-Munafiqun, exposing Ibn Salul who said, "If we return to Madinah, the honorable (the Yathribites) will definitely expel the inferior (the Muhajirun)!" [see Quran, 63:1-8]. Then his son, Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, who was a true believer, when he heard that his father had said this, he did not allow his own father to enter back into the city until Ibn Salul went to the Prophet PBUH and asked his permission to enter [see episode 55].

On more than one occasion, Umar RA had asked permission to execute Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, but the Prophet PBUH kept on saying, "Let him be," or sometimes, "Allah did not ask me to open up the hearts of men," or, "Let not others say Muhammad kills his own followers." So there is a PR move here, that the Prophet PBUH is saying Ibn Salul pretending to be a Muslim is less harmful than executing him.

And of course, one of his worst crimes was starting the Slander of Aisha RA [see episode 55]. And again, Allah hints at him in the Quran in Surah al-Nur:

وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

"As for their mastermind, he will suffer a tremendous Punishment" [24:11].

There were no witnesses to testify against him [with regards to the Slander], but Allah says He will take care of him in the Next world with a tremendous Punishment.

This is Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, and his entire CV is one evil after another.

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The Death of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul

When he was on his deathbed, he begged the Prophet PBUH to visit him.

And it's amazing to see the psychology of the munafiqun, that at some level, they believed in the Prophet PBUH, but at another level, they were too arrogant to submit. In this, they have some type of similarity with Iblis, and this is why in Islam, we consider the munafiqs to be worse than a regular kafir. The regular kafir doesn't know Allah and the Prophet PBUH or Islam or doesn't believe in it, but the munafiq knows Islam —at some level, they believe in Allah and the Prophet PBUH— yet they don't act. Indeed, why does Ibn Salul want the Prophet PBUH to visit him on his deathbed? And he even says to him PBUH, "Ask forgiveness for me"—so at some level, there is knowledge that the Prophet is a true Messenger; yet at another level, he is too arrogant to actually submit to him PBUH. This is why Allah says in the Quran that the munafiqun will occupy the lowest depths of Hell [see Quran, 4:145].

When the call came to visit Ibn Salul, Umar RA asked, "Ya Rasulullah, will you visit such an enemy of Allah?" The Prophet PBUH replied, "I hope that through him, Allah will cause [many] people to embrace Islam." This shows us again, that Islam takes into account the overall image; the Prophet PBUH did not defend Ibn Salul when Umar RA said, "He is the enemy of Allah," rather, the Prophet PBUH said, "I hope by this visit to get the hearts of other men," i.e., there is a greater good. So similarly, when dealing with our affairs, we must weigh the good and bad and look at what is better overall for the ummah [see episode 55].

So the Prophet PBUH ended up visiting Ibn Salul. There are two reports: One report says Ibn Salul himself asked the Prophet PBUH for his shirt as a kafan; but the more authentic report is that after he died, his son was the one who asked the Prophet PBUH for his shirt. And it could be that both are valid. In any case, what is clear is that the Prophet PBUH actually did give his shirt. Further, the son asked the Prophet PBUH to lead the janazah. So the body was brought to the masjid. And when the Prophet PBUH stood up to pray, Umar RA held on to his lower garment and said, "Ya Rasulullah, will you pray for him after he has done such-and-such, and then such-and-such, and then such-and-such?" and Umar listed a whole list of Ibn Salul's evils. And then Umar said, "And even after Allah has prohibited you from praying for them?" i.e., "Isn't it haram to pray for the munafiqun?" (Side note 1: This shows us the level of comfort Umar RA felt with the Prophet PBUH, for him to actually remind the Prophet PBUH of a verse of the Quran.) (Side note 2: This also shows us that the leader can be politely challenged, even if that leader is the Prophet PBUH [see episode 66]. Umar RA is just saying, "I don't understand, how can you pray for him?") The Prophet PBUH said, "Rather, Allah has given me a choice, and I have chosen to ask"—and he PBUH quoted verse [9:80]: "Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them." (Side note 3: This shows us much of Surat al-Tawba had been revealed already.) The verse says, "Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them," and the Prophet PBUH understood this to be a choice given by Allah rather than a prohibition. Even though in the same verse, Allah says, "Even if you pray for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will never forgive them"—but since there is no explicit prohibition that says, "Do not ask," so the Prophet PBUH said, "If I knew 71 times would have forgiven them, I will ask 71 times."

So the Prophet PBUH prayed, they accompanied him to the grave, and in al-Tabari, it's mentioned that the Prophet PBUH himself went into the grave and helped bury this man who was such an enemy. (Side note 4: If anything, this shows us you don't want the Fire of Hell for even your worst enemy. The Prophet PBUH did not like Ibn Salul, but he at least outwardly died professing Islam, and the Prophet's PBUH mercy and tenderness were so great he even wanted Ibn Salul to be forgiven.)

Then after this incident, Allah revealed Surat al-Tawba verse 84 in which He SWT says, "And do not ever offer [funeral] prayers for any of their dead, nor stand by their grave [at burial], for they have lost faith in Allah and His Messenger and died rebellious" [Quran, 9:84] — so an explicit prohibition came down. (Side note 5: But of course for us, this verse is not applicable because we do not know who is a munafiq. By its nature nifaq is hidden — that's why it's called nifaq. It was applicable to the Prophet PBUH because Jibril AS had told him the names of the munafiqs at his time.) So after the incident, the Prophet PBUH was told to never ever pray for the munafiqun or stand by their graves.

And with this incident, we conclude all of the events of Tabuk.

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Surat al-Tawba

We will now discuss Surat al-Tawba. It's a very long Surah, and ⅔ of it deals with Tabuk — so we cannot possibly cover all these verses. Also, it's worth mentioning that the first 37 verses were revealed later on in a few months (in Dhu al-Qa'dah of the 9th year), so we will not discuss them in this episode.

Why Is There No Basmala?

Surat al-Tawba is one of the last surahs to be revealed (we are already in the 9th year of the Hijrah; there is literally one year left.) And of course, as we know, it is the only Surah that does not start with BismiLlaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ - In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful). Why is there no Basmala? There are two opinions narrated from the sahaba:

1. First is a hadith in Sunan al-Tirmidhi where Uthman ibn Affan, the compiler of the mus'haf, was asked, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, why did you put Surat al-Tawba after Surat al-Anfal?" Uthman said, "Al-Tawba was one of the last surahs revealed, and the matter was unclear to us where it should go. Therefore, we put it with Anfal because the content is the same (i.e., about warfare). And we did not put a Basmala not knowing if the two Surahs are connected or not." Because of this, some of the tabi'un actually said Tawba and Anfal are one Surah, and that's why there is no Basmala between them. (Remember, the sahaba did not write the names of the surahs inside the mus'haf, nor did they write the ayah numbers.) So there are reports from the earliest of Islam that say there are 113 surahs in the Quran — not because a surah is missing, but because they have joined Anfal and Tawba. This is reported by Qatada the Student of Ibn Abbas; but this is a position hardly anyone else agreed with. The bulk of the ummah —and what has later become the ijma'— is that Anfal and Tawba are two separate Surahs.

(Tangent: This also raises the question of who did the ordering of the surahs. From the hadith above, it appears it was the sahaba. As for the ordering of the verses, everyone agrees it comes from Allah and the Prophet PBUH. And in fact, you even just read the surah and you know that the ordering of the verses is clearly an internal thing; you read any surah and you find there is some type of flow to it, even if the flow is not demonstrated in English. There is a flow, there is a rhythm, there is a style — and every hafiz knows this, that there's something that just connects from one verse to the next. There is a famous German orientalist, Angelika Neuwirth, and her specialty is the Quran and the harmony and structure of the Quran; and she actually has some very unique research done on analyzing the 'melody and rhyme' of the surahs, and she has shown that there is an internal structure that parallels. The point is that the arrangement of the verses is from Allah and the Prophet PBUH; but the arrangement of the surahs is something that has been controversial. Allah knows best, but it appears to be the sahaba who did this. The evidence for this is that every sahabi who had his own Quran arranged the surahs differently. But once Uthman standardized it, then it became binding on us to follow the set arrangement to respect the ijma' of Uthman's compilation.)

2.  Ali RA was asked by one of his sons, "Why is there no Basmala in Surat al-Tawba?" Ali RA said, "This is a Surah where Allah cuts off His ties with the pagans; [so] it is not befitting that He begins it with His mercy." And indeed, the very first word of the Surah is "براءة" which means "to completely cut off," so it is not befitting that you begin the Surah with a Basmala. And the rest of the Surah is very harsh against those who reject Allah and His Messenger as well.

Tafsir

As we said, the first 37 verses were revealed later, right before the Hajj. So let us move to verse 38 onward, which deal with the Battle of Tabuk.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ

38. O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah, you cling firmly to [your] land? Do you prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter? The enjoyment of this worldly life is insignificant compared to that of the Hereafter.

— Here begins the severe warning, and it will be repeated throughout. These verses are very powerful verses of jihad.

إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْئًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

39. If you do not march forth, He will afflict you with a painful torment and replace you with other people. You are not harming Him in the least. And Allah is Most Capable of everything.

— Here we have, in our humble opinion, a very explicit reference that the Battle of Tabuk was simply a test from Allah [see episode 87].

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

40. [It does not matter] if you [believers] do not support him (the Prophet PBUH), for Allah did in fact support him when the disbelievers drove him out [of Makkah] and he was only one of two. While they both were in the cave, he reassured his companion, "Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us." So Allah sent down His serenity upon the Prophet, supported him with forces you [believers] did not see, and made the word of the disbelievers lowest, while the Word of Allah is supreme. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

— So Allah is referencing the Hijrah; and this is the verse that explicitly affirms that Abu Bakr RA is a true sahabi. Anyone who denies that Abu Bakr is a sahabi has contradicted the Quran, and therefore is not a believer in the Quran.

انفِرُوا خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

41. [O believers!] March forth whether it is easy or difficult for you, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is best for you, if only you knew.

— This is the most powerful verse about Tabuk. Allah is saying to *go* regardless of whatever your state is. This shows us Tabuk was fard ayn — once again, the wisdom is to demonstrate who is the real believer; to prepare the sahaba for the battles that will take place within a year after the death of the Prophet PBUH.

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِن بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ ۚ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ

42. Had the gain been within reach and the journey shorter, they would have followed you, but the distance seemed too long for them. And they will swear by Allah, "Had we been able, we would have certainly joined you." They are ruining themselves. And Allah knows that they are surely lying.

— Here begins the tirade, the criticisms against the munafiqun.

عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

43. Allah has forgiven you [O Prophet! But] why did you give them permission [to stay behind] before those who told the truth were distinguished from those who were lying?

— This is a beautiful verse in the Quran, in that even before Allah mildly rebukes the Prophet PBUH, He says first that, "Allah has forgiven you." This is a reference to when the Prophet PBUH accepted any and all excuses from the munafiqun, that, "I'm not well," or, "My family is...," and whatever excuse was given, the Prophet PBUH accepted [see episode 90]. So Allah says to the Prophet PBUH he should not have accepted the excuses.

لَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَن يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ

44. Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day do not ask for exemption from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allah has perfect knowledge of those who are mindful [of Him].

— How does this verse apply to us? Think about how many excuses we make when it comes to salah, Quran, praying in the masjid, etc. Those with Iman do not give excuses.

إِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ

45. No one would ask for exemption except those who have no faith in Allah or the Last Day, and whose hearts are in doubt, so they are torn by their doubts.

وَلَوْ أَرَادُوا الْخُرُوجَ لَأَعَدُّوا لَهُ عُدَّةً وَلَٰكِن كَرِهَ اللَّهُ انبِعَاثَهُمْ فَثَبَّطَهُمْ وَقِيلَ اقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْقَاعِدِينَ

46. Had they [really] intended to march forth, they would have made preparations for it. But Allah disliked that they should go, so He let them lag behind, and it was said [to them], "Stay with those [helpless] who remain behind."

— Here the Prophet PBUH is being told to look at the preparations of those who have given an excuse. The munafiqun haven't done anything to take measures to go forth in battle. They haven't prepared at all.

لَوْ خَرَجُوا فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا خَبَالًا وَلَأَوْضَعُوا خِلَالَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

47. Had they gone forth with you [believers], they would have been nothing but trouble for you, and would have scrambled around, seeking to spread discord in your midst. And some of you would have eagerly listened to them. And Allah has [perfect] knowledge of the wrongdoers.

— This is a very powerful verse. In it Allah is saying there are three types of people:

1. The fitna-mongers
2. Those whose hearts will be swayed by the fitna-mongers
3. Those who won't be swayed by the fitna-mongers

— This shows us that there are people with weak hearts. When we think of the sahaba, we think of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, etc., and yes, those are elites, but let's not forget that for every known sahabi, there are at least 1,000 sahaba that we don't know; and the reason we don't know them is because they haven't reached to the level of the elites. So if even in the time of the Prophet PBUH people could be persuaded to do evil by the fitna-mongers, what do you think about our times? When someone comes with bad thoughts, there are those whose hearts will be swayed. So Allah is saying some people will listen to such talk, and Allah did not want them to listen, so He SWT saved them by letting the hypocrites remain behind and not join their ranks.

لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ حَتَّىٰ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ

48. They had already sought to spread discord before and devised every [possible] plot against you [O Prophet], until the Truth came and Allah's Will prevailed — much to their dismay.

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ائْذَن لِّي وَلَا تَفْتِنِّي ۚ أَلَا فِي الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ

49. There are some of them who say, "Exempt me and do not expose me to temptation." [But] they have already fallen into temptation. And Hell will surely engulf the disbelievers.

— The reference for this verse is for that person who said he couldn't go because the Roman women would be too much of a temptation [see episode 90]. The flimsiest of excuses.

إِن تُصِبْكَ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْكَ مُصِيبَةٌ يَقُولُوا قَدْ أَخَذْنَا أَمْرَنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَيَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُمْ فَرِحُونَ

50. If a blessing befalls you [O Prophet], they grieve, but if a disaster befalls you, they say, "We took our precaution in advance," and turn away, rejoicing.

— So if good happens to you, they are angry, but if a disaster befalls you, they are happy and will say, "You should have listened to us." This, by the way, shows us if a Muslim is happy when Islam is smeared, then he has no Iman. And if a Muslim feels pain when Islam is smeared, this is a sign of Iman. This ayah proves this.

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

51. Say, "Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has destined for us. He is our Protector." So in Allah let the believers put their trust.

— This is one of the most powerful and beautiful verses in the Surah.

قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا إِلَّا إِحْدَى الْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ فَتَرَبَّصُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ

52. Say, "Are you awaiting anything to befall us except one of the two best things: [victory or martyrdom]? But We are awaiting Allah to afflict you with torment either from Him or at our hands. So keep waiting! We too are waiting with you."

— So Allah is saying the sahaba are winners in every situation: If they win, they win, if they die, they get Jannah.

قُلْ أَنفِقُوا۟ طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمْ ۖ إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا فَـٰسِقِينَ

53. Say, [O Prophet,] "[Whether you] donate willingly or unwillingly, it will never be accepted from you, for you have been a rebellious people."

وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَـٰتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَـٰرِهُونَ

54. And what prevented their donations from being accepted is that they have lost faith in Allah and His Messenger, they never come to prayer except half-heartedly, and they never donate except resentfully.

فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ

55. So let neither their wealth nor children impress you [O Prophet]. Allah only intends to torment them through these things in this worldly life, then their souls will depart while they are disbelievers.

وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنكُمْ وَمَا هُم مِّنكُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ

56. They swear by Allah that they are part of you, but they are not. They only say so out of fear.

لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَأً أَوْ مَغَارَاتٍ أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا لَّوَلَّوْا إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ

57. If only they could find a refuge, or a cave, or any hiding-place, they would rush headlong toward it.

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَلْمِزُكَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَإِن لَّمْ يُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذَا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ

58. There are some of them who are critical of your distribution of charity [O Prophet]. If they are given some of it they are pleased, but if not they are enraged.

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللَّهِ رَاغِبُونَ

59. If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger had given them and said, "Allah is sufficient for us! Allah will grant us out of His bounty, and so will His Messenger. To Allah [alone] we turn with hope."

— Verses 58 & 59 are a reference not to the Battle of Tabuk, but to the Battle of Hunayn, which took place after the Conquest of Makkah, when the Bedouin leader went up to the Prophet PBUH and said, "Be just, O Muhammad!" [see episode 83].

إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

60. Zakat is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted [to the faith], for [freeing] slaves, for those in debt, for Allah's cause, and for [needy] travelers. [This is] an obligation from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

— This is the primary verse in the Quran about the eight categories of zakat.

وَمِنْهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ النَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ ۚ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

61. And there are others who hurt the Prophet by saying, "He listens to anyone." Say, [O Prophet,] "He listens to what is best for you. He believes in Allah, has faith in the believers, and is a mercy for those who believe among you." Those who hurt Allah's Messenger will suffer a painful punishment.

— Here we find that the munafiqun are making fun of the Prophet PBUH for being too lenient, for listening to the sahaba who are complaining about them. So Allah reverses it back and says, "The fact that the Prophet PBUH only listens, it is better for you; if he were to act with you the way that you deserve, [...]." So one of the points here is that the sahaba are complaining to the Prophet PBUH about the munafiqun, and the munafiqun are making fun of the Prophet PBUH for listening to them, and Allah says the fact that the Prophet PBUH is just listening and not doing anything, it's better for the munafiqun themselves.

— Also, Allah SWT says, "Those who hurt Allah's Messenger will suffer a painful punishment." This shows that we have respect for the Prophet PBUH, which comes from Iman. Anyone who harms or makes fun of the Prophet PBUH is not a Muslim. It is impossible for a Muslim to ridicule, mock, put down, denigrate, or joke about the Prophet PBUH.

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرْضُوهُ إِن كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ

62. They swear by Allah to you [believers] in order to please you, while it is the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger they should seek, if they are [true] believers.

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَن يُحَادِدِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْخِزْيُ الْعَظِيمُ

63. Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger will be in the Fire of Hell forever? That is the ultimate disgrace.

يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلِ اسْتَهْزِئُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَ

64. The hypocrites fear that a surah should be revealed about them, exposing what is in their hearts. Say, [O Prophet,] "Keep mocking! Allah will definitely bring to light what you fear."

— Here we go back to the point we mentioned earlier, that the hypocrites at some level believe that the Prophet PBUH is a true Messenger of Allah. They are scared that a surah might be revealed exposing what is in their hearts. They know Allah knows what is in their hearts, they know the Prophet PBUH is Allah's Messenger, yet still they refuse to submit. What type of Iman is this? And here we see the eloquence of the Quran: Allah SWT exposes the hypocrites by simply exposing their fear of being exposed.

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

65. If you question them, they will certainly say, "We were only talking idly and joking around." Say, "Was it Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger that you ridiculed?"

لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَائِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَائِفَةً بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ

66. Make no excuses! You have committed kufr after your Iman. If We pardon a group of you, We will punish others for their wickedness.

— This is a reference to the multiple jokes that took place on the way back from Tabuk against the Prophet PBUH [see episode 92]. In the next verses, Allah threatens them.

ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ ۚ نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ

67. The hypocrites, both men and women, are all alike: they encourage what is evil, forbid what is good, and withhold [what is in] their hands. They neglected Allah, so He neglected them. Surely the hypocrites are the rebellious.

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتِ وَٱلْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ ۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ

68. Allah has promised the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers, an everlasting stay in the Fire of Hell — it is sufficient for them. Allah has condemned them, and they will suffer a never-ending Punishment.

كَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَٰلًا وَأَوْلَـٰدًا فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟ بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَـٰقِكُمْ كَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ

69. [You hypocrites are] like those [disbelievers] before you. They were far superior to you in might and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share in this life. You have enjoyed your share, just as they did. And you have engaged in idle talk, just as they did. Their deeds have become void in this world and the Hereafter. And it is they who are the [true] losers.

أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

70. Have they not received the stories of those [destroyed] before them: the people of Noah, Ad, and Thamud, the people of Abraham, the residents of Madyan (مدين - Midian), and the overturned cities [of Lot]? Their Messengers came to them with clear proofs. Allah would have never wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

71. The believers, both men and women, are guardians of one another. They encourage good and forbid evil, establish salah and pay zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is they who will be shown Allah's mercy. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

72. Allah has promised the believers, both men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever, and splendid homes in the Gardens of Eternity, and —above all— the pleasure of Allah. That is [truly] the ultimate triumph.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

73. O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm with them. Hell will be their home. What an evil destination!

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِسْلَامِهِمْ وَهَمُّوا بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا ۚ وَمَا نَقَمُوا إِلَّا أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۚ فَإِن يَتُوبُوا يَكُ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

74. They swear by Allah that they never said anything [blasphemous], while they did in fact utter a blasphemy, lost faith after accepting Islam, and plotted what they could not carry out. It is only through resentment that they pay Allah and His Messenger back for enriching them out of His bounty! If they repent, it will be better for them. But if they turn away, Allah will torment them with a painful Punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no one on earth to protect or help them.

— Another claim that one of the munafiqs said on the way back from Tabuk was that, "If Islam is true, this means we are more misguided than donkeys," i.e., "What a ridiculous faith." When the news reached that this was what they said, they swore by Allah that they didn't say it. So Allah revealed the above verse (74) exposing their lies. And the planning that "they could not carry out" is a reference to the attempted assassination on the Prophet PBUH according to most of the books of tafsir [see episode 92].

وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِن فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

75. And there are some who had made a vow to Allah: "If He gives us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity and be of the righteous."

فَلَمَّا آتَاهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

76. But when He gave them out of His bounty, they withheld it and turned away indifferently.

— Now, verses 75 & 76 are famously attributed to a sahabi who begged the Prophet PBUH for more money, and the Prophet PBUH kept on saying, "Don't ask for more money, it's a fitna," but —according to the story— he insisted, "If I become rich, I will become generous," so the Prophet PBUH made du'a, and the sahabi became rich. But when the zakat collectors came, he was stingy and basically turned away. The story is famous and the sahabi's name is mentioned — but the fact of the matter is that this story is problematic on many accounts. Firstly, in the story, it's said that the sahabi repents and brings the zakat to the Prophet PBUH, but the Prophet PBUH refuses to accept it — this is simply unheard of in the seerah, and it goes against the Quran. Secondly, the story has a weakness in its chain — even though this in itself is not a problem since most of the seerah, its chain is weak anyway, but when a story contradicts a well-known principle —i.e., that Allah can forgive if you ask— then we have to reject the story.

— So what do these verses apply to? It doesn't apply to the sahabi, but rather, to some of the hypocrites. Some of them wanted to be rich and they said, "If we become rich, we will be generous." But when Allah gave them the riches, they turned out to be the stingiest of people. They never wanted to be generous; they were lying to Allah and His Messenger, and therefore, Allah says, He caused hypocrisy to plague their hearts:

فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُۥ بِمَآ أَخْلَفُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ

77. So He caused hypocrisy to plague their hearts until the Day they will meet Him, for breaking their promise to Allah and for their lies.

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَىٰهُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ

78. Do they not know that Allah [fully] knows their [evil] thoughts and secret talks, and that Allah is the Knower of all unseen?

الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ ۙ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

79. [There are] those who slander [some of] the believers for donating liberally and mock others for giving only the little they can afford. Allah will throw their mockery back at them, and they will suffer a painful Punishment.

— "Giving only the little they can afford" is a reference to the sahabi who couldn't afford anything so he spent the whole night drawing water from a well to earn some dates. And he came the next day and gave a handful of dates to the Prophet PBUH — and upon this, the munafiqun mocked him, saying, "Do you think Allah needs this quantity of dates?" [see episode 90].

اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

80. [It does not matter] whether you [O Prophet] pray for them to be forgiven or not. Even if you pray for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will never forgive them. That is because they have lost faith in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah does not guide the rebellious people.

— We discussed this verse earlier [see: The Death of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul].

فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَافَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوا أَن يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُوا لَا تَنفِرُوا فِي الْحَرِّ ۗ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا ۚ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَفْقَهُونَ

81. Those [hypocrites] who remained behind rejoiced for doing so in defiance of the Messenger of Allah and hated [the prospect of] striving with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. They said [to one another], "Do not march forth in the heat." Say, [O Prophet,] "The Fire of Hell is far hotter!" If only they could comprehend!

فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

82. So let them laugh a little — they will weep much as a reward for what they have committed.

— Verses 81 & 82 deal with the excuses of the hypocrites [see episode 90].

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَائِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا ۖ إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْخَالِفِينَ

83. If Allah returns you [O Prophet] to a group of them and they ask to go forth with you, say, "You will not ever go forth or fight an enemy along with me. You preferred to stay behind the first time, so stay with those [helpless] who remain behind."

— In this verse, Allah SWT says that it is haram for the Prophet PBUH to allow the hypocrites to go forth on jihad ever again. Now, this is interesting because the Battle of Tabuk was the last ghazwa, yet verse 83 tells the Prophet PBUH to say to the munafiqun, "You will not ever go forth or fight an enemy along with me"—why is Allah saying this? To humiliate the hypocrites; that even if they wanted to go after this (in order to get honor), Allah would not let them go anymore.

وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

84. And do not ever offer [funeral] prayers for any of their dead, nor stand by their grave [at burial], for they have lost faith in Allah and His Messenger and died rebellious.

— This verse is a reference to Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. The Prophet PBUH was commanded after this (after Ibn Salul's death) to never pray for a hypocrite or do their janazah.

وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ

85. And let neither their wealth nor children impress you [O Prophet]. Allah only intends to torment them through these things in this world, and [then] their souls will depart while they are disbelievers.

وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ ٱسْتَـْٔذَنَكَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ ذَرْنَا نَكُن مَّعَ ٱلْقَـٰعِدِينَ

86. Whenever a surah is revealed stating, "Believe in Allah and struggle along with His Messenger," the rich among them would ask to be exempt, saying, "Leave us with those who remain behind."

رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ

87. They preferred to stay behind with the helpless, and their hearts have been sealed so they do not comprehend.

لَـٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

88. But the Messenger and the believers with him strove with their wealth and their lives. They will have all the best, and it is they who will be successful.

أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

89. Allah has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever. That is the ultimate triumph.

وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

90. Some Bedouins [also] came with excuses, seeking exemption. And those who were untrue to Allah and His Messenger remained behind [with no excuse]. The unfaithful among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment.

لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلضُّعَفَآءِ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرْضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٍ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

91. There is no blame on the weak, the sick, or those lacking the means [if they stay behind], as long as they are true to Allah and His Messenger. There is no blame on the good-doers. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا۟ وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا۟ مَا يُنفِقُونَ

92. Nor [is there any blame on] those who came to you [O Prophet] for mounts, then when you said, "I can find no mounts for you," they left with eyes overflowing with tears out of grief that they had nothing to contribute.

۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَـْٔذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَآءُ ۚ رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

93. Blame is only on those who seek exemption from you although they have the means. They preferred to stay behind with the helpless, and Allah has sealed their hearts so they do not realize [the consequences].

يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا اللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

94. They will make excuses to you [believers] when you return to them. Say, "Make no excuses, [for] we will not believe you. Allah has already informed us about your [true] state [of faith]. Your [future] deeds will be observed by Allah and His Messenger as well. And you will be returned to the Knower of the seen and unseen, then He will inform you of what you used to do."

سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ ۖ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

95. When you return, they will swear to you by Allah so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone — they are truly evil. Hell will be their home as a reward for what they have committed.

يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ

96. They will swear to you in order to please you. And even if you are pleased with them, Allah will never be pleased with the rebellious people.

— Verses 94 to 96 are a reference to the morning when the Prophet PBUH came back from Tabuk and there was a long line of munafiqs ready to give their excuses. Allah revealed these verses after the Prophet PBUH had accepted all of their excuses, that, "Even if you are pleased with them [O Prophet], Allah will never be pleased with the rebellious people."

الْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا حُدُودَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

97. The Bedouins [around Madinah] are far worse in disbelief and hypocrisy, and less likely to know the laws revealed by Allah to His Messenger. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآئِرَ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

98. And among the Bedouins are those who consider what they donate to be a loss and await your misfortune. May ill-fortune befall them! And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

— Allah mentions the Bedouins because in the Battle of Tabuk, the bulk of the Muslim army consisted of those from outside of Madinah. And He SWT criticizes them by saying that most of these outward-converts, as of yet, Iman has not entered their hearts, and they are hypocrites — but not all of them:

وَمِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ قُرُبَاتٍ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوَاتِ الرَّسُولِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ ۚ سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

99. However, among the Bedouins are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and consider what they donate as a means of coming closer to Allah and [receiving] the prayers of the Messenger. It will certainly bring them closer. Allah will admit them into His mercy. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

— In verse 100, Allah praises the Muhajirun and the Ansar:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

100. As for the foremost —the first of the Muhajirun and the Ansar— and those who follow them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. That is the ultimate triumph.

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مُنَـٰفِقُونَ ۖ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ۖ مَرَدُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ ۖ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ

101. Some of the Bedouins around you [believers] are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Madinah. They have mastered hypocrisy. They are not known to you [O Prophet]; they are known to Us. We will punish them twice [in this world], then they will be brought back [to their Lord] for a tremendous Punishment.

وَآخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَآخَرَ سَيِّئًا عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

102. Some others have confessed their wrongdoing: they have mixed goodness with evil. It is right to hope that Allah will turn to them in mercy. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

— This verse is a reference to Ka'b ibn Malik RA and his two companions who admitted that they were guilty [see episode 88]. They had good deeds, e.g., participated in Aqaba, Uhud, Khandaq, etc., but they disobeyed the Prophet PBUH in the Incident of Tabuk — so this is what's referred to in the verse that they have mixed goodness with evil.

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

103. Take from their wealth [O Prophet] charity to purify and bless them, and pray for them — surely your prayer is a source of comfort for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

104. Do they not know that Allah alone accepts the repentance of His servants and receives [their] charity, and that Allah alone is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful?

وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

105. Tell [them, O Prophet], "Do as you will. Your deeds will be observed by Allah, His Messenger, and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the seen and unseen, then He will inform you of what you used to do."

وَآخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

106. And some others are left for Allah's decision, either to punish them or turn to them in mercy. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

— This verse was an implicit command for the Muslims to boycott Ka'b, Murara, and Hilal after the Incident of Tabuk [see episode 88].

— Verses 107 to 110 deal with Masjid al-Dirar which we discussed in episode 90:

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ

107. There are also those [hypocrites] who set up a mosque [only] to cause harm, promote disbelief, divide the believers, and as a base for those who had previously fought against Allah and His Messenger. They will definitely swear, "We intended nothing but good," but Allah bears witness that they are surely liars.

لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ

108. Do not [O Prophet] ever pray in it. Certainly, a mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your prayers. In it are men who love to be purified. And Allah loves those who purify themselves.

أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

109. Which is better: those who laid the foundation of their building on the fear and pleasure of Allah, or those who did so on the edge of a crumbling cliff that tumbled down with them into the Fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

لَا يَزَالُ بُنْيَـٰنُهُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَنَوْا۟ رِيبَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَّآ أَن تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

110. The building which they erected will never cease to fuel hypocrisy in their hearts until their hearts are torn apart. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ ۚ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَبْشِرُوا۟ بِبَيْعِكُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَايَعْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

111. Allah has indeed purchased from the believers their lives and wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah and kill or are killed. This is a true promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. And whose promise is truer than Allah's? So rejoice in the exchange you have made with Him. That is [truly] the ultimate triumph.

ٱلتَّـٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْـَٔامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

112. [It is the believers] who repent, who are devoted to worship, who praise [their Lord], who fast, who bow down and prostrate themselves, who encourage good and forbid evil, and who observe the limits set by Allah. And give good news to the believers.

مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى قُرْبَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

113. It is not [proper] for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were close relatives, after it has become clear to the believers that they are bound for the Hellfire.

وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌ

114. As for Abraham's prayer for his father's forgiveness, it was only in fulfillment of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to Abraham that his father was an enemy of Allah, he broke ties with him. Abraham was truly tender-hearted, forbearing.

وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًۢا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

115. Allah would never consider a people deviant after He has guided them, until He makes clear to them what they must avoid. Surely Allah has [full] knowledge of everything.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۚ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

116. Indeed, to Allah [alone] belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And besides Allah you have no guardian or helper.

لَّقَد تَّابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

117. Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet as well as the Muhajirun and the Ansar who stood by him in the time of difficulty, after the hearts of a group of them had almost faltered. He then accepted their repentance. Surely He is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to them.

— Allah says He has forgiven the Muhajirun and the Ansar who followed the Prophet PBUH during Tabuk.

— And verse 118 is about the forgiveness of the remaining three:

وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

118. And [Allah has also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind, [whose guilt distressed them] until the earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on them, and their souls were torn in anguish. They knew there was no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in mercy so that they might repent. Surely Allah [alone] is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

119. O believers! Be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful.

مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا۟ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌ صَـٰلِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

120. It was not [proper] for the people of Madinah and the Bedouins around them to avoid marching with the Messenger of Allah or to prefer their own lives above his. That is because whenever they suffer from thirst, fatigue, or hunger in the cause of Allah; or tread on a territory, unnerving the disbelievers; or inflict any loss on an enemy — it is written to their credit as a good deed. Surely Allah never discounts the reward of the good-doers.

— Then Allah talks about those who weren't able to go, but still they got the reward of those who went because of their intention [see episode 90]:

وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ نَفَقَةً صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً وَلَا يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

121. And whenever they make a donation, small or large, or cross a valley [in Allah's cause] — it is written to their credit, so that Allah may grant them the best reward for what they used to do.

۞ وَمَا كَانَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا۟ كَآفَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ

122. [However,] it is not necessary for the believers to march forth all at once. Only a party from each group should march forth, leaving the rest to gain religious knowledge then enlighten their people when they return to them, so that they [too] may beware [of evil].

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا۟ فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةً ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

123. O believers! Fight the disbelievers around you and let them find firmness in you. And know that Allah is with those mindful [of Him].

— Then Allah mentions more about the hypocrites:

وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

124. Whenever a surah is revealed, some of them ask [mockingly], "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for the believers, it has increased them in faith and they rejoice.

وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ

125. But as for those with sickness in their hearts, it has increased them only in wickedness upon their wickedness, and they die as disbelievers.

أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِى كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

126. Do they not see that they are tried once or twice every year? Yet they neither repent nor do they learn a lesson.

وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَىٰكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ ٱنصَرَفُوا۟ ۚ صَرَفَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ

127. Whenever a surah is revealed, they look at one another, [saying,] "Is anyone watching you?" Then they slip away. [It is] Allah [Who] has turned their hearts away because they are a people who do not comprehend.

— And Surat al-Tawba concludes with the two famous verses:

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

128. There certainly has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.

— We saw this even in the case of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, that the Prophet PBUH was eager for his forgiveness even though he died a hypocrite. And then he PBUH is told:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

129. But if they turn away, then say, [O Prophet,] "Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god [worthy of worship] except Him. In Him I put my trust. And He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne."

_______________

Recall we are in the 9th year of the Hijrah, in Dhu al-Qa'dah. The next incident will be the Year of Delegations, then one or two other incidents, then the Hajj of Abu Bakr, then the Hajj of the Prophet PBUH, and then that's it, the final few days of the Prophet PBUH. The bulk of the Quran has been revealed already, the laws of Islam are pretty much finalized, and the presence of Islam in Arabia has been solidified. After this, one by one in these final years, every single tribe in Arabia will embrace Islam. So we have a few lessons left, and we will come to the end of the seerah, insha'Allah.

[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]

safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, December 2021]