Surah at-Taubah (Repentance ) 9 : 73

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Translations

 
 Muhsin Khan
 Pickthall
 Yusuf Ali
Quran Project
O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.

1. Lessons/Guidance/Reflections/Gems

[ edit ]

Explanatorty Note

Thus the sūrah has given us a clear outline of the essential characteristics of true believers and those of the hypocrites who claim to be believers. This is now followed by an order from God to His Messenger to strive against the unbelievers and the hypocrites. The Qur’ān makes it clear that the hypocrites certainly disbelieved after they had claimed to be Muslims. They tried something that only their disbelief could have led them to contemplate, but God foiled their attempts. It wonders at their hostile attitude to the Prophet when they have gained nothing but good from his message. It invites them to repent and change their attitude.

The Prophet had been very lenient with the hypocrites, turning a blind eye to much of what they did and forgiving them much. At this point, however, such leniency is no longer useful. He is commanded by his Lord to start a new phase in his dealings with them. They are grouped here with the unbelievers; and the Prophet is ordered to strive against both as hard as he can. There are times when it is more suitable to take a hardened attitude while at others it is wiser to take the side of leniency. When a period of patience and tolerance is no longer advisable, then it is time to be tough. A practical movement has different requirements at different times, and its method of action may move from one stage to another. A soft attitude may sometimes bring about more harm than good.

Early scholars differ on what is meant by pressing hard in striving against the hypocrites, and whether it means fighting them with arms as suggested by `Alī ibn Abī Nib, or by general treatment and clear disapproval which make the reality of their position clear to all. This latter view is expressed by Ibn `Abbās. In practical terms, the Prophet did not kill any hypocrite.

2. Linguistic Analysis

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.


Frequency of Root words in this Ayat used in this Surah *


3. Surah Overview

4. Miscellaneous Information

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.

5. Connected/Related Ayat

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.

6. Frequency of the word

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.

7. Period of Revelation

[ edit ]

This Surah comprises three discourses. The first discourse (v. 1-37) was revealed in Dhul-Qa’adah 9 A.H. or thereabout. As the importance of the subject of the discourse required its declaration on the occasion of Hajj the Prophet dispatched Ali to follow Abu Bakr who had already left for Makkah as leader of the Pilgrims to the Ka’bah. He instructed Ali to deliver the discourse before the representatives of the different clans of Arabia so as to inform them of the new policy towards the polytheists.

The second discourse (v. 38-72) was sent down in Rajab 9 A.H. or a little before this when the Prophet was engaged in making preparations for the Campaign of Tabuk. In this discourse the Believers were urged to take active part in Jihad.

The third discourse (v. 73-129) was revealed on his return from the Campaign of Tabuk. There are some pieces in this discourse that were sent down on different occasions during the same period and were afterwards consolidated by the Prophet into the Surah in accordance with inspiration from God. But this caused no interruption in its continuity because they dealt with the same subject and formed part of the same series of events. This discourse warns the hypocrites of their evil deeds and rebukes those Believers who had stayed behind in the Campaign of Tabuk. Then after taking them to task, God pardons those true Believers who had not taken part in the Jihad in the Way of God for one reason or the other.

8. Reasons for Revelation

[ edit ]

The series of events that have been discussed in this Surah took place after the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah. By that time one-third of Arabia had come under the sway of Islam which had established itself as a powerful well organised and civilized Islamic State. There were two important events that followed - the first was the Conquest of Arabia. The Prophet was able to send missions among different clans for the propagation of Islam. The result was that during the short period of two years it became such a great power that it made the old order of ignorance feel helpless before it. So much so that the zealous elements from among the Quraysh were so exasperated that they broke the Treaty in order to encounter Islam in a decisive combat. But the Prophet took prompt action after the breach so as not to allow them any opportunity to gather enough force for this. He made a sudden invasion on Makkah in the month of Ramadan in 8 A.H. and conquered it. Though this conquest broke the backbone of the order of ignorance it made still another attack on Islam in the battlefield of Hunain which proved to be its death-knell. The clans of Hawazin, Thaqif, Naur Jushm and others gathered their entire forces in the battlefield in order to crush the reformative Revolution but they utterly failed in their evil designs. The defeat of ‘ignorance’ at Hunain paved the way for making the whole of Arabia ‘The Abode of Islam’ (Dar-ul-Islam). The result was that hardly a year had passed after the Battle of Hunain when the major portion of Arabia came within the fold of Islam and only a few upholders of the old order remained scattered over some corners of the country.

The second event that contributed towards making Islam a formidable power was the Campaign of Tabuk which was necessitated by the provocative activities of the Christians living within or near the boundaries of the Roman Empire to the north of Arabia. Accordingly the Prophet with an army of thirty thousand marched boldly towards the Roman Empire but the Romans evaded the encounter. The result was that the power of the Prophet and Islam increased manifold and deputations from all corners of Arabia began to wait upon him on his return from Tabuk in order to offer their allegiance to Islam and obedience to him. The Qur’an has described this triumph in Surah 110: an-Nasr (Victory) “When the victory of God has come and the conquest, And you see the people entering into the religion of God in multitudes…”

Campaign to Tabuk

The Campaign to Tabuk was the result of conflict with the Roman Empire that had started even before the conquest of Makkah. One of the missions sent after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah to different parts of Arabia visited the clans which lived in the northern areas adjacent to Syria. The majority of these people were Christians who were under the influence of the Roman Empire. Contrary to all the principles of the commonly accepted international law they killed fifteen members of the delegation near a place known as Zat-u-Talah. Only Ka’ab bin Umair Ghifari, the head of the delegation, succeeded in escaping and reporting the sad incident. Besides this Shurahbil bin Amr, the Christian governor of Busra who was directly under the Roman Caesar had also put to death Haritli bin Umair the ambassador of the Prophet who had been sent to him on a similar mission.

These events convinced the Prophet that a strong action should be taken in order to make the territory adjacent to the Roman Empire safe and secure for the Muslims. Accordingly in the month of Jamadi-ul-Ula 8 A.H. he sent an army of three thousand towards the Syrian border. When this army reached near Ma’an the Muslims learnt that Shurahbil was marching with an army of one hundred thousand to fight-with them and that the Caesar who himself was at Hims had sent another army consisting of one hundred thousand soldiers under his brother Theodore. But in spite of such fearful news the brave small band of the Muslims marched on fearlessly and encountered the big army of Shurahbil at M’utah. The result of the encounter, in which the Muslims were fighting against fearful odds (the ratio of the two armies was 1:33) as very favourable for the enemy utterly failed to defeat them. This proved very helpful for the propagation of Islam. As a result those Arabs who were living in a state of semi-independence in Syria and near Syria and the clans of Najd near Iraq who were under the influence of the Persian Empire turned towards Islam and embraced it in thousands. For example the people of Bani Sulaim (whose chief was Abbas bin Mirdas Sulaimi) Ashja’a Ghatafan Zubyan Fazarah etc. came into the fold of Islam at the same time. Above all Farvah bin ‘Amral Juzami who was the commander of the Arab armies of the Roman Empire embraced Islam during that time and underwent the trial of his Faith in a way that filled the whole territory with wonder. When the Caesar came to know that Farvah had embraced Islam he ordered that he should be arrested and brought to his court. Then the Caesar said to him, ‘You will have to choose between one of two options; either give up your Islam and win your liberty and your former rank, or remain a Muslim and face death.’ He calmly chose Islam and sacrificed his life in the way of the Truth.

No wonder that such events as these made the Caesar realise the nature of the danger that was threatening his Empire from Arabia. Accordingly in 9 A.H. he began to make military preparations to avenge the insult he had suffered at M’utah. The Ghassanid and other Arab chiefs also began to muster armies under him. When the Prophet who always kept himself well-informed even of the minutest things that could affect the Islamic Movement favourably or adversely came to know of these preparations he at once understood their meaning. Therefore without the least hesitation he decided to fight against the great power of the Caesar. He knew that the show of the slightest weakness would result in the utter failure of the Movement which was facing three great dangers at that time. First the dying power of ‘ignorance’ that had almost been crushed in the battlefield of Hunain might revive again. Secondly the Hypocrites of Madinah who were always on the look-out for such an opportunity might make full use of this to do the greatest possible harm to it. For they had already made preparations for this and had through a monk called Abu Amir, sent secret messages of their evil designs to the Christian king of Ghassan and the Caesar himself. Besides this, they had also built a mosque near Madinah for holding secret meetings for this purpose. The third danger was of an attack by the Caesar himself, who had already defeated Persia, the other great power of that period, and filled with awe the adjacent territories. It is obvious that if all these three elements had been given an opportunity of taking a concerted action against the Muslims, Islam would have lost the fight it had almost won. That is why in this case the Prophet made an open declaration for making preparations for the Campaign against the Roman Empire, which was one of the two greatest empires of the world of that period. The declaration was made though all the apparent circumstances were against such a decision: for there was famine in the country and the long awaited crops were about to ripen: the burning heat of the scorching summer season of Arabia was at its height and there was not enough money for preparations in general, and for equipment and conveyance in particular. But in spite of these handicaps, when the Messenger of God realised the urgency of the occasion, he took this step which was to decide whether the Mission of the Truth was going to survive or perish. The very fact that he made an open declaration for making preparations for such a campaign to Syria against the Roman Empire showed how important it was, for this was contrary to his previous practice. Usually he took every precaution not to reveal beforehand the direction to which he was going nor the name of the enemy whom he was going to attack; nay, he did not move out of Madinah even in the direction of the campaign.

All the parties in Arabia fully realised the grave consequences of this critical decision. The remnants of the lovers of the old order of ‘ignorance’ were anxiously waiting for the result of the Campaign, for they had pinned all their hopes on the defeat of Islam by the Romans. The ‘hypocrites’ also considered it to be their last chance of crushing the power of Islam by internal rebellion, if the Muslims suffered a defeat in Syria. They had, therefore, made full use of the Mosque built by them for hatching plots and had employed all their devices to render the Campaign a failure. On the other side, the true Believers also realised fully that the fate of the Movement for which they had been exerting their utmost for the last 22 years was now hanging in the balance. If they showed courage on that critical occasion, the doors of the whole outer world would be thrown open for the Movement to spread. But if they showed weakness or cowardice, then all the work they had done in Arabia would end in smoke. That is why these lovers of Islam began to make enthusiastic preparations for the Campaign. Everyone of them tried to surpass the other in making contributions for the provision of equipment for it. Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin awf presented large sums of money for this purpose. Umar contributed half of the earnings of his life and Abu Bakr the entire earnings of his life. The indigent Companions did not lag behind and presented whatever they could earn by the sweat of their labour and the women parted with their ornaments. Thousands of volunteers, who were filled with the desire of sacrificing their lives for Islam, came to the Prophet and requested that arrangements for weapons and conveyance be made for them so that they should join the expedition. Those who could not be provided with these shed tears of sorrow; the scene was so pathetic that it made the Prophet sad because of his inability to arm them. In short, the occasion became the touchstone for discriminating a true believer from a hypocrite. For, to lag behind in the Campaign meant that the very relationship of a person to Islam was doubtful. Accordingly, whenever a person lagged behind during the journey to Tabuk, the Prophet, on being informed, would spontaneously say, “Leave him alone. If there be any good in him, God will again join him with you, and if there be no good in him, then thank God that He relieved you of his evil company.”

In short, the Prophet marched out towards Syria in Rajab A.H. 9, with thirty thousand fighters for the cause of Islam. The conditions in which the expedition was undertaken may be judged from the fact that the number of camels with them was so small that many of them were obliged to walk on foot and to wait for their turns for several had to ride at a time on each camel. To add to this, there was the burning heat of the desert and the acute shortage of water. But they were richly rewarded for their firm resolve and sincere adherence to the cause and for their perseverance in the face of those great difficulties and obstacles.

When they arrived at Tabuk, they learnt that the Caesar and his allies had withdrawn their troops from the frontier and there was no enemy to fight with. Thus they won a moral victory that increased their prestige manifold and, that too, without shedding a drop of blood. As a result of this, the boundaries of the Islamic State were extended right up to the Roman Empire, and the majority of the Arab clans, who were being used by the Caesar against Arabia, became the allies of the Muslims against the Romans. Above all, this moral victory of Tabuk afforded a golden opportunity to the Muslims to strengthen their hold on Arabia before entering into a long conflict with the Romans. For it broke the back of those who had still been expecting that the old order of ‘ignorance’ might revive in the near future, whether they were the open upholders of polytheism (Shirk) or the hypocrites who were hiding their shirk under the clothing of Islam. The majority of such people were compelled by the force of circumstances to enter into the fold of Islam and, at least, make it possible for their descendants to become true Muslims. After this a mere impotent minority of the upholders of the old order was left in the field, but it could not stand in the way of the Islamic Revolution for the perfection of which God had sent His Messenger.

Problems of the Period

If we keep in view the preceding background we can easily find out the problems that were confronting the Community at that time. They were:

  1. to make the whole of Arabia a perfect ‘Abode of Islam’ (Dar-ul-Islam).
  2. to extend the influence of Islam to the adjoining countries.
  3. to crush the mischiefs of the hypocrites.
  4. to prepare the Muslims for Jihad against the non-Muslim world.

A clear declaration was made that all the treaties with the polytheists were abolished and that the Muslims would be released from the treaty obligations with them after a respite of four months (v. 1-3). This declaration was necessary for uprooting completely the system of life based on Shirk and to make Arabia exclusively the centre of Islam so that it should not in any way interfere with the spirit of Islam nor become an internal danger for it.

A decree was issued that the guardianship of the Ka’bah, which held central position in all the affairs of Arabia should be wrested from the polytheists and placed permanently in the hands of the Believers (v. 12-18) and that all the customs and practices of the shirk of the era of ‘ignorance’ should be forcibly abolished: that the polytheists should not be allowed even to come near the “House” (v. 28). This was to eradicate every trace of Shirk from the “House” that was dedicated exclusively to the worship of God. In order to enable the Muslims to extend the influence of Islam outside Arabia they were enjoined to crush with sword the non-Muslim powers and to force them to accept the sovereignty of the Islamic State. As the great Roman and Persian Empires were the biggest hindrances in the way a conflict with them was inevitable. The object of Jihad was not to coerce them to accept Islam; they were free to accept or not to accept it, but to prevent them from thrusting forcibly their deviations upon others and the coming generations. The Muslims were enjoined to tolerate their misguidance - only to the extent that they might have the freedom to remain misguided if they chose to be so, provided that they paid the tax (Jizyah) (v. 29) as a sign of their subjugation to the Islamic State. The third important problem was to crush the mischiefs of the hypocrites who had hitherto been tolerated in spite of their flagrant crimes. Now that there was practically no pressure upon them from outside the Muslims were enjoined to treat them openly as disbelievers (v. 73). Accordingly the Prophet set on fire the house of Swailim where the hypocrites used to gather for consultations in order to dissuade the people from joining the expedition to Tabuk. Likewise on his return from Tabuk he ordered to pull down and burn the ‘Mosque’ that had been built to serve as a cover for the hypocrites for hatching plots against the true Believers.

In order to prepare the Muslims for Jihad against the whole non-Muslim world it was necessary to cure them even of that slight weakness of faith from which they were still suffering. For there could be no greater internal danger to the Islamic Community than the weakness of faith especially where it was going to engage itself single-handed in a conflict with the whole non-Muslim world. That is why those people who had lagged behind in the Campaign to Tabuk or had shown the least negligence were severely taken to task and were considered as hypocrites if they had no plausible excuse for not fulfilling that obligation. Moreover, a clear declaration was made that in future the sole criterion of a Muslim’s faith shall be the exertions he makes for the uplift of the Word of God and the role he plays in the conflict between Islam and disbelief (Kufr). Therefore, if anyone will show any hesitation in sacrificing his life, money, time and energies, his faith shall not be regarded as genuine (v. 81-96). If the above-mentioned important points are kept in view during the study of this Surah, it will facilitate the understanding of its contents. [Ref: Mawdudi]

9. Relevant Hadith

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.

10. Wiki Forum

Comments in this section are statements made by general users – these are not necessarily explanations of the Ayah – rather a place to share personal thoughts and stories…

11. Tafsir Zone

 

Overview (Verses 73 - 74)

All Out Effort to Fight Unbelievers

Thus the sūrah has given us a clear outline of the essential characteristics of true believers and those of the hypocrites who claim to be believers. This is now followed by an order from God to His Messenger to strive against the unbelievers and the hypocrites. The Qur’ān makes it clear that the hypocrites certainly disbelieved after they had claimed to be Muslims. They tried something that only their disbelief could have led them to contemplate, but God foiled their attempts. It wonders at their hostile attitude to the Prophet when they have gained nothing but good from his message. It invites them to repent and change their attitude.

Prophet, strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and press hard on them. Their ultimate abode is hell, and how vile a journey’s end. They swear by God that they have said nothing [wrong]. Yet they certainly uttered the word of unbelief and disbelieved after they had professed to submit to God, for they aimed at something which they could not attain. They had no reason to be spiteful, except that God and His Messenger had enriched them out of His bounty. If they repent, it will be for their own good; but if they turn away, God will cause them to endure grievous suffering both in this world and in the life to come. They shall find none on this earth to be their friend or to give them support. (Verses 73-74)

The Prophet had been very lenient with the hypocrites, turning a blind eye to much of what they did and forgiving them much. At this point, however, such leniency is no longer useful. He is commanded by his Lord to start a new phase in his dealings with them. They are grouped here with the unbelievers; and the Prophet is ordered to strive against both as hard as he can. There are times when it is more suitable to take a hardened attitude while at others it is wiser to take the side of leniency. When a period of patience and tolerance is no longer advisable, then it is time to be tough. A practical movement has different requirements at different times, and its method of action may move from one stage to another. A soft attitude may sometimes bring about more harm than good.

Early scholars differ on what is meant by pressing hard in striving against the hypocrites, and whether it means fighting them with arms as suggested by `Alī ibn Abī Nib, or by general treatment and clear disapproval which make the reality of their position clear to all. This latter view is expressed by Ibn `Abbās. In practical terms, the Prophet did not kill any hypocrite.

“They swear by God that they have said nothing [wrong]. Yet they certainly uttered the word of unbelief, and disbelieved after they had professed to submit to God, for they aimed at something which they could not attain.” (Verse 74) Taken in general terms, this statement portrays the consistent attitude of the hypocrites reflected in a whole range of incidents. It also refers to various attempts they made to cause harm to the Prophet and the Muslim community. There are, however, several reports which mention a specific incident in connection with the revelation of this verse.

Qatādah says: “This verse refers to `Abdullāh ibn Ubayy concerning an event when a man from the tribe of Juhaynah quarrelled with a man from the Anşār, with the first gaining the upper hand. `Abdullāh said to the Anşārī man: ‘Will you not support your brother? Our position with Muĥammad is similar to that of a man who feeds his dog until the dog becomes so fat and eats him.’ He further said: ‘When we go back to Madinah, the honourable among us will drive out the humble.’ A Muslim heard what he said and informed the Prophet who sent someone to ask him about it and he swore that he did not utter those words. God then revealed this verse making clear that he did.

Al-Ţabarī reports that the Prophet was once sitting in the shade of a tree when he said to his Companions who were with him: “A man will come soon, looking at you with the eye of the devil. Do not talk to him.” Shortly afterwards a blue looking man came over. The Prophet asked him: “Why do you and your friends speak ill of me?” The man went away and brought his friends who repeatedly swore that they had said nothing, until the Prophet pardoned them. God then revealed the verse which quotes their assertions: “They swear by God that they have said nothing wrong.” (Verse 74)

`Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and others report that this verse concerns a man called Al- Jallās ibn Suwayd who had a stepson called `Umayr ibn Sa`d. Al-Jallās once said: “If what Muĥammad says be true, then we are worse than these donkeys of ours.” `Umayr said: “You know that you are the dearest of all people to me, and I would rather spare you all harm. But you have said something which would put me in a very bad light if I report it, and would destroy me if I keep it to myself. One of these alternatives is easier than the other.” He went to the Prophet and told him, but al- Jallās denied having said it and swore to that effect. When these verses were revealed, he retracted and said: “I have certainly said this, but I am offered a chance to repent. I regret what I said and turn to God in repentance.” This was accepted.

All these reports, however, do not take account of the next statement in this verse, “They aimed at something which they could not attain.” (Verse 74) This supports the other reports which say that the verse refers to a group of hypocrites who plotted to kill the Prophet on his way back from Tabūk. It is useful to mention one of these reports.

Imām Aĥmad reports: “When the Prophet was on his way back from the expedition to Tabūk, he ordered someone to announce that he himself had taken a narrow climbing route and no one else should take it. The Prophet went along with the help of two of his Companions, Ĥudhayfah and `Ammār. A group of masked men soon came and attacked `Ammār as he was leading the Prophet’s camel, but `Ammār chased them hitting the faces of their camels. The Prophet told Ĥudhayfah to be patient with his camel until he dismounted. When `Ammār came back to the Prophet, he asked him whether he was able to recognize those people. `Ammār said: ‘I could recognize most of the camels but the people themselves were masked.’ The Prophet asked him whether he could find out what they wanted. `Ammār said: ‘God and His Messenger know best.’ The Prophet said: ‘They wanted to frighten the camel of God’s Messenger so that he would fall to the ground.’ `Ammār went to one of the Prophet’s Companions and said: ‘I appeal to you by God Almighty, do you know how many people were in that narrow route?’ The man said that they were fourteen. `Ammār said to him: ‘If you were with them, then they were fifteen.’ The Prophet named three of them who said: ‘By God we did not hear the Prophet’s announcer when he made the announcement and we were totally unaware what those people were up to.’ `Ammār said: ‘I bear witness that the other twelve are enemies of God and His Messenger in this life and on the Day of Judgement.’

This event betrays what those people harboured of ill intentions. Whether this event or a similar one is meant here, it remains very surprising that they should be so treacherous. The Qur’ān wonders at their attitude: “They had no reason to be spiteful, except that God and His Messenger had enriched them out of His bounty.” (Verse 74) Islam had caused them no harm to justify such hostility. The only reason that could be thought of was perhaps the wealth they were able to gain as a result of the advances made by Islam. It may be that the easy life they were able to lead accounted for their hostility!

This is followed by a clear verdict concerning their case: “If they repent, it will be for their own good; but if they turn away, God will cause them to endure grievous suffering both in this world and in the life to come. They shall find none on this earth to be their friend or to give them support.” (Verse 74)

The door to repent and mend one’s ways remains wide open. Whoever is keen to do himself good, let him get in through that open door. But those who wish to continue along their evil path should also know their fate. They will be made to suffer God’s severe punishment in this life and in the life to come, while they can rely on no one’s support in this whole world. Since the alternatives have been made clear, they can make their choice.


12. External Links

[ edit ]
The data for this section is awaiting to be be uploaded. Be the first to contribute.