النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 100
blah were 'the first and foremost.' This is the view of Said ibn al-
musayyab and Qatadah. 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah has said that 'the first and
foremost' are the Sahabah who participated in the battle of Badr.
Sha'bi said that the Sahabah who were a party to the Bai'atur-Ridwan
(the pledge taken at the time of the expedition of Hudaibiyah) are 'the
first and foremost.' And according to each view, after respective 'first
and foremost,' the rest of the Şahabah - muhajir (emigrant) or ansar
(supporter) - are in the second category. (Mazhari, Qurțubi)
All these views were based on the intrepretation that takes the
preposition (min) in this verse for tab'id as aforesaid. Tafsir Mazhari
has however, reported another interpretation. According to this
interpretation, the preposition . (min) is not for tab'id here. It is
rather for bayan which explains the preceding words and stands for
'that is'. The translation of the verse, in this case, would be as follows:
"As for the first and the foremost people, that is, all the Emigrants
(the Muhajirin) and the supporters (the Ansar) ... " The sentence thus
will mean that all the muhajirin and the Ansar are the first and
foremost as compared to the rest of the Muslim community.
To sum up, in accordance with the first Tafsir, there are two cate-
gories of Sahabah, being that of 'the first and foremost' and that of
those who embraced Islam after the change of Qiblah or the battle of
Badr or the Bai'atur-Ridwan. The substance of the last Tafsir is that
the noble Sahabah, all of them, are but 'the first and the foremost' - be-
cause, their 'Iman (faith) is first and foremost as compared to that of
the rest of the Muslim Ummah.
The second sentence of the verse: ◌ِوَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُرُهُمْ بِإِحْسَان has been translat-
ed as 'and those who followed them in goodness.' It means Muslims
who followed the footsteps of 'the first and foremost' precisely and per-
fectly in all fields of deeds and morals. According to the first Tafsir of
the first sentence, the first category belongs to those Emigrants and
Supporters among Şahabah who embraced Islam after the change of
Qiblah or the battle of Badr or the Bai'at of Hudaibiyah. After them,
all Muslims fall in the second category, Muslims who followed the
model set by the noble Şahabah in all matters of faith, deeds and mo-
rals honestly and staunchly right through the Last Day of Qiyamah.
And according to the other Tafsir, the expression: kasi seuf those who
followed them) includes great people who came after the noble Şaha-

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 100
bah and who are called Tabi'i in the Islamic terminology. After these
technically specified Tabi'in or Successors of the Şahabah, included
here are all Muslims who shall keep appearing right through the Last
Day of Qiyamah and who shall follow the noble Sahabah precisely and
perfectly in purity of faith and goodness of deeds (al-'Iman and al-
'amal-as-salih).
All the Sahabah are the people of Jannah and are blessed with
the pleasure of Allah
Someone asked Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, 'what do you say
about the noble Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم?' He
said, 'the Şahabah, all of them, are in Jannah - irrespective of whether
mistakes and sins may have been committed by some of them.' The
man again asked him, 'on what basis did you say that?' He said, 'Read
this verse of the Holy Qur'an: 3, 5pdf ( ... the first and foremost ... ).
Here, what has been said about all revered Sahabah, without any con-
dition, is clear: رضى الله عنهم ورضوا عنه (Allah is pleased with them and they
are pleased with Allah). However, a condition has been placed in the
case of the Tabi in (the successor to the Sahabah), the condition of: ¿ ul
slot (following with goodness). This tells us that the revered Sahabah,
all of them, without any condition or restriction or exemption, stand in
honor as recipients of Divine pleasure.
After reporting this statement, the author of Tafsir Mazhari has
said, 'in my view, the following verse carries a more solid proof of the
لَا يَسْتَوِىُ مِنْكُمُ تَمَنُ أَنْفَقٌ مِنْ قَبُلٍ : fact that all revered Sahabah belong to Jannah
It has been fully الْفَتْحِ وَقْتَلَ أُولِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَفُتَلُوْا وَكُلَّ ◌َّعْدَ اللّهُ الْنِى
and clearly stated in this verse that all revered Sahabah, first or the
last, have been promised al-husna, that is, Jannah or Paradise.'
And in Hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to
have said, 'the fire of Jahannam (hell) cannot touch the Muslim who
has seen me or has seen those who have seen me,' (Tirmidhi from Sayyidna
(رضى الله عنه Jabir
A note of warning
People who criticize some revered Sahabah on the basis of what
transpired during their mutual controversies with the aim of sowing
seeds of suspicion and discord in the hearts of those who hold them in
esteem are really treading a dangerous course. We seek the protection
of Allah against it.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
Verse 101
وَمُمَُّ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنْفِقُوْنَةٌ وَمِنْ آَهُلِ الْدِيْنَةِشُّ مَرَدُوْا
عَلَى النِّفَاقِ ◌ّ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمُ ◌ُ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُم ◌ُ سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ تَّرَّتَيْنٍ ثُمَّ
يُرَّدُونَ إِلى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٤١٠١
And among those Bedouins who are around you there
are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah as
well. They are adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know
them. We know them. We shall punish them twice, then
they shall be driven to a great punishment. [101]
Commentary
Mentioned in several previous verses there are hypocrites whose
hypocrisy stood exposed through their words and deeds, and the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did realize that they were hypocrites. Mentioned
in the present verse appearing above there are hypocrites whose hy-
pocrisy was so perfect in its camouflage that it remained hidden from
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم until then. In this verse, two Divine
punishments to come much before 'Akhirah upon such diehard hypo-
crites have been mentioned. In the first instance, right here in this
world, they are consumed by the concern to hide their hypocrisy and
the fear that it may be exposed. Then, no less a punishment is their
being under compulsion to respect and follow Islam and Muslims, at
least outwardly, despite their extreme malice and hostility for them.
And then, there is the other punishment, the punishment of the grave
and the punishment of Barzakh (the post-death ~ pre-resurrection
state) that will reach them well before Qiyamah (doomsday) and
'Akhirah (Hereafter).
Verses 102 - 106
وَاخَرُوْنَ اعْتَرَ فُوْا بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُوْا عَمَلاً صَالِحًا وَّاخَرَ سَيِّئًا"
◌َسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيْمٌ ﴿١٠٢) خُذٌّ
مِنْ آَمْوَاِهِمْ صَدِّقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيْهِمْ بِهَا وَ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِمُْ إِنَّ
صَلَوتَكَ سَكَنْ لَّهُمُْ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيْمْ ﴿١٠٣) الَّمْ يَعْلَّمُوْاَ أَنَّ
اللّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ الصَّدَقْتِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ
هُوَ التََّّابُ الَّحِيْمُ ﴿١٠٤) وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللهُ عَمَلَكُمْ

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ* وَسَتُرَدُوْنَ إِلَى عِلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ
فَيُنَبِيُّكُمُ بِمَا كُنْتُمُ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٠٥﴾ وَاخَرُوْنَ مُجَوْنَ لِآَمُرِ اللَّهِ
إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوُبُ عَلَيْهِم ◌ُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيْمْ حَكِيمٌ ﴿١٠٦)
And there are others who admitted their sins while
they had mixed a good deed with another that was evil.
It is likely that Allah will relent towards them. Surely,
Allah is Most Forgiving, Very Merciful. (102]
Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah (obligatory alms)
through which you may cleanse and purify them. Sure-
ly, your prayer is peace for them. And Allah is (All-)
Hearing, (All-) Knowing. [103]
Have they not come to know that Allah is He who ac-
cepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqat,
and that Allah is Most-Relenting, Very-Merciful. [104]
And say, "Do (what you do) Allah will see your deed, as
will the Messenger and the believers." And you shall be
returned to the Knower of the Seen and the Unseen,
then He will tell you what you have been doing. [105]
And there are others whose matter is deferred till the
command of Allah (comes): either He punishes them or
relents towards them. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.
[106]
Commentary
When Muslims were given a general call for Jihad at Tabuk, the
weather was extremely hot. The journey was long and they were sup-
posed to be up against the trained army of a big state, the first such
episode in Islamic history. These were some of the causes why people
split into different groups.
The first group was that of sincere Muslims who got ready for Ji-
had without any hesitation at the very first call. Another group first
hesitated initially, then joined in. They are the ones mentioned in: 3auf
who followed him in the hour of) اتَّبَعْرُهُ فِيُ سَاعَةِ الْعُشْرَةِ مِنْ بَعُدِ مَاكَادَ يَزِيُغُ قُلُوُبُ فَرِيْقٍ إِنُهُمُ
hardship after the hearts of a group of them were about to turn
crooked - 9:117).
The third group was that of people who were genuinely handi-
capped because of which they could not go. They have been mentioned

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
in :لَيُسَ عَلَى الصُّعَفَاء (There is no blame on the weak - 9:91). The fourth
group belonged to sincere Muslims who had no excuse yet they did not
take part in the Jihad because of laziness. They have been mentioned
آخَرُوْنَ مُجَوْنَ And there are others who admitted - 9:102) and) وَاخَرُونَ اعْتَرَفُوا in
(And there are others whose matter is deferred - 9:106) under study
now. The fifth group was that of hypocrites who did not participate in
the Jihad because of hypocrisy. They have been mentioned at several
places in the previous verses. In short, the fifth group of hypocrites
featured mostly in previous verses while the present verse (102) men-
tions people in the fourth group, that is, those who, despite being true
Muslims, did not participate in the Jihad because of laziness.
It was said in the first verse (102) that some had admitted their
sins. Their deeds were mixed. Some of their deeds were good while
some others were bad. For them, there was hope that Allah Ta'ala may
accept their repentance. Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Ul yo, said,
"Ten persons did not go for the battle of Tabuk. They had no valid
excuse for it. Later, they were sorry for what they had done. Seven of
them tied themselves up to the pillars of the Mosque of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم resolving that they would continue to remain tied
as they were like prisoners until the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were to
accept their repentance and untie them. All narratives of the incident
agree that Sayyidna Abu Lubabah Le ul za, was one of them. As for
other names, narratives differ.
When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw them so tied up and he
was told that they had resolved to remain tied until the Holy Prophet
unties them, he said, 'By Allah, I too shall not untie them صلى الله عليه وسلم
until Allah Ta'ala orders me to do that. The crime is serious.' Thereup-
on, this verse (102) was revealed and the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم or-
dered that they be untied. They were. (Qurtubi)
According to a narrative of Said ibn al-Musaiyyab, when people
went to untie Sayyidna Abu Lubabah as Ul »,, he refused and said, 'I
shall remain tied until the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم does not, with
his pleasure, untie me with his own blessed hands.' So, when he came
for the Fajr Salah, he himself untied him.
What were these mixed deeds?
It has been said in the verse that they had mixed a good deed with
another that was evil. Obvious among the good ones were 'Iman, Salah,

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
and Fasting. Then, they had participated in earlier battles with the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And then, following this battle of Tabuk in
which they could not participate, they had admitted their misconduct,
were ashamed of it and had repented. As for the evil ones, they had
not participated in the battle of Tabuk and thus they had acted in a
manner that resembled the approach of the hypocrites.
Mixed Deeds of all the Muslims are governed by the same rule
It appears in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that this verse though revealed
about a particular group, is universal in its application and the injunc-
tion it carries is valid until the day of Qiyamah. It covers Muslims
whose deeds are a mixture of the good and the bad. If they were to re-
pent from their sins, it can be hoped that they shall be pardoned and
forgiven.
Abu 'Uthman as Ul, has said, 'this verse of the Holy Qur'an
brings great hope for this ummah.' A detailed Hadith relating to the
Ascension of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم appearing in the Sahih of
Al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Samurah ibn Jundub Le Alle,
says, 'On the seventh heaven, when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم met
with Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI Lle, he saw some people with him whose
faces were bright. And some of them had some spots and stains on
their faces. When these people went into a stream and came out all
washed up, their faces had also turned bright. The Archangel Jibra'il
told the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that these people with bright faces
you saw first were those who had professed faith and then kept clean
from sins : ◌ٍالَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُؤْآَ إِيمَانَهُمُ بِظُلْم (those who have believed and have not
mixed their faith with injustice - 6:82). The others were people who did
what was a mixture of good and evil, but repented later. Allah
accepted their repentance and their sins were forgiven.' (Qurtubi)
The imperative : ◌ٌخُذُ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَة :"Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah
(obligatory alms)" in the second verse (103) has its background. Some
people, as mentioned a little earlier, had stayed back from the battle of
Tabuk without a valid excuse. Then, out of remorse, they had tied
themselves to the pillars of the Mosque. Then came the acceptance of
their repentance as revealed in the previous verse (102) and they were
released from their self-imprisonment. When this happened, they pre-
sented their entire wealth as a token of their gratitude so that it could

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
be given out as Sadaqah. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم refused to ac-
cept it by saying that he did not have the authority to take it. There-
upon, this verse (103): 21213 2 (Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah)
was revealed and he accepted to take one third of it as Sadaqah. He
did not take the entire wealth, rather, took a part of it - as indicated
in the verse. The preposition y (min: out of) proves it.
Collection and disbursement of Zakah is the responsibility of
an Islamic State
Though, according to the background of the revelation, the collec-
tion of Sadaqah was to be made from a particular group of people but,
the words being general, they have universal application.
This is the view preferred in Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Ahkam al-Qur'an by
al-Jassaș, Tafsir Mazharī and others. Al-Qurțubi and Al-Jașșaș has
gone on to further explain it. According to them, even if the same par-
ticular event is taken to be the cause of the revelation in this verse,
still then, in terms of the Qur'anic principle, this injunction shall re-
main general - and shall remain binding on Muslims right through
the day of Qiyamah. The reason is that most of the injunctions of the
Holy Qur'an were revealed in the background of one or the other par-
ticular event, but nobody has ever held that their application remains
restricted to that particular event. In fact, unless there is a certain
proof of its particularization, that injunction is invariably regarded as
universally applicable to all Muslims.
On the basis of the same principle, the entire Muslim ummah
agrees that, though the address in this verse is to the Holy Prophet L.
y Lle Ul, yet this injunction is neither restricted to him, nor to his
period of time. Instead of that, every such person who will succceed
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as the Amir of Muslims shall be the
addressee of this injunction, and the assignee to carry it out. It will be
one of his duties that he administers the collection of Zakah and
Sadaqat paid by Muslims and ensures that these are disbursed on
authorized heads.
Even in the event of Jihad declared against those who refused to
pay Zakah during the initial stage of the Caliphate of Sayyidna Abu
Bakr as Al ), there were some non-payers of Zakah who had openly
rebelled against Islam and had turned apostates. Then, there were

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
some others who called themselves Muslims and did not refuse that
Zakah was a religious obligation, but the excuse they made for not
paying Zakah was that the authority given to the Holy Prophet _ to
collect Zakah from them was valid during the life of the Holy Prophet
g only, and they kept paying Zakah that time. Now, after he has
passed away, they questioned, what right did Abu Bakr have to de-
mand Zakah and Sadaqat from them? In the beginning, Sayyidna
'Umar ate Ul », hesitated about waging Jihad against them for the rea-
son that they were after all Muslims who wanted to avoid paying Za-
kah under the cover of a verse of the Qur'an - therefore, they should
not be treated in the manner usual apostates are treated. But, Sayyid-
na Abu Bakr ar Ml +, had reached an irrevocable decision. He said, 'we
shall wage Jihad against anyone who will differentiate between Salah
and Zakah.'
This gave a clear hint. Today people say that the injunction of Za-
kah is particular to the Holy Prophet & and that it stands dropped af-
ter his demise. Tomorrow they may say that Salah too was particular
to the Holy Prophet - because, a verse of the Qur'an reads: FEM
Establish prayer at the decline of the sun - 17:78) where the) لِدُلُوُكِ الشَّمْسِ
Holy Prophet & is the addressee. But, the injunction of the verse of
prayer is universal. It applies to the entire Muslim ummah. So, this
verse cannot save those who wrongly interpret it as being particular to
the Holy Prophet _ from becoming kafirs. Similarly, this interpreta-
tion in the verse: AJIpi& & (Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah) will
not save them from kufr and apostasy. Thereupon, Sayyidna 'Umar ,
a &l was also satisfied and it was with the consensus of the Şahabah
that Jihad was launched against them.
Zakah is 'Ibadah, not a government tax
In the statement: ◌ْخُذُّ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهم (Take out of their wealth) appearing
soon after: صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيُهِمْ بِهَا (a Sadaqah [obligatory alms] through
which you may cleanse and purify them) in verse 103 of the Holy
Qur'an, there is a clear hint that Zakah and Sadaqat are not like taxes
that governments collect to run the system. The truth of the matter is
that their purpose is to cleanse the men of wealth themselves from
sins.
At this point, it should be noted that the collection of Zakah and
Sadaqat yields two benefits. The first benefit is received by the owner
of the wealth himself through which he comes out clean from sins and

460
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
from the germs of moral diseases that are generated by the greed for
wealth. As for the other benefit, it provides support for the weaker
components of the society, people who are incapable of finding what
they need to eke out an existence. Orphaned children, widows, crip-
pled and handicapped men and women, common people who are poor
and needy are obvious examples.
But, at this place, the Holy Qur'an has told us about the first bene-
fit only. Thus, by confining itself in that manner, it has also given the
indication that the first benefit is what happens to be the real objec-
tive of Zakah and Sadaqat. The second benefit comes as a corollary.
Therefore, in the event there is no orphan, widow, or a poor or needy
person present at any place or time, still then, the injunction of Zakah
as applicable to the wealthy will not stand dropped.
What has been stated here has its support in the practice of past
communities. When some part of wealth or property was set aside for
Allah, its use became impermissible for everyone. Rather, according to
the custom, this offering was put at some detached place where came a
lightning from the heavens and burnt it up. This was a sign that Allah
Ta'ala has accepted the Sadaqah. When this heavenly fire did not
come, it was supposed to be a sign of the Sadaqah remaining unaccept-
able. Nobody would then touch this ill-omened property.
This makes it clear that the legal enforcement of Zakah and Sada-
qat is not exclusively designed to alleviate the suffering of needy peo-
ple. In fact, it is a financial obligation and an act of 'Ibadah - very sim-
ilar to praying and fasting that are acts of physical 'Ibadah. This is one
of the distinctions of the blessed community of Muslims that their poor
and needy have been allowed to use wealth set aside in the way of Al-
lah. A Şahin Hadith from Muslim reports its confirmation from the
.صلى الله عليه وسلم Holy Prophet
A question and its answer
A question arises here - when the repentance of these gentlemen
was accepted following the event mentioned above, it stands estab-
lished that sins were forgiven and purification was accomplished
through the very act of repentance. What then, would be the sense of
declaring that a portion from their wealth was being taken to purify
them?

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 102 - 106
The answer is that the sin has, no doubt, been forgiven by virtue of
the repentance, but it is quite possible that it may have left behind
some residual effects following the forgiveness of sin which could be-
come the cause of falling into sin. Sadaqah removes such residual ef-
fects and makes purification perfect.
The word: il. (salah) used in the expression: aci. j., (and pray for
them - 103) means praying for Allah's mercy. This corresponds to what
has been reported from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - that he prayed
for some people by using this very word: salah, for example: J' JE Icati
JÍ ¿Í (O Allah, bless the family of Abu Awfa) as is reported in a Ha-
dith. But, later on the use of the word: salat became special to proph-
ets, may peace be upon them. Therefore, Muslim jurists say that now
one should not pray for anyone using the word: salah. Instead, the use
of this word should be limited to prophets to avoid any ambiguousness
or doubt.1 (Bayan al-Qur'an etc.)
Here we see that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been asked to
pray for those who give Sadaqah. On this basis, some Muslim jurists
rule that it is wajib (obligatory, necessary) for the Muslim head of the
state (Imam, 'Amir) to pray for those who give Sadaqah. However,
there are others who take this command to be of a recommendatory
nature (mustahabb: recommended). (Qurțubi)
Let us now turn to the statement: ◌ِوَآخَرُونَ مُترجَوُنَ لاَمُرِاللَّه (And there are
others whose matter is deferred till the command of Allah - 106). We
already know that seven of the ten believers, who had missed the bat-
tle of Tabuk without a valid excuse, had demonstrated their heart-felt
remorse by tying themselves up to the pillars of the Prophet's Mosque.
The injunction which covers them appeared in the first verse (102): 33%1'
pga (And there are others who admitted their sins). Verse 106 is now
referring to the other three gentlemen who had not done what the
group of seven had done in the Masjid. Thus, they had not admitted
صلى الله عليه وسلم their misconduct openly. In their case, the Holy Prophet
ordered his Companions to see that Muslims boycott them by not talk-
ing to them. When things reached those limits, they learnt their les-
1. However, it is permissible to use this word for others in conjunction with
اللَّهُمَّ صَلٍ عَلى محَتَّدٍ وَّ عَلَى الٍ وَأَصْحَابِه ,a prophet. It is therefore allowed to say
(Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
son, confessed to their misconduct and repented sincerely, following
which orders were given for their pardon. (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Verses 107 - 110
وَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفُرًّا وَتَفْرِيُّقًا" بَيْنَ الْمُمِنِيْنَ
وَإِرْ صَادًا لِيْنُ حَارَبَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ* وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ
أَرَدُنَّا إِلَّ الْحُمْنِىءُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَذِبُونَ ﴿١٠٧) لَا تَقُمُ
فِيْهِ أَبَدًّا لَسْجِدٌ أُسِسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمِ أَحَقُّ أَنْ
تَقُؤُّمَ فِيْهُِ فِيْهِ رِجَالٌ تُّحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَّتَطَهَّرُوُا* وَاللهُ يُحِبُّ
الْطَهِّرِمِنَ ﴿١٠٨) أَفَمَنُ أَتَسَ بُنِّيَانَهُ عَلَى تَقْوَى مِنَ اللهِ
وَرِضُوَانِ خَيْ آَمْ مَّنْ آَتْسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى شَفَاجُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ
بِهِ فِىْ نَارِجَهَتَّمُ وَاللّهُ لَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٠٩﴾
لَ يَزَالُ بُنْيَانَهُمُ الَّذِىُ بَنَوْا رِيْبَةً فِىْ قُلُؤْبِهِمْ إِلَّ أَنْ تَقَطَّعَ
قُلُؤُهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيْمْ حَكِيمٌ ﴿١١٠﴾
And (there are) those who have built a mosque to cause
mischief and infidelity and to create dissention among
the believers and to make preparations for one who
has been at war with Allah and His Messenger even be-
fore. And they will certainly swear (and say), "We in-
tended nothing but good." And Allah testifies that they
are liars. [107]
Do not ever stand there (in prayer). In fact, the mosque
that was founded on Taqwa (piety) from the very first
day is more-worthy that you stand there. In it there are
people who like to observe purity; and Allah loves
those observing purity. [108]
Is, then, a person who has founded his building on fear
from Allah and His pleasure better or the one who has
founded his building on the edge of an abyss about to
collapse, so it did collapse with him into the fire of Ja-
hannam? And Allah does not give guidance to the un-
just people. [109]
The building they have made shall always remain a

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
source of doubt in their hearts unless their hearts are
cut into pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise. [110]
Commentary
Anti-Islam activities of hypocrites have been described in several
previous verses. The present verses mention yet another conspiracy
hatched by them. It has been reported that there was a man in Madi-
nah. His name was Abu 'Amir. He had become a Christian during the
days of Jahiliyyah and was known as Abu 'Amir the Rahib (that is, a
monk). This is the same Abu 'Amir whose son Hanzalah as Ul go, is a
well-known Sahabi whose dead body was washed by angels and which
gave him the sobriquet of 'the one who was bathed by angels.' But, the
father stuck by his error and remained a Christian.
When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to Madinah, Abu 'Amin
the Rahib visited him and criticized Islam. Even the answers given by
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not satisfy this unfortunate man. In
fact, he said, 'may the liar between the two of us be cursed and die in
travel far away from friends and relatives.' He also said, 'I shall be
there to help any aggressor against you.' And so he did. He fought on
the side of the enemies of Muslims in all battles right through the bat-
tle of Hunain. When the big and strong tribe of Hawazin too was de-
feated, he lost hope. He ran away to Syria, the stronghold of Chris-
tians where he died far away from his friends and relatives. The
prayer he had made was before him. When disgrace is destined for
someone, this is how he acts. His own prayer brought that disgrace
upon him.
But, as long as he lived, he remained busy hatching conspiracies
against Islam and Muslims. He virtually tried to induce the Byzantine
ruler to attack Madinah and expel Muslims from there.
One aspect of this conspiracy materialized when he wrote a letter
to the hypocrites of Madinah with whom he had a sinister understand-
ing. He told them that he was working on the Byzantine ruler to at-
tack Madinah. But, it was necessary to have group strength to lend lo-
cal support to the invader. For this purpose, he suggested that they
should make a building right there in Madinah giving people the im-
pression that they were building a mosque so that Muslims do not get
to be suspicious. After that, they should get their men together in this
place and collect as much of weapons and supplies as they could. He

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
wanted this to become an undercover center where his accomplices
would be conducting their activities against Muslims by mutual con-
sultation.
It was on his suggestion that twelve hypocrites got together in
Quba', a locality of Madinah where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had
first stayed during his hijrah and where he had built a masjid. They
chose the same place to lay the foundation of another 'masjid.' Ibn
Ishaq and others have also reported the names of these hypocrites.
Then, to keep Muslims under deception, the hypocrites made a plan
that they would have the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم lead a Salah in
congregation at their so-called masjid so that all Muslims are con-
vinced that this new place was also a masjid very much like the one
built there earlier.
.صلى الله عليه وسلم A delegation from them came to the Holy Prophet
They pleaded that the existing Masjid of Quba' was far away. It was
difficult for old and sick people to reach there. Moreover, they argued,
the Masjid of Quba' itself was not spacious enough to accommodate all
residents of the locality. Therefore, they claimed, they had founded an-
other masjid for that purpose so that older Muslims may benefit by it.
Finally, (releasing their punch line) they said, 'please lead a Salah in
this 'masjid' so that it stands blessed!'
That was a time when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was getting
ready for the battle of Tabuk. He told them that he would be unable to
do that as he was about to leave the city but he promised that he
would pray there when he returned.
However, on his return from the battle of Tabuk, when he camped
at a place close to Madinah, the verses cited above were revealed to
him which had exposed the conspiracy of these hypocrites. After the
revelation of these verses, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered some
of his Companions, 'Amir ibn Sakan, Wahshi, the killer of Hamzah and
others, to go, demolish and burn the structure (of the ill-intentioned
'masjid'). So these gentlemen took off, carried out the orders and the
structure was leveled flat on the ground. (This event has been abridged from
narratives reported in Tafsir al-Qurțubi and Mazhari.)
Quoting Muhammad ibn Yusuf Salihi, Tafsir Mazhari also reports
that the site of Masjid Dirar was still lying vacant at the time the Holy

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had reached and settled in Madinah. When he al-
lowed 'Asim ibn 'Adiyy to build his house on that site, he submitted, 'ya
rasulallah, I do not like to build a house on a cursed site about which
these verses of the Qur'an have been revealed. Nevertheless, Thabit
ibn Aqram is really in need of a house for he has none. Please allow
him to make a house here.' So, going along with his suggestion, he
gave this plot of land to Thabit ibn Aqram. But, as fate would have it,
since the time Sayyidna Thabita Ul yo, came to live in the house he
made there, he either had no child or if he did, the child did not live.
Historians have added that this place was cursed not only for hu-
man beings but also for domestic birds and animals that could not sur-
vive with their normal way of living. Thus, after that time, this place
lies desolate at some distance from the well-known Masjid Quba'.
After having gone through the details of the event, let us now turn
to the text of the cited verses. It was said in the first verse (107): 301;
Les (And [there are] those who have built a mosque) to bring
harm upon Muslims.
This verse points out to three motives behind the making of this
‘masjid':
1. The first one is: l'les (diraran: to cause harm to Muslims). The
words '>: dirar' and ':darar' are both used in the Arabic language to
carry the sense of causing harm. As for difference between the two, it
has been said that 'darar' is a harm that brings gain for the person
harming but causes loss for the harmed. And 'dir ar' is the inflicting of a
loss upon other people while it brings just no gain for the person in-
flicting it. Since, this was going to be the fate of this 'masjid' - that its
founders gain nothing out of it - therefore, the word 'dirar' was used
here.
2. The second motive reads: 3:31152 1 & (to cause dissention among
the believers). It means that, by setting up this 'masjid', they looked
forward to creating a division among the community of Muslims. They
hoped to wean out a group that would be offering Salah in their masjid
as a sort of separate entity. Then, it may have also resulted in reduc-
ing the number of Muslims going for their prayers to the old Masjid
Quba'.
3. The third motive was spelt out as: w csu a fulli.e. to provide a

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
sanctuary to enemies of Allah and His Messenger and a forum to con-
spire against Muslims.
This presentation as a whole proves that the 'masjid' which was de-
clared to be a 'harmful mosque' (Masjid Dirar) by the Holy Qur'an, and
which was demolished and burnt down under the orders of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, was no masjid in the real sense. Nor was it in-
tended to be a place where people could pray. The three objectives be-
hind it have been mentioned immediately above. From here we learn
the rules that should be followed in our time. Today, may be some
Muslims were to make a masjid close to and in competition of another
Masjid, while their purpose is nothing but the same mutual discord,
the same old effort to split up the congregation of the first masjid, or
any other evil interest of this nature. If so, the maker of such a masjid
will deserve no reward from Allah. Rather, he would be a sinner be-
cause of having created dissention between Muslims - but, despite all
this, that place shall be called a masjid in terms of Islamic law, and
the etiquette and rules relating to mosques shall apply to it. Demolish-
ing it or putting it on fire shall not be permissible. And the Salah of
those who pray in it will also be valid - though, doing so shall continue
to be a sin in itself.
From here we also learn about another rule relevant in contempo-
rary setting. If a Muslim makes a masjid in that manner, either to
show off or to take an opposing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the
maker will, though, not get the reward of making a masjid, instead,
will incur a sin, yet it will not be what Masjid Dirar is in the terminol-
ogy of the Holy Qur'an, that is, it will not be called by that name.
When some people notice a masjid like that, they would say that it was
Masjid Dirar. This is not correct. However, one could say that it was
like Masjid Dirar. Therefore, its building can also be stayed - as done
by Sayyidna 'Umar at My», through a court order where he had in-
structed that another masjid should not be made close to the one al-
ready there lest the congregation and flourish of the first masjid is af-
fected adversely. (Tafsir Kashshaf)
About this Masjid Dirar, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been
given the order: they aff :'Do not ever stand there (in prayer) - 108.'
The word 'qiyam' in the text denotes standing for prayer. The sense is
that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم should never go in to offer his

467
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
prayers in a mosque by that name.
Ruling:
What it tells us is: If, even today, a new masjid is made adjacent to
the one already there unnecessarily, just to show off or to take an op-
posing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the better choice is not to
offer prayers therein - though, Salah remains valid.
In the same verse (108), the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has also
been told that it is correct for him to pray in the particular masjid the
foundation of which has been laid on Taqwa (the fear of Allah) from
day one. And then, the people who offer their Salah in it love to observe
full precaution in remaining cleansed and pure (of all physical and
spiritual impurities) - for Allah too likes such meticulous observers of
self-purity.
The context of the verse shows what is being referred to here is
Masjid Quba' where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say his
prayers at that time. There are some Hadith narratives that also sup-
port this view. (As reported by Ibn Marduwayh from Ibn 'Abbas, by 'Amr ibn Shai-
bah from Sahl al-Anşarī and by Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih from 'Uwaimir ibn Sa'idah
- with reference to Mazhari)
As for the reports which say that it refers to the Prophet's Mosque,
they do not contradict it. The reason is that the foundation of the
Mosque of the Prophet was laid in accordance with a revealed com-
mand by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with his blessed hands. It goes
without saying that its foundation rests on Taqwa, that is, on purity,
piety and fear of Allah. And who else could be more purified than the
noble messenger of Allah? Therefore, that too is is a masjid founded on
taqwa. (As reported by Tirmidhi on sound authority from Sayyidna Abu Sa'id al-
Khudri at Ulu, with the chain of narrators ascending to the Holy Prophet g - from
Qurțubi)
At the end of the verse (108), it was said: فِيُّهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوا (In it
there are people who like to observe purity). In this verse, the masjid
declared worthier for the prayers of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is
the one the foundation of which was laid on Taqwa from day one.
صلى الله عليه وسلم Thus, both Masjid Quba' and the Mosque of the Prophet
are included in the sense of the verse. Also pointed to in this verse
there is yet another merit of this masjid - that those who prayed in

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 107 - 110
this masjid were a kind of people who did their best to remain cleansed
and pure. The word for purity used in the text is Taharah. The sense of
Taharah at this place includes purity from common filth and impuri-
ties, as well as purity from sins and bad morals. Those who offered
their prayers in Masjid Quba' and the Prophet's Mosque were general-
ly equipped with all these virtues.
Special Note
From here we also come to know that the merit or superiority of a
masjid really depends on the fact that it should have been made with
absolute sincerity for the sake of Allah. And to put it conversely, there
should not be any trace of duplicity, any motive to earn name, fame
and recognition, or any other false and corrupting interest involved in
its making. Then, we also learn that the quality of those who pray in a
masjid is significant. If they are good, righteous, knowledgeable about
their religion ('Alim) and are devoted to the worship of Allah ('Abid),
the superiority of the masjid increases. Offering prayers in a masjid
frequented by such God-fearing people is more merit worthy.
In the third (109) and the fourth (110) verses, Masjid Dirar (the
harmful mosque) made by the hypocrites has been condemned as it
has to be when compared with a masjid that is blessed. This has been
accomplished through the use of a similitude. The surface of the land
on which they were laying the foundation of their 'masjid' has been lik-
ened to a landmass that has been corroded on the inside by flowing
water. The topsoil looks solid and smooth. Now, if someone starts
building there, it is obvious that the whole thing would collapse in-
stantly. Similarly, the foundation of this Masjid Dirar was inherently
unstable. The result was that it collapsed and went right into the fire
of Jahannam. The expression 'collapsed into the fire of Jahannam'
could be figurative in its sense - in that it smoothed out the way of Ja-
hannam for its makers. Some others have taken it in the real sense -
in that the masjid, when made to collapse, went into the Jahannam.
Allah knows best.
Then, in the last verse (110), it was said that this building would al-
ways keep increasing the doubt and hypocrisy in their hearts unless
their hearts are shredded into pieces. The sense is that their doubt,
hypocrisy, envy and chagrin would go on increasing right to the end of
their life.

469
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 111 - 112
Verses 111 - 112
إِنَّ اللّهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤُمِنِينَ آَنْفُسَهُمْ وَآَمُوَالَهُمْ بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ
الْجُنَّةَ مُقَاتِلُونَ فِىْ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ فَيَقُثُلُونَ وَ يُقُتَلُونَ * وَعْدًا
عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِى التَّوْرُيّةِ وَأَلِ تُعِثْلِ وَ الْقُرَانِ* وَمَنُ أَوْفَى بِعَهُدِهِ
مِنَ اللهِ فَاسْتَبْشِرُوا بِبَيْعِكمْ الَّذِى بَا يَعْتُمُ بِهِ* وَذْلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ
الْعَظِيْمُ ﴿١١١﴾ التَّبِعُونَ الْعُبِدُوْنَ الْحُمِدُونَ السَّابِعُونَ
التّكِعُوْنَ الشُّجِدُونَ الْأُمِرُونَ بِالْعُرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُوْنَ عَنِ الْمُكَرِ
وَالُْفِظُونَ لِحُدُوُدِ اللهِءُ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ﴿١١٢﴾
Surely, Allah has bought their lives and their wealth
from the believers, against (a promise) that Paradise
shall be for them. They fight in the way of Allah, and
kill and are killed - a promise on His part which is true
(as made) in the Torah and the Injil and the Qur'an.
And who can fulfill his covenant more than Allah? So,
rejoice in the deal you have made, and that is the great
achievement. [111]
(They are) those who repent, those who worship, those
who praise (Allah), those who journey, those who bow
in ruku, those who prostrate in sajdah, those who bid
the Fair and forbid the Unfair and those who preserve
the limits prescribed by Allah. And give the good news
to the believers. [112]
Commentary
Sequence
Previous verses carried a condemnation of those staying behind
without a valid excuse and missing the Jihad. The present verses take
up the merit of mujahidin.
The background of revelation
As explained by the majority of commentators, these verses were
revealed about the participants of Bai'atul-'Aqabah (the pledge of alle-
giance to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at al-Aqabah) which was tak-
en from the Ansar of Madinah before Hijrah in 'Makkah al-
Mukarramah. Therefore, despite that the entire Surah is Madani,

470
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 111 - 112
these verses have been termed as Makki.
'Al-'Aqabah' is part of a mountain. Here, it refers to the 'Aqabah
that forms a part of the mountain along the Jamratu al-'Aqabah (the
stone pillar of 'Aqabah) in Mina. (In our time, due to the increased
number of Hujjaj [Hajj pilgrims], this part of the mountain has been
leveled to form a smooth surface with the only exception of Jamarah
[the stone pillar] which still stands there). It is on this 'Aqabah that a
pledge of allegiance _ (bai'ah) was taken from the people of Madinah
thrice. The first pledge came in the eleventh year of the Prophet's ad-
vent. Six persons embraced Islam, gave the pledge and returned to
Madinah. When they arrived there, Islam and the Prophet of Islam be-
came the talk of the town. Next year, it was during the Hajj season
that twelve people assembled at the same place. Out of these, five had
taken part in the first pledge while the other seven were new. All of
them took the pledge. By that time, the number of Muslims in Madi-
nah had increased to more than forty. They requested that someone
صلى الله عليه وسلم should be sent to teach Qur'an to them. The Holy Prophet
sent Sayyidna Muş'ab ibn 'Umair as Ul yo,. He taught Qur'an to Mus-
lims present there as well as conveyed the message of Islam around, as
a result of which major groups of people in Madinah entered the fold of
Islam.
After that, in the thirteenth year of the Prophet's advent, seventy
men and women assembled at the same place. This is the third Bai'atu
al-'Aqabah - and the last. Generally, when reference is made to
Bai'atu al-'Aqabah, it means this very Bai'ah (pledge of allegiance).
This pledge made it binding on participants that they would uphold
the basic beliefs ('aqa'id) and deeds (a'mal) of Islam, and would particu-
larly be ready to take part in Jihad against the disbelievers, and pro-
tect and support the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when he migrates and
reaches Madinah. In this connection, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah
us Al , submitted, 'ya rasulallah, a compact is being made at this
time. If there are any conditions regarding your Lord or regarding
yourself, let these be mentioned there clearly.' He said, 'As for Allah
Ta'ala, I lay down the condition that all of you shall worship Him -
and worship none but Him. As for myself, the condition is that you
shall protect me as you protect your own lives, wealth, property and
children.' They asked, 'if we fulfill these two conditions, what shall we

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 111 - 112
get in return?' He said, 'you will get Jannah.' All in delight, they said,
'we are pleased with this deal, so pleased that we shall never request
on our own that it be cancelled nor shall we like it to be cancelled.
At this place, since the pledge took the apparent form of a transac-
tion of give and take, this verse (111) was revealed in the terminology
of a business deal:َإِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرْى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّة (Surely , Allah
has bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, against
which Paradise shall be for them). After hearing this verse, Sayyidna
Bara' ibn Marur, Abu al-Haitham and As'ad رضى الله عنهم أجمعين were the
first ones who placed their hands on the blessed hand of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.They were promising in effect that they were
readily agreeable to this deal and they would protect the Holy Prophet
as they protected their family and would stand by him to face any
challenge, even if it came from the combined forces of the blacks and
whites on this Earth.
This is the very first verse of Jihad
Injunctions of Jihad did not exist during the early Makkan period.
This is first verse about fighting and killing which was revealed in
Makkah al-Mukarramah itself, though its implementation began after
Hijrah. After that, came another verse: 33ich geju ssi (Permission [to
fight] has been given to those who are being fought against - al-Hajj
22:39). When this Bai'atu al-'Aqabah (pledge of 'Aqabah) was concluded
in secret from the disbelievers of Makkah, the Holy Prophet de Jul
du, ordered his noble Companions to migrate from Makkah to Madi-
nah. Groups of them started migrating gradually. The Holy Prophet
remained behind waiting for the permission from Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم
Ta'ala. When Sayyidna Abu Bakr we All », decided to migrate, he held
him back so that he could accompany him. (This whole event has been de-
scribed in Tafsir Mazhari with relevant references)
We can now move to the second sentence of the verse (111): 21 giu
They fight in the way of Allah, and kill) سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ (الى) فِى التَّوُرْيَةِ وَالاِنْجِيْل وَالْقُرْآنِ
and are killed ... a promise on His part which is true (as made) in the
Torah and the Injil and the Qur'an). This verse tells us that fighting in
the way of Allah was a commandment also revealed for past communi-
ties in their Scriptures. As for the popular assumption that there is no
injunction of Jihad in the Injil, it is possible that, as part of the chang-
es made by people who came later, the injunctions of Jihad were ex-