Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 74 - 78
stock owned by Muslims. They were ordered to go to Tha'labah ibn Ha-
țib as well, and to another person from the tribe of Bani Sulaym also.
When the two collectors reached Tha'labah and presented the or-
der of the Holy Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم, he said that this thing had be-
come a sort of Jizyah which is taken from non-Muslims. Then he
hedged and asked them to leave on that occasion, however, they could
call on him on their way back. The two of them left.
Something different happened in the case of the other person from
the tribe of Bani Sulaym. When he heard about the order of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he himself called on the two emissaries of his
master carrying with him the best from out of his livestock of camels
and goats, precisely according to his Zakatable nişab of Sadaqah. They
told him that they have orders not to pick out the best among animals,
in fact, they were supposed to take the average ones, therefore, they
could not take these. The man from Bani Sulaym insisted that it was
his pleasure to present those very animals and requested that they be
accepted as they were.
After that, when these two emissaries had completed their circuit
of Sadaqah collection, they returned to Tha'labah. He told them that
he wanted to see that Law of Sadaqah they were talking about. He
looked at it and said no more than what he had said earlier - 'this
thing has become a sort of Jizyah that should not be taken from Mus-
lims.' 'All right,' he said, 'you can go for now. I have to think about it
first. I will decide later.'
When these two gentlemen reached Madinah, they went to see the
Holy Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم. At that time he, before hearing their report
يَا وَبُحَ ثَعْلَبَة يَاوَيُحَ ثَعُلَبَة : on the mission, repeated the words he had said earlier
35 4 (Alas for Tha'labah). He said it three times. After that, he was
pleased to hear about the Sulaymi deal and prayed for him. Thereup-
on, came the verse: a 32; (And among them there are those who
made a pledge with Allah - 75). It means: 'if Allah gave them wealth,
they would give out alms and charities and fulfill the rights of all de-
serving people, the relatives and the poor, as done by the righteous
people of the community. But, when Allah blessed them with wealth,
out of His grace, they became misers overnight and turned away from
their pledge of obedience to Allah and His Messenger.'

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 74 - 78
Verse 77 :ْفَاعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوُبِهِم (So Allah, in turn, put hypocrisy in their
hearts) points out to its cause which lies in their lying and pledge
breaking. As a consequence, Allah made the hypocrisy of their hearts
become deep and firm. Now, they would just not have the ability to
make Taubah itself.
A serious note of warning
From here we learn that there are occasions when the curse of evil
deeds assumes alarming proportions, so much so that one is deprived
of the very ability (taufiq) of making Taubah. May Allah protect us
from this misfortune!
Let us now go back to the detailed narrative of Sayyidna Abu Uma-
mah se JUly, mentioned a little earlier. Ibn Jarir writes at the end of
it: When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said 'Alas for Tha'labah' three
times, some of his relatives were present in the gathering. When they
heard it, one of them immediately traveled to see Tha'labah. When he
reached there, he reproached him for his behavior while informing him
that it has caused the revelation of a particular verse of the Qur'an.
This made Tha'labah nervous. He reached Madinah and requested the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that his Sadaqah may be accepted. He said
that Allah Ta'ala had told him not to accept his Sadaqah. Hearing this,
Tha'labah went crazy with disappointment and literally started throw-
ing dust on his head.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'this is something you have
chosen to do on your own. I ordered you and you did not obey. Now,
your Sadaqah cannot be accepted.' Tha'labah returned disappointed.
Then, some days later, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم departed from
this mortal world and Sayyidna Abu Bakr as Ul >, became the Khali-
fah. Tha'labah came to Sayyidna Abu Bakr _ _ l _+, and requested
that he should accept his Sadaqah. Sayyidna Abu Bakr as Ul yo, said,
'when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not accept it, how can I do it?'
Then, after the demise of Sayyidna Abu Bakr ar il +), Tha'labah
came to Sayyidna 'Umar ate Al +,. He made the same request and got
the same answer from him, as was given by Sayyidna Abu Bakr JI »,
A.c. Again, he submitted this request to Sayyidna Uthman as JI yo, dur-
ing his period of Khilafah. He too refused it. It was during the tenure
of the Khilafah of Sayyidna Uthman as Ul y+, that Tha'labah died. We
seek the protection of Allah from all evil deeds. (Mazhari)

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 79 - 80
A question and its answer
When Tha'labah had submitted in repentance, the question is why
was his Taubah not accepted? The reason is evident. The Holy Prophet
was informed through revelation that he was not making صلى الله عليه وسلم
his Taubah with absolute sincerity. He had hypocrisy concealed in his
heart. He was simply trying to deceive Muslims for the time being only
to put matters right between them. Therefore, it was not acceptable.
And when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself declared him to be a
hypocrite, the Khulafa' who succeeded him were left with no right to
accept his Sadaqah - because, being a Muslim is a condition for Zakah.
Now, after the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, no one knows the hypocrisy
hidden in the heart of a person, therefore, the rule to follow in future
is: Anyone who makes Taubah and confesses to his Islam and 'Iman
should be treated as Muslims are treated - no matter what lies in his
heart. (Bayan al-Qur'an)
Verses 79 - 80
الَّذِيْنَ يَلْمِزُوْنَ الْمُطَِّعِيْنَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ فِى الصَّدَقْتِ وَ الَّذِيْنَ
لَا يَجِدُونَ إِلَّ ◌ُجُهُدَهُمْ فَيَسْخَرُوْنَ مِنْهُمْ + سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ: وَلَهُمُ
عَذَابٌ آلِهْمٌ ﴿٧٩﴾ اِسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْ إِنْ
تَسْتَغْفِرُلَهُمُ سَبْعِيْنَ مَرَّةً فَلَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ + ذُلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ
كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاللّهُ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوُّمَ الْفُسِقِيْنَ﴿٨)
Those who find fault with believers who voluntarily
give alms and have nothing but their hard earnings -
still they mock at them - mocked they are by Allah and
for them there is a painful punishment. [79]
Ask pardon for them or do not ask pardon for them -
even if you ask pardon for them seventy times, Allah
shall never pardon them. That is because they disbe-
lieved in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah does not
lead the sinning people to the right path. [80]
Commentary
Mentioned in the first verse (79) are taunts thrown at Muslims who
gave away in charity on a voluntary basis (Nafli Sadaqat). It appears

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 81 - 83
in the Sahih of Muslim that Sayyidna Abu Mas'ud as JI _>, said: 'we
had orders from Allah Ta'ala that we must give Sadaqah and, believe
it, we used to do manual labor for that (that is, we had no money or
thing with us. We used to take out that Sadaqah too from whatever we
earned through this very manual labor). Thus, Abu 'Aqil offered Sada-
qah to the measure of 0.5 Sa' (approximately 1.75 kilos). Then, someone
came and gave a little more than that. The hypocrites mocked at them
for having brought something so insignificant in the name of Sadaqah.
Allah never needs things like that. And whoever gave a little more in
Sadaqah, they accused him that he had done it to show off before peo-
ple. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.
Please note that, in the sentence: il (mocked they are by Al-
lah - 79), the word 'mocked' stands for 'punished for their mockery'.
In the second verse (80), there is a statement about the hypocrites.
It has been addressed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He has been
told whether or not he seeks forgiveness for them makes no difference
- and no matter how many times he seeks forgiveness for them, they
shall not be forgiven. A detailed explanation of this appears under the
comments on verse 84 :ُلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم (and never offer a prayer on any
one of them who dies) appearing a little later.
Verses 81 - 83
فَرِعَ الْغَلَّقُوْنَ بِقُعَدِهِمْ خِلْفُ رَسُولِ اللهِ وَكَرِ هُؤْاَ آَنْ يُجَاهِدُوا
◌ِآَمْوَالِهِمْ وَآَنْفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيْلِ اللهِ وَقَالُوْا لَا تَنْفِرُوْا فِى الْخُِّ
قُلُ نَارُ جَهَتَمَ اشَدُّ حَرَّاء لَوْكَانُوا يَفْقَهُوُنَ ﴿٨١﴾ فَلْيَضْحَكُوْا
قَلِيْلًا وَلْيَبْكُوْا كَثِيْرَا جَزَّاءٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُوْنَ ﴿٨٢﴾ فَإِنُ
◌َّجَعَكَ اللَّهُ إِلى طَآئِفَةٍ مِنْهُمْ فَاسْتَأْذَنُؤْكَ لِلْخُرُوُجِ فَقُلُ لَّنْ
تَخْرُجُوا مَعِىَ أَبَدًا وَّلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِىَ عَدُوًّاء إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيْهُمُ
بِالْقُعُوُدِ آَوَّلَ مَّةٍ فَافُعُدُوا مَعَ الْخُلِفِيْنَ ﴿٨٣﴾
Those who were left behind were happy with their sit-
ting back to the displeasure of the Messenger of Allah,
and they disliked to carry out jihad in the way of Allah
with their wealth and lives, and they said, "Do not

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 81 - 83
march in this hot weather." Say, "The fire of Jahannam
is more intense in heat," only if they could understand.
[81]
So, let them laugh a little, and weep a lot, being a re-
ward of what they used to earn. [82]
Then, if Allah brings you back to a group of them and
they seek your permission to march, say to them, "You
shall never march with me ever after, and shall never
fight an enemy in my company. You were happy with
sitting back the first time; now, sit with those remain-
ing behind." [83]
Commentary
Behavior patterns of hypocrites who did not take part in the battle
of Tabuk, despite the general call of Jihad, continue to be the main
theme since several previous verses.
The current verses give another example of their behavior. Then, it
was said that they will be punished in the Hereafter, their names will
be eliminated from the list of the mujahidin of Islam forever in this
mortal world and that they will never be allowed to take part in any
future Jihad.
The word: 3fat." (those who were left behind - 81) is the plural of
city (mukhallaf) which means 'abandoned' or left out. The subtle hint
thus released is that these people are pleased with the idea that they
have stayed away from endangering their lives by not participating in
the Jihad. But, the truth of the matter is that Allah Ta'ala did not con-
sider them to be worthy of this supreme honor. Therefore, it is not
they who have abandoned the Jihad, in fact, it is Jihad that has aban-
doned them. The reason is that Allah and His Messenger have, at
their discretion, considered it fit that they should be left out.
Following immediately, there is the word: i (khilaf) in: A Je; cats
translated as 'to the displeasure of the Messenger of Allah.' This word
could be taken in the sense of 'behind' or 'after' as well. In fact, this is
the meaning Abu 'Ubayd has gone by. If so, it would mean that these
people were rejoicing in their staying (at home) after (the depar ure of)
the Messenger of Allah - an occasion not really worth the mirth. As for
the word: pwr (bimaq'adihim: their sitting back) in the same verse, it
appears here in the sense of .y (qu'ud: sitting) as a verbal noun.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 81 - 83
It is also possible to take the word khilaf in the sense of mukh alafat
(contravention, opposition). In that case, it would mean that they sat
home in contravention of the command of the Holy Prophet . Then,
they did not leave it at that. They prompted others too by saying that
they should not march in that hot weather: (1) , Bis).
We already know that the command to fight the battle of Tabuk
was given at a time when the heat was intense. The rejoinder to their
comment came from Allah Ta'ala: Har Lagt j (Say: [O Prophet] the
fire of Jahannam is more intense in heat) that is, these people are
really unfortunate. They see the heat of a certain given time and try to
beat it one way or the other. But, they do not realize that their disobe-
dience to the command of Allah and His Messenger would bring them
face to face with the fire of Jahannam. Why would they not worry
about it? Is it that the heat of our seasons is more intense than the
heat of Hell?
After that it was said: Ser ps (So, let them laugh a little, and
weep a lot, being a reward of what they used to earn - 82). Though, the
word 'falya dhaku' (So, laugh) has been used in the imperative form,
but commentators interpret it in the sense of the predicate of a nomi-
nal clause. The wisdom behind the use of the imperative form given by
them is that this is categorical and certain. In other words, this is go-
ing to happen as a matter of certainty. Such people could laugh for the
days they have in the mortal world - but, in 'Akhirah, they must weep
and weep forever.
Commentator Ibn Abi Hatim reports the explanation of this verse
from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas at All go, as follows:
الدُّنْيَا قَلِثْلٌ فَلْيَضُحَكُوا فِيْهَا مَا شَاءُ وْا فَإِذَا انْقَطَعَتِ الدُّنْيَا وَصَارُؤْآَ إِلَى اللَّهِ
فَلْيَسْتَأْنِفُوا الْبُكَاءَ بُكَاءٌ لَا يَنْقَطِعُ أَبَدًا
The dunya (present world) is short-lived. So, let them laugh
therein as they wish but when 'dunya' will come to an end and
they will start coming to Allah, then, they will start weeping,
a weeping which will never come to an end. (Mazhari)
The statement: [''''s gi (lan takhruju ... you shall never march) in
the second verse (83) has been explained by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali
Thanavi in the summary of his Tafsir Bayan al-Qur'an. According to
him, 'even if these people intend to participate in a future Jihad, they

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 84
would get out of it when they want to, under one or the other pretext;
and since they do not have faith in their heart, their intention too will
صلى الله عليه وسلم not be backed by sincerity. Therefore, the Holy Prophet
was commanded that, even if they want to take part in a Jihad, he
should tell them the truth that he does not trust their word and deed.
So, they would neither go for Jihad nor fight an enemy of Islam in his
company.'
Most of the commentators have said that this injunction has been
enforced as their punishment in the present world, that is, even if they
themselves were to make a request that they be allowed to take part
in Jihad, even then, they should not be allowed to do that.
Verse 84
وَلَا تُصَلّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ ابَدًا وَلَا تَقُمُ عَلى قَبْرِهِ+ ◌ِنَّهُمْ
كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوْا وَهُمْ فُسِقُوْنَ ﴿٨٤)
And never offer a prayer on any one of them who dies,
and do not stand by his grave. They disbelieved in
Allah and His Messenger and died while they were
sinners. [84]
Commentary
It stands established from Sahih Ahadith, and confirmed by a con-
sensus of the Muslim Ummah on it that this verse was revealed at the
time of the death of the hypocrite, 'Abdullah ibn Ubaiyy, and about the
Şalah of Janazah for him. Then, it also stands established from the re-
port in Şahih of Muslim and the Sahih of Al-Bukhari that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered Salah of Janazah for him. After he had
done it, this verse was revealed. And thereafter, he never offered the
Salah of Janazah for any munafiq (hypocrite).
The background in which this verse was revealed appears in the
Şahih of Muslim. According to this report from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn
'Umar Le Al (+), when 'Abdullah ibn Ubaiyy ibn Salul died, his son
'Abdullah رضى الله عنه came to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . He was a
sincere Muslim, and a Șahabi. When he requested for his shirt so that
he could use it as a shroud for the dead body of his father, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم let him have it. Then, he requested him to also
lead the Salah of Janazah for his father. He accepted and rose to do

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 84
that. At that point, Sayyidna 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ae Mn _», held the
fall of his shirt cloth and said: 'you are going to lead the Janazah Salah
for this munafiq although Allah Ta'ala has prohibited you from doing
that.' The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'Allah Ta'ala has given me a
choice. I may pray for their forgiveness, or I may not - and as for for-
giveness not to be granted even if prayed for it seventy times as in the
verse, I can say that I can do that more than seventy times.' The verse
referred to here is verse 80 of Surah Al-Taubah which you have gone
through a little earlier. For your convenience, its words are: v;f;4 ;2)
Ask pardon for them or do not ask) تَسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْ إِنْ تَسْتَغْفِرْلَهُمْ سَبُعِيْنَ مَّةً فَلَنُ تَغْفِرَ اللَّهْ لَهُمْ
pardon for them; even if you ask pardon for them seventy times, Allah
shall never pardon them). Then, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered
the Salah of Janazah for him. Soon after the Salah, this verse: " Ja".
5 +1 (And never offer a prayer on any one of them ... ) was revealed
(so, after that, he never led the Salah of Janazah for any mun afiq).
Removal of ambiguities concerning this event
A question arises here about 'Abdullah ibn Ubaiyy, a munafiq
whose hypocrisy was laid bare on many different occasions and who
was regarded as ring leader of all hypocrites. How was it that he re-
صلى الله عليه وسلم ceived such unusual treatment from the Holy Prophet
when he gave his blessed shirt to be used as his funeral shroud?
In answer, two reasons can be given for it. Firstly, it was done on
the request of his son who was a sincere Sahabi and the motive was
simply to console him on his loss. There could be a second reason as
well. This has been reported in Al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyid-
na Jabir at Al +). When some Quraysh chiefs were arrested on the oc-
casion of the battle of Badr, one of them happened to be 'Abbas, the un-
cle of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. When he saw that his uncle does
not have a shirt on his body, he asked his Companions to put a shirt
on him. Sayyidna 'Abbas as All », was tall. No shirt other than that of
صلى الله عليه وسلم Abdullah ibn Ubaiyy would fit him. So, the Holy Prophet'
took the shirt from 'Abdullah ibn Ubaiyy and had his uncle 'Abbas
wear it. It was only to repay this favor that the Holy Prophet le Jul
duy had given his shirt for him. (Qurțubi)
The second question relates to what Sayyidna 'Umar as Ulus, had
said to the Holy Prophet. It will be recalled that he had said, 'Allah
Ta'ala has prohibited you from leading the Salah of Janazah for a hypo-

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 84
crite.' We have to look for the basis on which he said that, because no
verse had ever prohibited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم expressly
from offering the Salah of Janazah for a hypocrite. From here it be-
comes fairly clear that Sayyidna 'Umar as ul >, must have deduced
that sense of prohibition from this very verse of Surah Al-Taubah re-
ferred earlier, that is, "Wake) (Ask pardon for them ... 80). Now the ques-
tion is, if this verse of prohibition refers to the Salah of Janazah, why
would the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم not let this be regarded as prohib-
ited, instead of which, he said that the choice in the verse had been
given to him?
The answer is that, in reality, the formal arrangement of words in
the verse does carry the sense of giving a choice - and it is also obvious
that the mention of seventy times at this place is not for prescribing a
limit. It is, rather, to express the sense of many times. Thus, the out-
come of the verse, in terms of its obvious sense, turns out to be that 'a
hypocrite will not be pardoned, no matter how many times you were to
seek forgiveness for him.' But, he has not been expressly prohibited
from praying for their forgiveness as such. Another verse of the Holy
Qur'an from Surah Ya Sin is a parallel example. There it has been said:
And it is all the same for them whether or) سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَ أَنْذَرُتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرُهُمُ لَا مُؤْ مِنُونَ
not you warn them - they are not going to believe - 36:10). This verse
has not categorically stopped him from warning people of evils and in-
viting them to what is good. For that matter, some other verses of the
Qur'an also prove that the ongoing mission of calling people towards
the faith never stopped. Of course, it included such people as well - for
example, ◌َبَلِّغُ مَا أَنْزِلَ إِلَيُكَ مِن رَّبِّك (O Messenger, convey all that has been sent
down to you from your Lord. - 5:67) and ◌ٍإِنَّ أنْتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمِ هَاد (you are only
a warner, and for every people, there is a guide - 13:7). The outcome is
that the verse of Surah Ya Sin (36:10) quoted above proved that choice
was given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, though in a limited frame
of reference. Then, the later verses quoted immediately earlier provid-
ed the standing proof of the continuance of the mission of warning peo-
ple against evils. From the verse under study too, the Holy Prophet .
du qde Jul had gathered that they will not be pardoned, but the situa-
tion was that he had not been restrained from seeking forgiveness for
them through some other verse either, till then.
Then, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also knew that neither his

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 84
shirt nor the Salah of Janazah he offered for the deceased hypocrite
were to bring forgiveness for him. But, he did hope that his action
would yield benefits for other aspects of Islamic public policy. People of
his family and the disbelieving people in general were bound to ob-
serve the way the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم deals with their leader.
This was likely to bring them closer to Islam, even embracing it. As for
some clear prohibition of offering the Salah of Janazah, it just did not
exist until that time. Therefore, he led the Salah.
Perhaps, the other answer lies in the sentence that has been re-
ported in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna
صلى الله عليه وسلم There, the Holy Prophet. رضى الله عنه Abdullah ibn 'Abbas'
has been quoted to have said: 'Had I known that he will be pardoned
by praying for his forgiveness more than seventy times, I would have
done that too.' (Qurtubi)
The second evidence comes from another Hadith in which the
following words from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم have been
reported: 'my shirt cannot save him from the punishment of Allah.
But, I did it in the hope that on the basis of this action thousands of
his people will embrace Islam.' So, according to what was said, after
having witnessed this event, one thousand people from the tribe of
Khazraj embraced Islam (as reported in the books of maghazi and in
some books of Tafsir).
Summary
To sum up, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم knew from previous
verses that no matter what they do, the munafiqs (the hypocrites) will
not be pardoned. But, there were some factors that explain the ratio-
nale of his action. The words of the verse seemed to have given him
the choice. No other verse had yet prohibited him from doing so. Then,
there was the opportunity to pay back the favor of a disbeliever here in
this world. Last, but not the least, was the hope of other disbelievers
embracing Islam as a result of this action. Therefore, he preferred to
lead the Salah of Janazah. As for the action of Sayyidna 'Umar Ul >,
L'e, he thought that once it stands proved through the verse in question
that a hypocrite will not be pardoned, he found no reason for offering a
Salah of Janazah for him and praying that he may be forgiven. Accord-
ing to him, it might be redundant, and against the station of a proph-
et. Therefore, he deemed it prohibited to offer the janazah. The posi-

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 85 - 89
tion of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was that he did not, though, con-
sider this action as beneficial in its own right - but, he did have the
likelihood of others embracing Islam in sight. Therefore, this action did
not remain futile. To conclude, in this manner, no ambiguity remains
either in the conduct of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم or in the words
of Sayyidna Umar رضى الله عنه .(Bayan al-Qur'an)
Now, came the verse: Jaf (and never offer a prayer) revealed in
clear terms. It was realized that, no doubt, there was a religiously ex-
pedient advantage visible to the Holy Prophet & in offering the Salah
but it also carried a disturbing factor in it, almost the reverse of what
was expected to be expedient. This element somehow did not attract
the attention of the Holy Prophet . The likelihood of this action
creating dissatisfaction among sincere Muslims was strong. They may
have thought that sincere Muslims and wily hypocrites have been
equated officially. To offset this danger, this particular prohibition was
revealed in the Qur'an - and after that, the Holy Prophet & never
offered the Salah of Janazah for any munafiq.
Rulings
1. This verse tells us that offering Salah on the Janazah of a kafir
or the making of Du'a seeking his or her forgiveness is not permissible.
2. This verse also proves that to stand before the grave of a kafir as
a mark of respect for him, or to go to visit it, is haram. Should this be
to learn some lesson therefrom, or because of some compulsion, then, it
is not contrary to this. For example, it appears in Hidayah that, should
a kafir relative of a Muslim die without leaving a guardian or heir be-
hind, the Muslim relative can put the deceased into hollowed ground
as is, without having to make it conform to the standard practice of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .(Bayan al-Qur'an)
Verses 85 - 89
وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ آَمُوَالُهُمْ وَأَوْلَادُهُمْ ء ◌ََِّ مُرِدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُعَذِّبَهُمُ بِهَا
فِى الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ آَنْفُسِهُمْ وَهُمْ كُفِرُونَ ﴿٨٥﴾ وَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ
سُوْرَةٌ أَنْ امِنُوْا بِاللَّهِ وَجَاهِدُوا مَعَ رَسُوُلِهِ اسْتَأْذَنَكَ أُولُوا
الطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُؤًا ذَرْنَا نَكُنْ مَعَ الْقُعِدِيْنَ ﴿٩٨٦ رَضُوْا بِآَنُ

443
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 85 - 89
يَّكُؤُنُوا مَعَ الْخَوَالِفِ وَطُبعَ عَلى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَ يَفْقَهُوُنَ ﴿٨٧﴾
لكِنِ الرَّسُوْلُ وَالَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مَعَهْ جُهَدُوا بِآَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ ـ
وَأُوْلِكَ لَهُمُ الْخَيْرُتُُ وَأُوْلِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ ﴿٩٨٨ أَعَدَّاللَّهُ لَّهُمْ
جَنْتٍ تَجْرِئْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْآَنْهُ خْلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَاء ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ
$19)
الْعَظِيمُ.
And their wealth and children should not attract you.
Allah only wants to punish them with these in this
world and that their souls depart while they are disbe-
lievers. [85]
And when a Surah is revealed (saying), "Believe in Al-
lah and carry out jihad in the company of His Messen-
ger" the capable ones from them seek your permission
and say, "Let us remain with those sitting back." [86]
They are happy to be with women who sit back, and
their hearts are sealed; so they do not understand. [87]
But the Messenger and the believers in his company
have carried out jihad with their wealth and lives, and
for them there are the good things, and they are the
successful. [88] Allah has prepared for them gardens be-
neath which rivers flow where they will live forever.
That is the supreme success. [89]
Commentary
Once again, the present verses carry the description of hypocrites
who had avoided participating in the battle of Tabuk under one or the
other pretext. Among such hypocrites, there were some rich people as
well. Their affluent life could have made Muslims ask, 'when these
people are so unacceptable with Allah, why did they have to get all
those blessings in this world?'
In response, it was said that a little thinking would unfold the real-
ity behind what they possess in the form of wealth and children. These
are no mercy and blessing for them. Instead, these are their trial and
punishment in this world - not to say much about the additional pun-
ishment due in the Hereafter. It is not difficult to understand the rea-
son. They love wealth, guard it and keep worrying as to how they can
go on increasing it. They are never at peace. They collect things of

444
Surah Al-Taubah : 9: 90
comfort around them but genuine peace and comfort never knock at
their doors, for they are things of the heart. And since this engross-
ment in the pursuit of wealth makes them heedless towards the con-
cerns of the Hereafter, they indulge in acts of disobedience to their
Creator that in turn becomes the cause of their punishment. So,
whether a cause or its effect, it remains a punishment. This is the rea-
son why the Qur'an has used the words: 1% (to punish them with
these) in the sense that Allah Ta'ala wants to punish them by and
through these very possessions.
The expression: J'ai (ulu 'at-taul: translated as 'the capable
ones') (86) is not for particularization. Instead, it serves a purpose. It
tells that there were others too, the ones not so capable. And the inca-
pable ones had, at least, some obvious excuse to stay behind.
Verse 90
وَجَآءَ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤُذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا
اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ سَيْصِيْبُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١﴾
And the excuse-makers from the Bedouins came that
they might be allowed (to stay behind), while those
who were false to Allah and His Messengers (just)
stayed behind. A painful punishment is about to fall
upon those of them who disbelieve. [90]
Commentary
The details given in the verse tell us that there were two kinds of
people among the Bedouins of the desert. First, there were those who
visited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and requested that they might
be excused from Jihad and allowed to stay behind. Then, there were
the arrogant and rebellious among them who did not even bother to
take the trouble of excusing themselves out of it. They just stayed be-
hind.
'When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم allowed Jadd ibn Qays that
he may not go on Jihad,' says Sayyidna Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, Le Ji,
'some hypocrites also came to him, offered their excuses and sought his
permission to stay out of Jihad. As for the permission, he let them
have it, but he did realize that they were making false excuses, there-
fore, he turned away from them. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.'

445
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 91 - 93
It made it clear that their excuse was unacceptable. Therefore, they
were served with the warning of a painful punishment. However, by
saying: ' b'is zení (those of them who disbelieve), a hint was given
that the excuse given by some of them was not because of their disbe-
lief or hypocrisy, rather, it was because of their natural laziness. So,
they were not to be affected by the punishment to fall upon those dis-
believers.
Verses 91 - 93
لَيْسَ عَلَى الضُّعَفَاءِ وَلَا عَلَى الْمُرْضِى وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ
لَا يَجِدُوْنَ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ حَرَجُ إِذَا نَصَعُوْا لِلْهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ، مَا عَلَى
الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ مِنْ سَبِيْلٍ، وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿١١﴾ وَلَ عَلَى
الَّذِيْنَ إِذَا مَا آتَوْكَ لِّتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَّ اَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهٍِ
تَوَلَّوًا وَ آَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيْضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا آَلَّ يَجِدُوا مَا
◌ُنْفِقُونَ ﴿٩٩٢ ◌َِّا السَّبِيْلُ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ يَسْتَأْذِ نُونَكَ وَهُمْ
آَغْنِيَامٌ رَضُوا بِآَنْ يَكُنُوا مَعَ الْخَوَالِفِ" وَطَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلى
قُلُؤُّبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ ﴿٩٣﴾
There is no blame on the weak, or on the sick, or on
those who have nothing to spend, if they are sincere to
Allah and His Messenger. There is no way against those
good in deeds. And Allah is most Forgiving, Very Merci-
ful. [91]
Nor (is there any blame) on those who - when they
came to you so that you might provide them with a car-
rier and you said (to them), "I find no carrier to give to
you" - went back, their eyes flowing with tears grieving
that they had nothing to spend. [92]
Blame lies, in fact, on those who ask you permission de-
spite being rich. They are happy being with women
who sit back. And Allah has sealed their hearts; so they
do not know. [93]
Commentary
Previous verses mentioned people who were not really excusable
from participation in Jihad but sat it out because of laziness. Then,
there were hypocrites who had taken permission from the Holy Proph-

446
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 94 - 96
et صلى اللّه عليه وسلم under false pretexts because of their disbelief and hy-
pocrisy. And then there were the arrogant ones who did not bother
about excuses and permissions and just sat back. They were told there
that they were not excusable and that there was a painful punishment
waiting for those of them who practiced disbelief and hypocrisy.
The present verses mention sincere Muslims who were deprived of
participation in Jihad because they were genuinely incapable of doing
so. Some of them were blind, or sick, or handicapped. Their excuse was
all too evident. Then, there were some of those who were ready to take
part in Jihad, in fact, were 'dying' to go into the Jihad, but they could
not make the trip because they did not have an animal to ride on. The
journey was long and the weather was very hot. They told the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم how eager they were to participate in the Jihad
but how unfortunate that they had nothing to ride on. They requested
him to see if they could have some mounts.
There are many events of this nature recorded in books of Exegesis
and History. So, different things happened. To some of them who came
initially, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had no choice but to say that
they had no arrangements to provide mounts to warriors. But, these
people returned from him weeping and when they kept weeping in de-
spair, Allah Ta'ala took care of them in His own way. Six camels ar-
rived before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم right at that time. He let
them have these. (Mazhari) Then, Sayyidna 'Uthman as Ul », arranged
mounts for three of them, although he had already made similar ar-
rangements for many more of them earlier.
Ultimately, there were some of them still left out for the simple
reason that they could not find a mount. Rendered totally helpless,
they could do nothing about their aspirations for Jihad. These are the
kinds of people mentioned in the cited verses whose excuse was accept-
ed by Allah Ta'ala. However, at the end, the warning was repeated by
saying that particularly cursed are those who, despite their ability,
elected to stay away from Jihad like women. The sentence: 12 'edy
Glie; apsur ged (Blame lies, in fact, on those who ask your permis-
sion despite being rich - 93) means exactly this.
Verses 94 - 96
يَعْتَذِرُوْنَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ، قُلْ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوْا لَنْ تُؤْمِنَ

447
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 94 - 96
لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْ آَخْبَارِكُمْ ◌ُ وَسَيْرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلى عَلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْهُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٤) سَيَحْلِفُوْنَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ
لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمُْ فَاعْرِضُوْا عَنْهُمُْ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ، وَمَأُ وْنَهُمْ
جَهَنَّهْ جَزَاء ◌ِاَ كَانُوا يَكُسِبُونَ ﴿٩٥) يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا
عَنْهُمُّ فَإِنْ تَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ
الْفُسِقِيْنَ ﴿٩٦﴾
They will make excuses to you when you return to
them. Say, "Do not make excuses. We shall never be-
lieve you. Allah has told us the facts about you. And Al-
lah will see what you do, and His Messenger as well.
Then you shall be returned to the Knower of the Seen
and the Unseen, and He will tell you what you have
been doing." [94]
They will swear by Allah before you, so that you may
ignore their misdeed. So, you ignore them. They are
filth, and their abode is Jahannam, as a recompense for
what they used to do. [95]
They swear before you so that you may be pleased with
them. So, even if you are pleased with them, Allah will
not be pleased with the sinning people. [96]
Commentary
Mentioned in the previous verses were hypocrites who came up
with false excuses at the time Jihad forces were getting ready to
march out and succeeded in being allowed to stay behind. The present
verses mention those who visited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم after
his return from Jihad and offered false excuses for their absence from
it. These verses had been revealed before his return to Madinah and
had told him beforehand about the forthcoming event, that is, the
hypocrites will come to him as soon as he reaches Madinah and will of-
fer their excuses. And so it happened.
Three instructions about them have been given to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the verses cited above. These are as follows:
1. When they come to make excuses, they should be told that they

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 97 - 99
do not have to make false excuses for they were not going to be
believed in their word. Allah Ta'ala had already told the Holy Prophet
about the condition of their thinking and doing including the details
of their wicked plans and secret intentions. This was enough to prove
that they were liars, therefore, offering excuses makes no sense. After
that, it was said:ْوَسَيَرَى اللهُ عَمَلَكُم (And Allah will see what you do ... ). Here,
respite has been given to them so that they could still make their Tau-
bah (repentance), renounce Nifaq (hypocrisy) and become true Mus-
lims - because, the wording of the text stipulates that Allah and His
Messenger shall see what they do and how they do it. In other words,
action shall be taken in consonance with their behavior pattern. If
they repented sincerely and became true Muslims, their sins shall
stand forgiven. Otherwise, these false excuses were not going to do
them any good.
2. The second instruction to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم appears
in the second verse (95) where it has been said that these people will
come to him after his return to Madinah, impress him with their
feigned oaths and try to satisfy him. What they would wish to achieve
from this initiative is: ' 1;23 (so that you may ignore their misdeed),
that is, 'ignore their absence from Jihad and spare the reproach due on
it.' Thereupon, it was said that he might as well grant their wish. The
text says: " på 20: 'you ignore them.' Thus, the instruction carries the
sense: 'neither reproach and admonish, nor deal with pleasantly' - be-
cause, reproach usually brings no good. When they have no faith in
their heart - and they do not want to have it either - what would come
out of reproach? So, why waste good time!
3. The third instruction given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ap-
pears in the third verse (96): "They swear before you so that you may
be pleased with them." The order of Allah Ta'ala is that their wish was
not to be granted and he was not to be pleased with them. However, it
was also said that, 'even if you were to be pleased with them, it was
not going to work for them in any manner, because Allah is not
pleased with them. And how could Allah be pleased with them when
they are still adamant about their denial and hypocrisy?
Verses 97 - 99
الْأَعْرَابْ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَّنِفَاقًا وَّأَجْدَوُاَلَّ يَعْلَمُوْا محُدُودَ مَا أَنْزَلَ

449
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 97 - 99
اللّهُ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيْمْ حَكِيْمٌ ﴿٩٧) وَمِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مَنُ
يَّتَخِذُ مَا يُنْفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَبَتَرَتَصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَّابِرَ* عَلَيْهِمْ دَابِرَهُ
الشَوْءُ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيْمْ ﴿٩٨﴾ وَمِنَ الْآَعْرَابِ مَنْ تُّؤْمِنُ
بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنْفِقُ قُرَّيْتٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوْتِ
الرّسُولِ * الَّ إِنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ لَّهُمْ + سَيُدْخِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِىْ رَحْمَتِهُ إِنَّ
اللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٩٩﴾
The Bedouins are often more strict in disbelief and hy-
pocrisy and are most likely to be ignorant of the limits
of what Allah has sent down to His Messenger. And Al-
lah is All-Knowing, Wise. [97]
And among the Bedouins there are those who take
what they spend as a penalty and they look forward to
the cycles of time to turn against you. Upon those is the
evil cycle. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [98]
And among the Bedouins there are others who believe
in Allah and in the Last Day and take what they spend
as a source of nearness to Allah and of prayers from the
Messenger. It is indeed a source of nearness for them.
Allah will admit them to His mercy. Surely, Allah is
Most Forgiving, Very Merciful. [99]
Commentary
Described in the previous verses were the hypocrites of Madinah.
The present verses mention hypocrites who lived on the desert around
the outskirts of Madinah.
The word ley (al-a'rab) is not a plural form of JI (al-'arab). It is
~ (ism al-jam': collective noun) and is used for the Bedouins of the
desert. In its singular form, it becomes leyl (al-a'rabiyy) - similar to
(al-ansariyy), the singular form of ,Lasyl (al-ansar).
According to their condition described in verse 97, they outdid city
dwellers in disbelief and hypocrisy. The reason given is that these peo-
ple generally remained ignorant and hard-hearted as they lived far
away from knowledge and the knowledgeable. Then the text says: 'the
Bedouins are more likely to be ignorant of the limits of what Allah has
sent down.' It means that the very surroundings in which they live are
such as would keep them in the dark about the limits set by Allah

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 97 - 99
through the revelation - because the Qur'an does not come before
them, nor do they have access to its meanings, explanations and in-
junctions.
In the second verse (98) too, yet another aspect of the condition of
these very Bedouins has been described as: 'those who take what they
spend (in Zakah etc.) as a penalty.' Why would they do so? The reason
is that they hardly have any faith in their heart. When it comes to
making Salah, they would, though, do that, but just to camouflage
their disbelief. They would even fulfill the obligation of Zakah, but
their hearts would keep worrying as to why they had to put good mon-
ey down the drain. Therefore, they always look forward to the time
when Muslims are hit by some calamity or defeat that may possibly
deliver them from having to pay this penalty. The word: st,JI (al-
dawa'ir: the cycles of time) is the plural of: ost (da'irah). According to
the Arabic lexicon, da'irah is the changed state that shifts away from
the good state into a bad one. Therefore, the Holy Qur'an says in re-
sponse to them: geleistet (upon them is the evil cycle). In other
words, the evil state of affairs they wish would strike at Muslims is go-
ing to descend upon them all right - and, because their words and
deeds are such, they will find themselves far more disgraced.
After having described the state of affairs prevailing among hypo-
crites of distant deserts, it was considered appropriate that the true
and staunch Muslims from among the same stock of Bedouins should
also be mentioned. This was done in verse 99 - very much in line with
the typical style of the Qur'an - so that, it stands established that Bed-
ouins too are not all alike. Among them, there are many sincere Mus-
lims, and people of sense and discernment as well. Their style of life is
different. When they give in obligatory alms (Zakah) or in voluntary
charities (Sadaqat), they regard these as a source of nearness to Allah
Tafala and hope that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would be praying
for them.
That Sadaqat are a source of nearness to Allah Ta'ala is obvious.
However, the hope of prayers from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is on
a different basis. It should be borne in mind that the Holy Qur'an -
wherever it has asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to collect Zakah
on the wealth and property of Muslims - has also directed him that he
should also pray for those who pay Zakah. The forthcoming verse (103):

451
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 100
Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah) خُذُّ مِنْ آَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيُهِمُ بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ
[obligatory alms] through which you may cleanse and purify them, and
pray for them) is a good example? The instruction to the Holy Prophet
وصل :that he should pray for these people has been termed صلى الله عليه وسلم
Me (and pray for them) using the word: 11. (salat) for it. Therefore, in
the present verse as well, the sense of the prayers of the Holy Prophet
.(sal at) صلوة : has been expressed by the use of the word صلى الله عليه وسلم
Verse 100
وَالشِقُونَ الْآَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهُجِرِيْنَ وَالْآَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُؤْهُمْ
بِإِحْسَانِّ رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوْا عَنُّهُ وَآَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنّتٍ تَجُرِئُ
تَحْتَهَا الْآَنْهُرُ خْلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا آَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيْمُ ﴿١٠٠)
As for the first and foremost of the Emigrants and the
Supporters and those who followed them in goodness,
Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with
Allah, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath
which rivers flow where they shall live for ever. That is
the supreme success. [100]
Commentary
The verse before this (99) carried a description of sincere and true
Muslims among the Bedouins of the desert. The present verse men-
tions all sincere and true Muslims along with their relative degrees of
excellence.
الشِقُوْنَ الاَ وَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهُجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ : Let us begin with the opening statement
(the first and foremost of the Emigrants and the Supporters). Most
commentators have taken the preposition u (min) for tab'id which de-
notes a part of something and may be translated as 'out of) and thus
have set up two categories of the noble Sahabah from among the Emi-
grants (al-muhajirin) and the Supporters (al-anşar) - (1) 'the first and
foremost,' then, (2) the rest of them.
This interpretation implies that it is only first category that is re-
ferred to in the above verse, i.e. 'the first and foremost'. Then, for iden-
tifying 'the first and foremost' the commentators have different views.
Some consider 'the first and foremost' from among the noble Compan-
ions to be those who have offered their Salah by turning to.both the Qi-
blahs, that is, those who had embraced Islam before the change of Qi-