At-Tawbah 9:106
The Repentance · Juz 11 · Page 203
وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرۡجَوۡنَ لِأَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمۡ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيۡهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ١٠٦
And [there are] others deferred until the command of Allāh - whether He will punish them or whether He will forgive them. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
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Commentary on 9:106
Delaying the Decision about the Three Companions Who stayed away from the Battle of Tabuk
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak and several others said that those mentioned in the Ayah are the three who were made to wait to know if their repentance was accepted; Mararah bin Ar-Rabi`, Ka`b bin Malik and Hilal bin Umayyah. Some Companions stayed behind from the battle of Tabuk due to laziness, preferring comfort, ease, ripe fruits and shade. They did not lag behind because of hypocrisy or doubts. Some of them tied themselves to the pillars (of the Masjid) like Abu Lubabah and several of his friends did. Some of them did not do that, and they are the three mentioned here. Those who tied themselves received their pardon before these three men whose pardon was delayed, until this Ayah was revealed,
لَقَدْ تَابَ الله عَلَى النَّبِىِّ وَالْمُهَجِرِينَ وَالاٌّنصَرِ
(Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin and the Ansar...)
وَعَلَى الثَّلَثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُواْ حَتَّى إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ
(And the three who stayed behind, until for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened...) We will mention the Hadith about this story from Ka`b bin Malik. Allah said,
إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ
(whether He will punish them or will forgive them. ) meaning, they are at Allah's mercy, if He wills, He pardons them or punishes them. However, Allah's mercy comes before His anger,
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
(And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.) 9:106 Allah knows those who deserve the punishment and those who deserve the pardon. He is All-Wise in His actions and statements, there is no deity worthy of worship nor Lord besides Him.
Page 203
9:100
وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَٰنٖ رَّضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدٗاۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ١٠٠
And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhājireen1 and the Anṣār2 and those who followed them with good conduct - Allāh is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.
9:101
وَمِمَّنۡ حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مُنَٰفِقُونَۖ وَمِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعۡلَمُهُمۡۖ نَحۡنُ نَعۡلَمُهُمۡۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيۡنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٠١
And among those around you of the bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madīnah. They have persisted in hypocrisy. You, [O Muḥammad], do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice [in this world]; then they will be returned to a great punishment.
9:102
وَءَاخَرُونَ ٱعۡتَرَفُواْ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ خَلَطُواْ عَمَلٗا صَٰلِحٗا وَءَاخَرَ سَيِّئًا عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٌ ١٠٢
And [there are] others who have acknowledged their sins. They had mixed [i.e., polluted] a righteous deed with another that was bad.1 Perhaps Allāh will turn to them in forgiveness. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- This refers to their having previously taken part in jihād but having abstained on the occasion of Tabūk. ↩
9:103
خُذۡ مِنۡ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ صَدَقَةٗ تُطَهِّرُهُمۡ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيۡهِمۡۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٞ لَّهُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ١٠٣
Take, [O Muḥammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allāh's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
9:104
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقۡبَلُ ٱلتَّوۡبَةَ عَنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأۡخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٠٤
Do they not know that it is Allāh who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allāh who is the Accepting of Repentance,1 the Merciful?
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnote in 2:37. ↩
9:105
وَقُلِ ٱعۡمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمۡ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٠٥
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allāh will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
9:106
وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرۡجَوۡنَ لِأَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمۡ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيۡهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ١٠٦
And [there are] others deferred until the command of Allāh - whether He will punish them or whether He will forgive them. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
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