At-Tawbah 9:39
The Repentance · Juz 10 · Page 193
إِلَّا تَنفِرُواْ يُعَذِّبۡكُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا وَيَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَيۡرَكُمۡ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيۡـٔٗاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ ٣٩
If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allāh is over all things competent.
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Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 9:38–39
These verses were revealed while the Prophet was at Tabuk (9 Hijra). At this juncture the behaviour displayed by the hypocrites (munafiqun) of Madinah gives us an idea of the role played by people of fickle faith when they join the Islamic society. In reality there are two stages of connection with Islam. In one, all of man’s loyalties become attached to Islam; it becomes a question of life and death for him. In the other, man’s real interests are elsewhere and he only superficially accepts Islam. In the first category are the real believers—the people of faith. In the second are those known, in the terminology of the Shariah, as munafiq (hypocrites). The condition of the believer is that he steadfastly holds to Islam in normal circumstances as well as at times when sacrifice is required. By contrast, the hypocrite seems to be very much to the fore in making a show of his religiousness, when Islam makes no special demands on him, but as soon as he has to fulfil demands of Islam at the level of sacrifice, he backs away.
Page 193
9:37
إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّسِيٓءُ زِيَادَةٞ فِي ٱلۡكُفۡرِۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُحِلُّونَهُۥ عَامٗا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥ عَامٗا لِّيُوَاطِـُٔواْ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّواْ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمۡ سُوٓءُ أَعۡمَٰلِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٣٧
Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it1 lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allāh2 and [thus] make lawful what Allāh has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allāh does not guide the disbelieving people.
9:38
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَا لَكُمۡ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱنفِرُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱثَّاقَلۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مِنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ فَمَا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ٣٨
O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allāh, you adhere heavily to the earth?1 Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., inclining toward the comforts of worldly life. ↩
9:39
إِلَّا تَنفِرُواْ يُعَذِّبۡكُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا وَيَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَيۡرَكُمۡ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيۡـٔٗاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ ٣٩
If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allāh is over all things competent.
9:40
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٖ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ٤٠
If you do not aid him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] - Allāh has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two,1 when they were in the cave and he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allāh is with us." And Allāh sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers [i.e., angels] you did not see and made the word2 of those who disbelieved the lowest,3 while the word of Allāh4 - that is the highest. And Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.