At-Tawbah 9:67
The Repentance · Juz 10 · Page 197
ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَقۡبِضُونَ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡۚ نَسُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ ٦٧
The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are of one another. They enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right and close their hands.1 They have forgotten Allāh, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the hypocrites - it is they who are the defiantly disobedient.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refuse to spend in the way of Allāh. ↩
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Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 9:67–68
God has blessed previous communities with status and wealth. These things nourished their pride, haughtiness and insensitivity. Their successors did not take a lesson from the plight that befell them. They too chose for themselves a share in worldly effects as their predecessors had done before them. This has been the condition of the common man in every period. He does not give importance to the requirements of Truth. The requirements of his children and his property are everything for him. The condition of the hypocrite in point of fact is also the same. Outwardly, he appears to be like the true believers, but the level of his existence is the same as that of an ordinary worldly person. The result is that, leaving aside a certain amount of exhibitionism, in real life he is just like any other average human being. The hypocrite is emotionally more attached to worldly individuals than to religious people. His heart constricts if he has to spend anything for the Hereafter. But he does not hesitate to go ahead and spend on worldly affairs. He does not like the progress of truth, but if it is a question of the progress of untruth, he eagerly tolerates it. In spite of outward religiousness, he is forgetful of God and the Hereafter, as if God and the Hereafter have no value for him. Such people are never safe from God’s wrath simply on the basis of their outward show of Islam. They will be cursed in the world and punished in the Hereafter. They will be deprived of God’s grace in the world as well as in the Hereafter. Complete attachment to God is the only thing which gives value to a man’s deeds. A deed performed without this will be as valueless in the Hereafter as a body without a soul, which in spite of its resemblance to a human body is in reality without meaning.
Page 197
9:62
يَحۡلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمۡ لِيُرۡضُوكُمۡ وَٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرۡضُوهُ إِن كَانُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ ٦٢
They swear by Allāh to you [Muslims] to satisfy you. But Allāh and His Messenger are more worthy for them to satisfy,1 if they were to be believers.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "to satisfy Him," meaning that Allāh would be satisfied by obedience to the Messenger (ﷺ). ↩
9:63
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّهُۥ مَن يُحَادِدِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَأَنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدٗا فِيهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡخِزۡيُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٦٣
Do they not know that whoever opposes Allāh and His Messenger - that for him is the fire of Hell, wherein he will abide eternally? That is the great disgrace.
9:64
يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُورَةٞ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ قُلِ ٱسۡتَهۡزِءُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡرِجٞ مَّا تَحۡذَرُونَ ٦٤
The hypocrites are apprehensive lest a sūrah be revealed about them, informing them of1 what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allāh will expose that which you fear."
1 translator’s note
- i.e., exposing the truth about. ↩
9:65
وَلَئِن سَأَلۡتَهُمۡ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلۡعَبُۚ قُلۡ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٦٥
And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allāh and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
9:66
لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ قَدۡ كَفَرۡتُم بَعۡدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمۡۚ إِن نَّعۡفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٖ مِّنكُمۡ نُعَذِّبۡ طَآئِفَةَۢ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ ٦٦
Make no excuse; you have disbelieved [i.e., rejected faith] after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.
9:67
ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَقۡبِضُونَ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡۚ نَسُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ ٦٧
The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are of one another. They enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right and close their hands.1 They have forgotten Allāh, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the hypocrites - it is they who are the defiantly disobedient.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refuse to spend in the way of Allāh. ↩
9:68
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتِ وَٱلۡكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ هِيَ حَسۡبُهُمۡۚ وَلَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ مُّقِيمٞ ٦٨
Allāh has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally. It is sufficient for them. And Allāh has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment.