At-Tawbah 9:82
The Repentance · Juz 10 · Page 200
فَلۡيَضۡحَكُواْ قَلِيلٗا وَلۡيَبۡكُواْ كَثِيرٗا جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٨٢
So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 9:81–82
Hypocrites rejoice because They remained behind from Tabuk!
Allah admonishes the hypocrites who lagged behind from the battle of Tabuk with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, rejoicing that they remained behind after the Messenger ﷺ departed for the battle,
وَكَرِهُواْ أَن يُجَهِدُواْ
(they hated to strive and fight), along with the Messenger ,
بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُواْ
(with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah, and they said), to each other,
لاَ تَنفِرُواْ فِى الْحَرِّ
("March not forth in the heat.") Tabuk occurred at a time when the heat was intense and the fruits and shades became delightful. This is why they said,
لاَ تَنفِرُواْ فِى الْحَرِّ
("March not forth in the heat") Allah said to His Messenger ,
قُلْ
(Say) to them,
نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ
("The fire of Hell...), which will be your destination because of your disobedience,
أَشَدُّ حَرًّا
(". ..is more intense in heat;"), than the heat that you sought to avoid; it is even more intense than fire. Imam Malik narrated that Abu Az-Zinad said that Al-A`raj narrated that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«نَارُ بَنِي آدَمَ الَّتِي تُوقِدُونَهَا جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّم»
(The fire that the son of Adam kindles is but one part of seventy parts of the Fire of Jahannam.) They said, "O Allah's Messenger! This fire alone is enough." He said,
«فُضِّلَتْ عَلَيْهَا بِتِسْعَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا»
((Hellfire) was favored by sixty-nine parts.) The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith. Al-A`mash narrated that Abu Ishaq said that An-Nu`man bin Bashir said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لِمَنْ لَهُ نَعْلَانِ وَشِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ كَمَا يَغْلِي الْمِرْجَلُ، لَا يَرَى أَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا مِنْهُ وَإِنَّهُ أَهْوَنُهُمْ عَذَابًا»
(On the Day of Resurrection, the person who will receive the least punishment among the people of the Fire, wears two slippers made from the Fire of Jahannam causing his brain to boil, just as a pot boils. He thinks that none in the Fire is receiving a more severe torment than he, when in fact he is receiving the least torment.) The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith. There are many other Ayat and Prophetic Hadiths on this subject. Allah said in His Glorious Book,
كَلاَّ إِنَّهَا لَظَى - نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَى
(By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell. Taking away (burning completely) the scalp!) 70:15-16,
هَذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ - يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ - وَلَهُمْ مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ - كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
(Al-Hamim (boiling water) will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And for them are hooked rods of iron (to punish them). Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein, and (it will be said to them): "Taste the torment of burning!") 22:19-22, and,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَِايَتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَاراً كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَهُمْ جُلُوداً غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ
(Surely, those who disbelieved in Our Ayat, We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment.)4:56 Allah said here,
قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا لَّوْ كَانُوا يَفْقَهُونَ
(Say: "The fire of Hell is more intense in heat;" if only they could understand!) meaning, if they have any comprehension or understanding, they would have marched with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the heat, so as to save themselves from the Fire of Jahannam, which is much more severe. Allah, the Exalted, then warns the hypocrites against their conduct,
فَلْيَضْحَكُواْ قَلِيلاً
(So let them laugh a little...) Ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented, "Life is short, so let them laugh as much as they like in it. But when life ends and they are returned to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, they will start crying forever without end."
Page 200
9:80
ٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ أَوۡ لَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ إِن تَسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ سَبۡعِينَ مَرَّةٗ فَلَن يَغۡفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمۡۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ ٨٠
Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muḥammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allāh forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger, and Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
9:81
فَرِحَ ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقۡعَدِهِمۡ خِلَٰفَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوٓاْ أَن يُجَٰهِدُواْ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالُواْ لَا تَنفِرُواْ فِي ٱلۡحَرِّۗ قُلۡ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرّٗاۚ لَّوۡ كَانُواْ يَفۡقَهُونَ ٨١
Those who remained behind1 rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allāh and said, "Do not go forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is more intense in heat" - if they would but understand.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "were left behind [as Allāh willed]" due to their false excuses having been accepted by the Prophet (ﷺ). While pleased with their assumed deception, in reality, Allāh had prevented their participation knowing of their hypocrisy and evil intent. ↩
9:82
فَلۡيَضۡحَكُواْ قَلِيلٗا وَلۡيَبۡكُواْ كَثِيرٗا جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٨٢
So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.
9:83
فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَآئِفَةٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ فَٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنُوكَ لِلۡخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخۡرُجُواْ مَعِيَ أَبَدٗا وَلَن تُقَٰتِلُواْ مَعِيَ عَدُوًّاۖ إِنَّكُمۡ رَضِيتُم بِٱلۡقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ فَٱقۡعُدُواْ مَعَ ٱلۡخَٰلِفِينَ ٨٣
If Allāh should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."
9:84
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٖ مِّنۡهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدٗا وَلَا تَقُمۡ عَلَىٰ قَبۡرِهِۦٓۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمۡ فَٰسِقُونَ ٨٤
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
9:85
وَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَأَوۡلَٰدُهُمۡۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَتَزۡهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ ٨٥
And let not their wealth and their children impress you. Allāh only intends to punish them through them in this world and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.
9:86
وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةٌ أَنۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَجَٰهِدُواْ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنَكَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلطَّوۡلِ مِنۡهُمۡ وَقَالُواْ ذَرۡنَا نَكُن مَّعَ ٱلۡقَٰعِدِينَ ٨٦
And when a sūrah was revealed [enjoining them] to believe in Allāh and to fight with His Messenger, those of wealth among them asked your permission [to stay back] and said, "Leave us to be with them who sit [at home]."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy