At-Tawbah 9:92
The Repentance · Juz 10 · Page 201
وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوۡكَ لِتَحۡمِلَهُمۡ قُلۡتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحۡمِلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَلَّواْ وَّأَعۡيُنُهُمۡ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمۡعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُواْ مَا يُنفِقُونَ ٩٢
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you for you to take them along, you said, "I can find nothing upon which to carry you."1 They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allāh].
1 translator’s note
- No mounts or even shoes were available. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 9:92–94
Now, who are those fortunate people whose inaction is regarded as action and who are therefore rewarded for it? They are those who, while not physically participating because of some incapacity, give proof of three things—heartfelt solidarity with the participants (nush); doing at least by word of mouth whatever is possible for them to do (ihsan); and, sorrowfulness about their shortcomings that is so intense that it gushes out in the form of tears (huzn). If an individual relegates something to an unimportant category in his life and does so again and again, it can happen that the very consciousness of its importance vanishes from his heart. The demands of that task keep coming before him, but there being no urge left in his heart to accomplish it, he fails to come to grips with it. This growing insensitivity is termed in the Quran ‘the sealing of hearts’. ‘God has already informed us about you.’ This statement makes it clear that the hypocrites referred to here are those present at the time of revelation of the Quran, that is, the Prophet’s contemporaries. According to Tabaqat ibn Sa‘d, there were eighty individuals about whose hypocritical character God had informed the Prophet through His revelation. However, in spite of this knowledge, the behaviour which the companions of the Prophet were allowed to adopt towards them was to overlook and ignore them. The issue of meting out punishment to them was kept by God in His own Hands. However, the only severity shown to the hypocrites of Madinah was that the excuses they offered were not accepted. So much so that when Tha‘laba ibn Hatib Ansari, a hyprocite, offered zakat, it was not accepted from him. ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy’s son wanted to take drastic action against his father for his hypocritical actions, but the Prophet restrained him, saying, ‘Leave him. By God, as long as he is amongst us, we will treat him properly.’ (Tabaqat ibn Sa‘d).
Page 201
9:87
رَضُواْ بِأَن يَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلۡخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَفۡقَهُونَ ٨٧
They were satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand.
9:88
لَٰكِنِ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ جَٰهَدُواْ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۚ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتُۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ٨٨
But the Messenger and those who believed with him fought with their wealth and their lives. Those will have [all that is] good and it is those who are the successful.
9:89
أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٨٩
Allāh has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. That is the great attainment.
9:90
وَجَآءَ ٱلۡمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ لِيُؤۡذَنَ لَهُمۡ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٩٠
And those with excuses among the bedouins came to be permitted [to remain], and they who had lied1 to Allāh and His Messenger sat [at home]. There will strike those who disbelieved among them a painful punishment.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., claimed faith. ↩
9:91
لَّيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلضُّعَفَآءِ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡمَرۡضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُواْ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۚ مَا عَلَى ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٖۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٩١
There is not upon the weak or upon the ill or upon those who do not find anything to spend any discomfort [i.e., guilt] when they are sincere to Allāh and His Messenger. There is not upon the doers of good any cause [for blame]. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
9:92
وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوۡكَ لِتَحۡمِلَهُمۡ قُلۡتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحۡمِلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَلَّواْ وَّأَعۡيُنُهُمۡ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمۡعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُواْ مَا يُنفِقُونَ ٩٢
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you for you to take them along, you said, "I can find nothing upon which to carry you."1 They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allāh].
1 translator’s note
- No mounts or even shoes were available. ↩
9:93
۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُونَكَ وَهُمۡ أَغۡنِيَآءُۚ رَضُواْ بِأَن يَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلۡخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٩٣
The cause [for blame] is only upon those who ask permission of you while they are rich. They are satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and Allāh has sealed over their hearts, so they do not know.