At-Tawbah 9:97–102

Commentary

Described in the previous verses were the hypocrites of Madinah. The present verses mention hypocrites who lived on the desert around the outskirts of Madinah.

The word اَلاَعرَاب (al-a` rab) is not a plural form of اَلعَرَب (al-'arab). It is اِسم جمع (ism al jam`: collective noun) and is used for the Bedouins of the desert. In its singular form, it becomes اَلاَعرَابی (al-a` rabiyy) - similar to (al-ansariyy), the singular form of اَلاَنصَار (al-ansar).

According to their condition described in verse 97, they outdid city dwellers in disbelief and hypocrisy. The reason given is that these people generally remained ignorant and hard-hearted as they lived far away from knowledge and the knowledgeable. Then the text says: ` the Bedouins are more likely to be ignorant of the limits of what Allah has sent down.' It means that the very surroundings in which they live are such as would keep them in the dark about the limits set by Allah through the revelation - because the Qur'an does not come before them, nor do they have access to its meanings, explanations and injunctions.

In the second verse (98) too, yet another aspect of the condition of these very Bedouins has been described as: ` those who take what they spend (in Zakah etc.) as a penalty.' Why would they do so? The reason is that they hardly have any faith in their heart. When it comes to making Salah, they would, though, do that, but just to camouflage their disbelief. They would even fulfill the obligation of Zakah, but their hearts would keep worrying as to why they had to put good money down the drain. Therefore, they always look forward to the time when Muslims are hit by some calamity or defeat that may possibly deliver them from having to pay this penalty. The word: الدَّوَائِرَ‌ (aldawa'ir: the cycles of time) is the plural of: دَائِرَ‌ةُ (da'irah). According to the Arabic lexicon, da'irah is the changed state that shifts away from the good state into a bad one. Therefore, the Holy Qur'an says in response to them: عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَ‌ةُ السَّوْءِ (upon them is the evil cycle). In other words, the evil state of affairs they wish would strike at Muslims is going to descend upon them all right - and, because their words and deeds are such, they will find themselves far more disgraced.

After having described the state of affairs prevailing among hypocrites of distant deserts, it was considered appropriate that the true and staunch Muslims from among the same stock of Bedouins should also be mentioned. This was done in verse 99 - very much in line with the typical style of the Qur'an - so that, it stands established that Bedouins too are not all alike. Among them, there are many sincere Muslims, and people of sense and discernment as well. Their style of life is different. When they give in obligatory alms (Zakah) or in voluntary charities (Sadaqat), they regard these as a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala and hope that the Holy Prophet ﷺ would be praying for them.

That Sadaqat are a source of nearness to Allah Ta` ala is obvious. However, the hope of prayers from the Holy Prophet ﷺ is on a different basis. It should be borne in mind that the Holy Qur'an - wherever it has asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ to collect Zakah on the wealth and property of Muslims - has also directed him that he should also pray for those who pay Zakah. The forthcoming verse (103): خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُ‌هُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (Take out of their wealth a Sadaqah [ obligatory alms ] through which you may cleanse and purify them, and pray for them) is a good example? The instruction to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he should pray for these people has been termed: وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ (and pray for them) using the word: صلٰوہ (salat) for it. Therefore, in the present verse as well, the sense of the prayers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been expressed by the use of the word: صلٰوہ (salat).

Commentary

The verse before this (99) carried a description of sincere and true Muslims among the Bedouins of the desert. The present verse mentions all sincere and true Muslims along with their relative degrees of excellence.

Let us begin with the opening statement: السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِ‌ينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ‌ (the first and foremost of the Emigrants and the Supporters)._ Most commentators have taken the preposition مِن (min) for tab'id which denotes a part of something and may be translated as 'out of) and thus have set up two categories of the noble Sahabah from among the Emi-grants (al-muhajirin) and the Supporters (al-ansar) - (1) ` the first and foremost,' then, (2) the rest of them.

This interpretation implies that it is only first category that is referred to in the above verse, i.e. 'the first and foremost'. Then, for identifying 'the first and foremost' the commentators have different views. Some consider ` the first and foremost' from among the noble Companions to be those who have offered their Salah by turning to both the Qiblahs, that is, those who had embraced Islam before the change of Qiblab were ` the first and foremost.' This is the view of Said ibn almusayyab and Qatadah. 'At-a' ibn Abi Rabah has said that ` the first and foremost' are the Sahabah who participated in the battle of Badr. Sha` bi said that the Sahabah who were a party to the Bai` atur-Ridwan (the pledge taken at the time of the expedition of Hudaibiyah) are ` the first and foremost.' And according to each view, after respective ` first and foremost,' the rest of the Sahabah - muhajir (emigrant) or ansar (supporter) - are in the second category. (Mahari, Qurtubi)

All these views were based on the intrepretation that takes the preposition مِن (min) in this verse for tab'id as aforesaid. Tafsir Mazhari has however, reported another interpretation. According to this interpretation, the preposition مِن (min) is not for tab'id here. It is rather for bayan which explains the preceding words and stands for 'that is'. The translation of the verse, in this case, would be as follows: "As for the first and the foremost people, that is, all the Emigrants (the Muhajirin) and the supporters (the Ansar)..." The sentence thus will mean that all the muhajirin and the Ansar are the first and foremost as compared to the rest of the Muslim community.

To sum up, in accordance with the first Tafsir, there are two categories of Sahabah, being that of ` the first and foremost' and that of those who embraced Islam after the change of Qiblah or the battle of Badr or the Bai` atur-Ridwan. The substance of the last Tafsir is that the noble Sahabah, all of them, are but ` the first and the foremost' - because, their 'Iman (faith) is first and foremost as compared to that of the rest of the Muslim Ummah.

The second sentence of the verse: وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ has been translated as ` and those who followed them in goodness.' It means Muslims who followed the footsteps of ` the first and foremost' precisely and perfectly in all fields of deeds and morals. According to the first Tafsir of the first sentence, the first category belongs to those Emigrants and Supporters among Sahabah who embraced Islam after the change of Qiblah or the battle of Badr or the Bai'at of Hudaibiyah. After them, all Muslims fall in the second category, Muslims who followed the model set by the noble Sahabah in all matters of faith, deeds and morals honestly and staunchly right through the Last Day of Qiyamah.

And according to the other Tafsir, the expression: الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا (those who followed them) includes great people who came after the noble Sahabah and who are called Tabi` i in the Islamic terminology. After these technically specified Tabi` in or Successors of the Sahabah, included here are all Muslims who shall keep appearing right through the Last Day of Qiyamah and who shall follow the noble Sahabah precisely and perfectly in purity of faith and goodness of deeds (al-1man and al amal-as-salih).

All the Sahabah are the people of Jannah and are blessed with the pleasure of Allah

Someone asked Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, ` what do you say about the noble Companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He said, ` the Sahabah, all of them, are in Jannah - irrespective of whether mistakes and sins may have been committed by some of them.' The man again asked him, ` on what basis did you say that?' He said, ` Read this verse of the Holy Qur'an: السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ (...the first and foremost...). Here, what has been said about all revered Sahabah, without any condition, is clear: رَّ‌ضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَ‌ضُوا عَنْهُ (Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah). However, a condition has been placed in the case of the Tabi` in (the successor to the Sahabah), the condition of: اتباع باحسان (following with goodness). This tells us that the revered Sahabah, all of them, without any condition or restriction or exemption, stand in honor as recipients of Divine pleasure.

After reporting this statement, the author of Tafsir Mazhari has said, ` in my view, the following verse carries a more solid proof of the fact that all revered Sahabah belong to Jannah:

لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنكُم مَّنْ أَنفَقَ مِن قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَ‌جَةً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أَنفَقُوا مِن بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا ۚ وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ. It has been fully and clearly stated in this verse that all revered Sahabah, first or the last, have been promised al-husna, that is, Jannah or Paradise.'

And in Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said, ` the fire of Jahannam (hell) cannot touch the Muslim who has seen me or has seen those who have seen me,' (Tirmidhi from Sayyidna Jabir ؓ )

A note of warning

People who criticize some revered Sahabah on the basis of what transpired during their mutual controversies with the aim of sowing seeds of suspicion and discord in the hearts of those who hold them in esteem are really treading a dangerous course. We seek the protection of Allah against it.

Commentary

Mentioned in several previous verses there are hypocrites whose hypocrisy stood exposed through their words and deeds, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ did realize that they were hypocrites. Mentioned in the present verse appearing above there are hypocrites whose hy-pocrisy was so perfect in its camouflage that it remained hidden from the Holy Prophet ﷺ until then. In this verse, two Divine punishments to come much before 'Akhirah upon such diehard hypocrites have been mentioned. In the first instance, right here in this world, they are consumed by the concern to hide their hypocrisy and the fear that it may be exposed. Then, no less a punishment is their being under compulsion to respect and follow Islam and Muslims, at least outwardly, despite their extreme malice and hostility for them. And then, there is the other punishment, the punishment of the grave and the punishment of Barzakh (the post-death - pre-resurrection state) that will reach them well before Qiyamah (doomsday) and 'Akhirah (Hereafter).

Commentary

When Muslims were given a general call for Jihad at Tabuk, the weather was extremely hot. The journey was long and they were supposed to be up against the trained army of a big state, the first such episode in Islamic history. These were some of the causes why people split into different groups.

The first group was that of sincere Muslims who got ready for Jihad without any hesitation at the very first call. Another group first hesitated initially, then joined in. They are the ones mentioned in: اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَ‌ةِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِ‌يقٍ مِّنْهُمْ (who followed him in the hour of hardship after the hearts of a group of them were about to turn crooked - 9:117).

The third group was that of people who were genuinely handicapped because of which they could not go. They have been mentioned in: لَّيْسَ عَلَى الضُّعَفَاءِ (There is no blame on the weak - 9:91). The fourth group belonged to sincere Muslims who had no excuse yet they did not take part in the Jihad because of laziness. They have been mentioned in وَآخَرُ‌ونَ اعْتَرَ‌فُوا ' (And there are others who admitted - 9:102) and آخَرُ‌ونَ مُرْ‌جَوْنَ (And there are others whose matter is deferred - 9:106) under study now. The fifth group was that of hypocrites who did not participate in the Jihad because of hypocrisy. They have been mentioned at several places in the previous verses. In short, the fifth group of hypocrites featured mostly in previous verses while the present verse (102) mentions people in the fourth group, that is, those who, despite being true Muslims, did not participate in the Jihad because of laziness.

It was said in the first verse (102) that some had admitted their sins. Their deeds were mixed. Some of their deeds were good while some others were bad. For them, there was hope that Allah Ta` ala may accept their repentance. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ said, ` Ten persons did not go for the battle of Tabuk. They had no valid excuse for it. Later, they were sorry for what they had done. Seven of them tied themselves up to the pillars of the Mosque of the Holy Prophet ﷺ resolving that they would continue to remain tied as they were like prisoners until the Holy Prophet ﷺ were to accept their repentance and untie them. All narratives of the incident agree that Sayyidna Abu Lubabah ؓ was one of them. As for other names, narratives differ.

When the Holy Prophet ﷺ saw them so tied up and he was told that they had resolved to remain tied until the Holy Prophet ﷺ unties them, he said, ` By Allah, I too shall not untie them until Allah Ta` ala orders me to do that. The crime is serious.' Thereupon, this verse (102) was revealed and the Holy Prophet ﷺ ordered that they be untied. They were. (Qurtubi)

According to a narrative of Said ibn al-Musaiyyab, when people went to untie Sayyidna Abu Lubabah ؓ he refused and said, ` I shall remain tied until the Holy Prophet ﷺ does not, with his pleasure, untie me with his own blessed hands.' So, when he came for the Fajr Salah, he himself untied him.

What were these mixed deeds?

It has been said in the verse that they had mixed a good deed with another that was evil. Obvious among the good ones were 'Iman, Salah and Fasting. Then, they had participated in earlier battles with the Holy Prophet ﷺ . And then, following this battle of Tabuk in which they could not participate, they had admitted their misconduct, were ashamed of it and had repented. As for the evil ones, they had not participated in the battle of Tabuk and thus they had acted in a manner that resembled the approach of the hypocrites.

Mixed Deeds of all the Muslims are governed by the same rule

It appears in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that this verse though revealed about a particular group, is universal in its application and the injunction it carries is valid until the day of Qiyamah. It covers Muslims whose deeds are a mixture of the good and the bad. If they were to repent from their sins, it can be hoped that they shall be pardoned and forgiven.

Abu ` Uthman ؓ has said, ` this verse of the Holy Qur'an brings great hope for this ummah.' A detailed Hadith relating to the Ascension of the Holy Prophet ﷺ appearing in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Samurah ibn Jundub ؓ says, ` On the seventh heaven, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ met with Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، he saw some people with him whose faces were bright. And some of them had some spots and stains on their faces. When these people went into a stream and came out all washed up, their faces had also turned bright. The Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) told the Holy Prophet ﷺ that these people with bright faces you saw first were those who had professed faith and then kept clean from sins: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ (those who have believed and have not mixed their faith with injustice - 6:82). The others were people who did what was a mixture of good and evil, but repented later. Allah accepted their repentance and their sins were forgiven.' (Qurtubi)