Admiring the Life of the Failed Ones

9. Surah At Tawbah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قُلْ أَنفِقُواْ طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا لَّن يُتَقَبَّلَ مِنكُمْ ...

9: 53.  Say:

"Spend (for the cause) willingly or unwillingly: not from you will it be accepted:

C1314. The Hypocrites, who secretly plotted against Islam, might sometimes (and they did) make a show of making some contribution to the Cause in order to keep up their pretence.

Their contributions were not acceptable, whether they seemed to give willingly or unwillingly, because rebellion and disobedience were in their hearts. Three reasons are specifically given for their rejection, in the next verse:

1.     they did not believe;

2.     their prayers were not earnest, but for mere show: and

3.     in reality their hearts were not behind the contributions which they offered.

Nothing is acceptable to Allah which does not proceed from a pure and sincere heart.

...إِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ ﴿٥٣﴾  

for ye are indeed a people rebellious and wicked."

وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُواْ بِاللّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ...   

9: 54.  The only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are:

-    that they reject Allah and His Messenger;

...وَلاَ يَأْتُونَ الصَّلاَةَ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ كُسَالَى...

-    that they come to prayer without earnestness;

...وَلاَ يُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ ﴿٥٤﴾

-    and that they offer contributions unwillingly.

فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُمْ...   

9: 55.  Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee:

C1315. If they appeared to be prosperous, with their purses and their quivers full (metaphorically), they were not to be envied. In reality their wealth and their sons might themselves be a snare: Cf. 8:28.

On this particular occasion this was proved to the hilt. The wealth of the Pagans filled them with pride, darkened their understanding, and led to their destruction. Their sons and followers adopted the Faith which their fathers had fought against, much to the chagrin of the fathers, whose spiritual death was even worse than their discomfiture in this world.

...إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...

in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this life

C1316. Cf. 3:176-178.

Asad’s Version:

9: 53 Say: “You may spend, willingly or unwillingly, it shall never be accepted from you – for, verily, you are people bent on iniquity!”

9: 54 For, only this prevents their spending from being accepted from them: they are bent on refusing to acknowledge God and His Apostle, and never pray without reluctance and never spend without resentment

9: 55 Let not, then, their worldly goods or their children excite your admiration: God but wants to chastise them by these means in this worldly life, and their souls to depart while they are denying the truth.