9. [at-Tawbah, Meidan 113, 9 H after Tabuk]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ
قَدْ كَفَرْتُم
بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ...
9: 66. Make ye no excuses:
ye have rejected faith after ye had accepted it.
...إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةً بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ مُجْرِمِينَ ﴿٦٦﴾
If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you,
for that they are in sin.
C1323. See last note.
Hypocrisy is a half-way house, a state of indecision in the choice between good and evil.
- Those who definitely range themselves with good obtain forgiveness:
- those who pass definitely to evil suffer the penalties of evil.
الْمُنَافِقُونَ
وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ
بَعْضُهُم مِّن
بَعْضٍ...
9: 67. The Hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other:
C1324. Literally, "the Hypocrites... are of each other".
The forms of hypocrisy may vary, but they are all alike, and they understand each other's hypocrisy. They hold together.
...يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ...
they enjoin evil, and forbid what in just, and are close with their hands.
C1325. The English phrase "close-fisted" would cover only a part of the meaning.
The hand is the symbol of power, help, and assistance. This may be financial, or it may be in other ways.
The Hypocrites pretend a great deal, but are of no use or real help to any one.
...نَسُواْ اللّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ...
They have forgotten Allah; so He hath forgotten them.
They ignore Allah: and Allah will ignore them.
...إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ ﴿٦٧﴾
Verily the Hypocrites are rebellious and perverse.
وَعَدَ الله
الْمُنَافِقِينَ
وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ
وَالْكُفَّارَ
نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ
خَالِدِينَ
فِيهَا...
9: 68. Allah hath promised the Hypocrites, men and women, and the rejecters of faith, the fire of hell:
therein shall they dwell:
...هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ...
sufficient is it for them:
...وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ ﴿٦٨﴾
for them is the curse of Allah, and an enduring punishment,
C1327. "Curse," here as elsewhere, is deprivation of grace and mercy, brought about by the rejection of Allah by the Unbelievers.
وَمِنْهُم
مَّنْ عَاهَدَ
اللّهَ لَئِنْ
آتَانَا مِن
فَضْلِهِ
لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ...
9: 75. Amongst them are men who made a Covenant with Allah that if He bestowed on them of His bounty, they would give (largely) in charity,
...وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٧٥﴾
and be truly amongst those who are righteous.
فَلَمَّا
آتَاهُم مِّن
فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُواْ
بِهِ وَتَوَلَّواْ
وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٧٦﴾
9: 76. But when He did bestow of His bounty, they became covetous, and turned back (from their Covenant), averse (from its fulfillment).
فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ
نِفَاقًا فِي
قُلُوبِهِمْ
إِلَى يَوْمِ
يَلْقَوْنَهُ
بِمَا أَخْلَفُواْ
اللّهَ...
9: 77. So He hath put as a consequence hypocrisy into their hearts, (to last) till the day whereon they shall meet Him:
C1332. If men are false to their covenants and words, the natural consequence will be hypocrisy to cover their falsehood. Such consequences will last till the Day of Judgment, when they will have to account for their deeds.
They may think that they are deceiving men by their hypocrisy, but they cannot deceive Allah, to Whom all their most secret thoughts and plots and doings are known.
...مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿٧٧﴾
because they broke their Covenant with Allah, and because they lied (again and again).
أَلَمْ
يَعْلَمُواْ
أَنَّ اللّهَ
يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ
وَنَجْوَاهُمْ...
9: 78. Know they not that Allah doth know their secret (thoughts) and their secret counsels,
...وَأَنَّ اللّهَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ ﴿٧٨﴾
and that Allah knoweth well all things unseen?
9: 66
Asad Do not offer [empty] excuses! You have indeed denied the truth after [having professed] your belief [in it]!” Though We may efface the sin of some of you, We shall chastise others – seeing that they were lost in sin [note 93]
Pickthall Make no excuse. Ye have disbelieved after your (confession of) belief. If We forgive a party of you, a party of you We shall punish because they have been guilty.
Transliteration La_ ta'taziru_ qad kafartum ba'da ima_nikum, in na'fu 'an ta_'ifatim minkum nu'azzib ta_'ifatam bi annahum ka_nu_ mujrimin(a).
[[ Asad’s note 91 – Most of the classical commentators assume that this refers to the derisive remarks made by some of the hypocrites about the alleged futility of the expedition to Tabuk. In view of the sequence, however, I am of the opinion that this is a further reference to those who “malign the Prophet by saying, ‘He is all ear’” (verse 61) – i.e., accuse him of self-deception – and thus, by implication, “mock at God and His messages” (see next sentence). ]]
[[ Asad’s note 93 – I.e., consciously preserved in hypocrisy (Zamakhshari). The above Quranic sentence expresses the doctrine that in His final judgment God will take into account all that is in sinner’s heart, and will not indiscriminately condemn everyone who has been sinning out of weakness or out of an inner inability to resolve his doubts, and not out of a conscious inclination to evil (cf. 4:98 – “excepted shall be the [truly] helpless – be they men and women or children – who cannot bring forth any strength and have not been shown [or “cannot find”] the right way”).
[[ Ali’s note - 1322 The dissection of the motives of the Hypocrites alarmed them. For it meant that they would fail in their policy of having the best of both worlds and undermining the loyalty of the weaker members of the Muslim community. So they turn it off as a jest. But they are sharply rebuked: "Can you make such solemn matters subjects of playful jokes? Fie upon you! You are found out, and your guile is of no effect." (9.64)
1323 See last note. Hypocrisy is a half-way house, a state of indecision in the choice between good and evil. Those who definitely range themselves with good obtain forgiveness: those who pass definitely to evil suffer the penalties of evil. (9.66) ]]
9: 67
Asad The hypocrites, both men and women, are all of a kind: they enjoin the doing of what is wrong and forbid the doing of what is right [note 94], and withhold their hands [from doing good]. They are oblivious of God, and so He is oblivious of them. Verily, the hypocrites – it is they, they who are truly iniquitous! [note 95]
Pickthall The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands (from spending for the cause of Allah). They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors.
Transliteration Al muna_fiqu_na wal muna_fiqa_tu ba'duhum mim ba'd(in), ya'muru_na bil munkari wa yanhauna 'anil ma'ru_fi wa yaqbidu_na aidiyahum, nasullaa_ha fa nasiyahum, innal muna_fiqina humul fa_siqu_n(a).
9: 68
Pickthall Allah promiseth the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers fire of hell for their abode. It will suffice them. Allah curseth them, and theirs is lasting torment.
Transliteration Wa'adalla_hul muna_fiqina wal muna_fiqa_ti wal kuffa_ra na_ra jahannama kha_lidina fiha_, hiya hasbuhum, wa la'anahumulla_h(u), wa lahum 'aza_bum muqim(un).
[[ Asad’s note 94 – I.e., their behavior is – in effect, at least – the exact opposite of that expected of the believers (cf. 3:104, 110 and 114; 9:71 and 112; and 22:41).
note 95 – It is to be borne in mind that this and the following verse refer to the conscious hypocrisy spoken of in the last sentence of the preceding verse, and not to the waverers, whose hypocrisy is an outcome of inner fears and uncertainties.]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1324 Literally, "the Hypocrites... are of each other". The forms of hypocrisy may vary, but they are all alike, and they understand each other's hypocrisy. They hold together. (9.67)
1325 The English phrase "close-fisted" would cover only a part of the meaning. The hand is the symbol of power, help, and assistance. This may be financial, or it may be in other ways. The Hypocrites pretend a great deal, but are of no use or real help to any one. (9.67)
1326 Cf. vii. 51. and n. 1029. They ignore Allah: and Allah will ignore them. (9.67)
1327 "Curse," here as elsewhere, is deprivation of grace and mercy, brought about by the rejection of Allah by the Unbelievers. (9.68) ]]
9: 75
Pickthall And of them is he who made a covenant with Allah (saying): If He give us of His bounty We will give alms and become of the righteous.
Transliteration Wa minhum man 'a_hadalla_ha la'in a_ta_na_ min fadlihi lanassaddaqanna wa lanaku_nanna minas sa_lihin(a).
[[ Ali’s notes -
The reference is to a plot made by the Prophet's enemies to kill him when he was returning from Tabuk. The plot failed. It was all the more dastardly in that some of the conspirators were among the men of Madinah who were enriched by the general prosperity that followed the peace and good government established through Islam in Madinah. Trade flourished: justice was firmly administered with an even hand. And the only return that these men could make was a return of evil for good. That was their revenge, because Islam aimed at suppressing selfishness, stood for the rights of the poorest and humblest, and judged worth by righteousness rather than by birth or position. (9.74)]]
[[ Asad’s notes - 102 – See the first sentence of verse 61 above, and the corresponding note 86. The allegation that the Prophet deceived himself in the matter of revelation is, naturally, equivalent to disbelief in the outcome revelation, i.e., the Quran.
103 – Lit., “which they were unable to attain to”. The classical commentators take this as a reference to an abortive plot, on the part of some of the hypocrites, to kill the Prophet during the expedition to Tabuk. However, without contesting the validity of this historical interpretation, I believe that the above allusion has a far deeper meaning – namely, the existential impossibility of one’s ever attaining to inner peace without a positive belief that man’s life has meaning and purpose, either of which can be glimpsed only through the revelations bestowed on those exceptionally gifted and receptive personalities, the prophets. (As indirect reference to divine revelation as the only source of this kind of cognition appears in 96:5, that is, in the earliest Quranic passage revelaed to the Prophet.) Thus, torn between their half-hearted desire to “surrender themselves to God” and their unwillingness to accept the divine guidance offered them by the Prophet, the hypocrites “were aiming at something which was beyond their reach.”
104 - …………to their lack of gratitude for the spiritual and material benefits which they had derived from it. ]]
[[ Ruby’s note 9:74 – The reference of bounty here implies all the social, political and economic enrichment and empowerment due to victories of the Muslim community and the social stability, security and trade that followed. The hypocrites in order to enjoy the success associated themselves with the community and declared themselves as “believers” however in truth they still remained ambivalent or doubters or even rejecters of the revelation. That is why they could deliberately taunt the Prophet of being hallucinated. There were repeated attempt or inclinations to spread this idea of doubt among the followers and the community members and promote rejection among others. The way this verse is articulated here seems to imply that the hypocrites were not comfortable that these benefits were coming from being followers of the Prophet. The nature of these activities at a time of war or a major confrontation with an enemy could amount to treason, particularly, at that time when the fundamental premise of those confrontations and fight came from the need of preserving the rights, security and continuity of the believers against the onslaught of the enemies who were determined to eradicate the Muslims or violate their rights.]]
9: 76
Asad But as soon as He has given them [aught] out of His bounty, they cling to it niggardly, and turn away in their obstinacy [from all that they have bowed]:
Pickthall Yet when He gave them of His bounty, they boarded it and turned away, averse;
Transliteration Falamma_ a_ta_hum min fadlihi bakhilu_ bihi wa tawallau wa hum mu'ridu_n(a).
9: 77
Asad whereupon He causes hypocrisy to take root in their hearts, [therein to remain] until the Day on which they shall meet Him [note 105] - because they have failed to fulfill the vow which they had made unto God, and because they were wont to lie [note 106].
Pickthall So He hath made the consequence (to be) hypocrisy in their hearts until the day when they shall meet Him, because they broke their word to Allah that they promised Him, and because they lied.
Transliteration Fa a'qabahum nifa_qan fi qulu_bihim ila_ yaumi yalqaunahu_ bima_ akhlafulla_ha ma_ wa'adu_hu wa bima_ ka_nu_ yakzibu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 105 – Lit., “He has caused hypocrisy to become for them a consequence (a’qabahum) in their hearts until the Day of on which they shall meet Him”…………..Thus, the Quran states that it is excessive love of worldly possessions which gives rise, in a certain type of mean, to the attitude of mind described as “hypocrisy” – and not vice versa (see also note 29:11 and the corresponding note 7). Cf. in this connection the Prophet’s saying, reported as Abu Hurayrah: “The mark (ayah) of the hypocrite is threefold: when he speaks, he lies; and when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he is trusted, he betrays” (Bukhari, Muslim Trimidhi and Nasa’I;……………….]]
[[ Ali’s notes -
1332 If men are false to their covenants and words, the natural consequence will be hypocrisy to cover their falsehood. Such consequences will last till the Day of Judgment, when they will have to account for their deeds. They may think that they are deceiving men by their hypocrisy, but they cannot deceive Allah, to Whom all their most secret thoughts and plots and doings are known. (9.77)
1333 When financial help is necessary for the Cause, every Muslim contributes what he can. Those who can afford large sums are proud to bring them in of their own free-will, and those who are very poor contribute their mite or their labour. Both kinds of gifts are equally precious because of the faith and good-will behind them, and only cynics will laugh at the scantiness of the one or the lavishness of the other. Sometimes they not only laugh, but attribute wrong motives to the givers. Such conduct is here reprimanded. (9.79)
1334 An awful warning for those who actively oppose the Cause of Allah. The Holy Prophet was by nature full of mercy and forgiveness. He prayed for his enemies. But in such a case even his prayers are nullified by their attitude of rejecting Allah. (9.80) ]]
9: 78
Pickthall Know they not that Allah knoweth both their secret and the thought that they confide, and that Allah is the Knower of Things Hidden?
Transliteration Alam ya'lamu_ annalla_ha ya'lamu sirrahum wa najwa_hum wa annalla_ha 'alla_mul guyu_b(i).