. Surah At Tawbah, Medina 113, 9H,

after Tabuk expedition, re: HYPOCRITES [munafiqun]]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ...   

9: 73.  O Prophet!

strive hard against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them.

...وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٧٣﴾

Their abode is hell,

an evil refuge indeed.

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللّهِ مَا قَالُواْ وَلَقَدْ قَالُواْ...   

9: 74.  They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil),

...كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمِهِمْ وَهَمُّواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُواْ...

but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam;

and they meditated a plot which they were enable to carry out:

C1331. 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.

...وَمَا نَقَمُواْ إِلاَّ أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ...

this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them!

...فَإِن يَتُوبُواْ يَكُ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ...

If they repent, it will be best for them;

...وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ...

but if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the hereafter:

...وَمَا لَهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ ﴿٧٤﴾

they shall have none on earth to protect or help them.

 


9: 73

Asad O Prophet! Strive hard against the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and be adamant with them [note 101]. And [if they do not repent,] their goal shall be hell – and how vile a journey’s end!

Yusuf Ali O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites and be firm against them. Their abode is hell an evil refuge indeed.

Pickthall O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end.

Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhan nabiyyi ja_hidil kuffa_ra wal muna_fiqina wagluz 'alaihim, wa ma'wa_hum jahannamu wa bi'sal masir(u).



[[ Asad’s note 101 – I.e., “do not compromise with them in matters of principles”. Regarding the meaning of the verb “jahada” (“he strove hard”, i.e., in a righteous cause), see surah 4, note 122. The imperative jahid is obviously used here in its spiritual connotation, implying efforts at convincing both the outspoken unbelievers and the waverers, including the various types of hypocrites spoken of in the preceding passages. Although the imperative is addressed in the first instance to the Prophet, it is considered to be morally binding on all believers.]]


9: 74

Asad [The hypocrites] swear by God that they have said nothing [wrong]; yet most certainly have they uttered a saying which amounts to a denial of the truth [note 102], and have [thus] denied the truth after [having professed] their self-surrender to God: for they were aiming at something which was beyond their reach [note 103]. And they could find no fault [with the Faith] save that God had enriched them and [caused] His Apostle [to enrich them] out of His bounty! [note 104]………………

Yusuf Ali They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil) but indeed they uttered blasphemy and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were enable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His apostle had enriched them! If they repent it will be best for them; but if they turn back (to their evil ways) Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the hereafter: they shall have none on earth to protect or help them.

Pickthall They swear by Allah that they said nothing (wrong), yet they did say the word of disbelief, and did disbelieve after their Surrender (to Allah). And they purposed that which they could not attain, and they sought revenge only that Allah by His messenger should enrich them of His bounty. If they repent it will be better for them; and if they turn away, Allah will afflict them with a painful doom in the world and the Hereafter, and they have no protecting friend nor helper in the earth.

Transliteration Yahlifu_na billa_ ma_ qa_lu_, wa laqad qa_lu_ kalimatal kufri wa kafaru_ ba'da isla_mihim wa hammu_ bima_ lam yana_lu_, wa ma_ naqamu_ illa_ an agna_humulla_hu wa rasu_luhu_ min fadlih(i), fa iy yatu_bu_ yaku khairal lahum, wa iy yatawallau yu'azzibhumulla_hu 'aza_ban aliman fid dunya_ wal a_khirah(ti), wa ma_ lahum fil ardi miw waliyyiw wa la_ nasir(in).


9: 75

Yusuf Ali 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 and be truly amongst those who are righteous.

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 -

  1. 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.]]