Sura-66 [At Tahrim Medina 107]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ...

66:9.     O Prophet!

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

C5545. See 9:73, where the same words introduce the argument against the Hypocrites. Here they introduce the argument against wickedness, which, though given the privilege of association with goodness and piety, persisted in wicked deeds, and in favour of those noble souls, which, though tied to wickedness; retained their purity and integrity. Two examples of each kind are given,-of women, as this Surah is mainly concerned with women.

وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٩﴾

Their abode is Hell -- an evil refuge (indeed).

Asad’s Version:

66:9 O PROPHET! Strive hard against the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and be adamant with them. 20 And [if they do not repent,] their goal shall be hell - and how vile a journey's end!

[[Asad’s note - 20 See note 101 on 9:73, which is identical with the above verse.]]

[[9:73 O PROPHET! Strive hard against the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and be adamant with them. 101 And [if they do not repent,] their goal shall be hell - and how vile a journey's end!

9:74 [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, 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. 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! 104 Hence, if they repent, it will be for their own good, but if they turn away, God will cause them to suffer grievous suffering in this world and in the life to come, and they will find no helper on earth, and none to give [them] succour.

9:75 And among them are such as vow unto God, "If indeed He grant us [something] out of His bounty, we shall most certainly spend in charity, and shall most certainly be among the righteous!"

(9:76) 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 vowed]:

(9:77) whereupon He causes hypocrisy to take root in their hearts, [therein to remain] until the Day on which they shall meet Him 105 - because they have failed to fulfil the vow which they had made unto God, and because they were wont to lie. 106

[[ Asad’s note - 101 I.e., "do not compromise with them in matters of principle". 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.]]