Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 9 At-Tawbah, Ayat 81-89
فَرِحَ الۡمُخَلَّفُوۡنَ بِمَقۡعَدِهِمۡ خِلٰفَ رَسُوۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَكَرِهُوۡۤا اَنۡ يُّجَاهِدُوۡا بِاَمۡوَالِهِمۡ وَاَنۡفُسِهِمۡ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَقَالُوۡا لَا تَنۡفِرُوۡا فِى الۡحَـرِّؕ قُلۡ نَارُ جَهَـنَّمَ اَشَدُّ حَرًّاؕ لَوۡ كَانُوۡا يَفۡقَهُوۡنَ
﴿9:81﴾
فَلۡيَـضۡحَكُوۡا قَلِيۡلاً وَّلۡيَبۡكُوۡا كَثِيۡرًا ۚ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوۡا يَكۡسِبُوۡنَ
﴿9:82﴾
فَاِنۡ رَّجَعَكَ اللّٰهُ اِلٰى طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ فَاسۡتَـاْذَنُوۡكَ لِلۡخُرُوۡجِ فَقُلْ لَّنۡ تَخۡرُجُوۡا مَعِىَ اَبَدًا وَّلَنۡ تُقَاتِلُوۡا مَعِىَ عَدُوًّا ؕ اِنَّكُمۡ رَضِيۡتُمۡ بِالۡقُعُوۡدِ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقۡعُدُوۡا مَعَ الۡخٰلـِفِيۡنَ
﴿9:83﴾
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلٰٓى اَحَدٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ مَّاتَ اَبَدًا وَّلَا تَقُمۡ عَلٰى قَبۡرِهٖ ؕ اِنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهٖ وَمَاتُوۡا وَهُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ
﴿9:84﴾
وَلَا تُعۡجِبۡكَ اَمۡوَالُهُمۡ وَاَوۡلَادُهُمۡؕ اِنَّمَا يُرِيۡدُ اللّٰهُ اَنۡ يُّعَذِّبَهُمۡ بِهَا فِى الدُّنۡيَا وَتَزۡهَقَ اَنۡفُسُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ كٰفِرُوۡنَ
﴿9:85﴾
وَاِذَاۤ اُنۡزِلَتۡ سُوۡرَةٌ اَنۡ اٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَجَاهِدُوۡا مَعَ رَسُوۡلِهِ اسۡتَـاۡذَنَكَ اُولُوا الطَّوۡلِ مِنۡهُمۡ وَقَالُوۡا ذَرۡنَا نَكُنۡ مَّعَ الۡقٰعِدِيۡنَ
﴿9:86﴾
رَضُوۡا بِاَنۡ يَّكُوۡنُوۡا مَعَ الۡخَوَالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلٰى قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَفۡقَهُوۡنَ
﴿9:87﴾
لٰـكِنِ الرَّسُوۡلُ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ جَاهَدُوۡا بِاَمۡوَالِهِمۡ وَاَنۡفُسِهِمۡؕ وَاُولٰۤـئِكَ لَهُمُ الۡخَيۡـرٰتُ وَاُولٰۤـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ
﴿9:88﴾
اَعَدَّ اللّٰهُ لَهُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَا ؕ ذٰ لِكَ الۡـفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِيۡمُ
﴿9:89﴾
[9:81] Those who were allowed to stay behind rejoiced at remaining behind
and not accompanying the Messenger of Allah. They were averse to striving in
the Way of Allah with their belongings and their lives and told others: "Do
not go forth in this fierce heat." Tell them: "The Hell is far fiercer in heat."
Would that they understand! [9:82] Let them, then, laugh little, and weep much at the contemplation of
the punishment for the evil they have committed. [9:83] Then if Allah brings you face to face with a party of them, and they
ask your leave to go forth (to fight in the Way of Allah), tell them: "You shall
not go forth with me, and shall never fight against any enemy along with me.
You were well-pleased to remain at home the first time, so now continue to remain
with those who have stayed behind." [9:84] Do not ever pray over any of them who dies, nor stand over his grave.
They disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died in iniquity.88
[9:85] Let not their riches or their children excite your admiration. Through
these Allah seeks to chastise them in this world, and that their lives will
depart them while they are unbelievers. [9:86] And whenever any surah is revealed enjoining: "Believe in Allah and
strive (in His Way) along with His Messenger," the affluent among them ask you
to excuse them, saying: "Leave us with those who will sit back at home." [9:87] They were content to stay behind with the womenfolk. Their hearts
were sealed, leaving them bereft of understanding.89 [9:88] But the Messenger and those who shared his faith strove with their
belongings and their lives. It is they who shall have all kinds of good. It
is they who shall prosper. [9:89] Allah has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow. There
shall they abide. That is the supreme triumph.
Notes
88. This verse was sent down to prevent the Prophet (peace be upon him) from
saying funeral prayers for Abdullah bin Ubayy, the ringleader of the hypocrites,
who died a short while after the Tabuk expedition. His son Abdullah who was
a sincere Muslim called on the Prophet (peace be upon him) and requested him
to give his shirt for his father’s shroud. The Prophet (peace be upon him) very
generously granted his request. Then he begged the Prophet (peace be upon him)
to lead his father’s funeral prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) agreed
to this also but Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) very respectfully requested
him repeatedly not to do so, saying, “O Prophet of Allah! will you say funeral
prayer for a person who was guilty of such and such crimes and sins.” The Prophet
(peace be upon him), who was a blessing both for friends and for foes, got ready
to say funeral prayer even for that man who was a deadly enemy of Islam. At
last when he stood up to lead the funeral prayer, this verse was sent down to
prevent him from this by a direct command from God, in accordance with the changed
policy declared in Ayat 73 which forbade to do anything that might encourage
the hypocrites among the Muslims.
The above incident led to the formulation of the regulation that the leaders
and prominent people from among the Muslims should neither lead, nor offer the
funeral prayers of the sinners against Islam, or for those notorious for their
disobedience to Islam. After this, whenever a request was made to the Prophet
(peace be upon him) for a funeral prayer, he would first inquire about the conduct
of the deceased person. If he came to know that he was a bad person, he would
say to his people, “You may perform his burial just as you like”.
89. “They do not understand” for they deliberately and intentionally chose
the shameful way of staying at home with women, when they were required to go
forth for Jihad, though they were healthy, physically fit and well-to-do, and
professed Islam. Therefore, according to the divine law of nature, a seal was
set upon their hearts and they were bereft of those noble feelings which make
one feel ashamed of adopting such a disgraceful conduct.