Tafseer of The Clans · Al-Ahzaab · 33:24
That Allah may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His saying: لِيَجْزِيَ اللهُ الصَّادِقِينَ بِصِدْقِهِمْ ("so that Allah may reward the truthful for their truthfulness"). He, exalted is His mention, says: مِنَ المُؤْمِنِينَ رِجالٌ صَدَقُوا ما عاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ .... لِيَجْزِيَ اللهُ الصَّادِقِينَ بِصِدْقِهِمْ ("Among the believers are men who were true to what they had pledged to Allah ... so that Allah may reward the truthful for their truthfulness"). He says: so that Allah may reward the people of truthfulness for their truthfulness toward Allah in that concerning which they had made a covenant with Him, and for their fulfillment of it toward Him. وَيُعَذِّبَ المُنافِقِينَ إنْ شاءَ ("and punish the hypocrites if He wills") on account of their disbelief in Allah and their hypocrisy (nifāq), أوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ("or turn to them in forgiveness") from their hypocrisy, so that He guides them to faith (īmān).
And as we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنْ شَاءَ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ("and punish the hypocrites if He wills, or turn to them in forgiveness"). He says: if He wills, He brings them out of hypocrisy into faith.
If someone were to say: what is the meaning of the condition in His saying وَيُعَذِّبَ المُنافِقِينَ ("and punish the hypocrites") with His saying إنْ شاءَ ("if He wills"), when the hypocrite is a disbeliever (kāfir)? Is it permissible that He should not will the punishment of the hypocrite, such that it is said: and He punishes him if He wills? Then it is answered: the meaning of this is not as you have imagined. Its meaning is only: and He punishes the hypocrites by not granting them the penitent return (tawba) from their hypocrisy, until they die in their disbelief, if He wills, so that thereby they deserve the punishment. The exception thus concerns the bestowal of grace through repentance, not the punishment, if they die in their hypocrisy.
What we have said concerning this is clarified by His saying أوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ("or turn to them in forgiveness"). The meaning of the statement is then: and He punishes the hypocrites by not guiding them to repentance and not granting them grace toward it, or He turns to them in forgiveness and then does not punish them.
And His saying إنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا ("indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"). He says: indeed, Allah covers the sins of the penitent and is merciful toward the penitent by not punishing them after the repentance.
