Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:49
And among them is he who says, "Permit me [to remain at home] and do not put me to trial." Unquestionably, into trial they have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.
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.
The explanation of His word: وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِي وَلا تَفْتِنِّي أَلا فِي الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ (49) (And among them are those who say: "Grant me leave and do not put me to the test." Indeed, it is into the trial (fitna) that they have fallen, and truly Hell (jahannam) encompasses the unbelievers (kāfir)) (49).
Abū Jaʿfar said: it has been mentioned that this verse was revealed concerning al-Jadd ibn Qays.
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By His word (and among them), the Exalted means: and among the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) = (are those who say: grant me leave), namely: permit me to remain behind so that I need not march out with you = (and do not put me to the test), by which he says: and do not try me by letting me look upon the women of the Banū al-Aṣfar and their daughters, for I am enamored of women, so that I would march out and thereby make myself guilty of sin.
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And in this meaning the reports of the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) support one another.
* Mention of the report concerning that, from those who said it:
16785 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah (grant me leave and do not put me to the test), he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "March out to fight at Tabūk, and you shall take as spoils the daughters of al-Aṣfar and the women of the Romans!" Then al-Jadd said: grant us leave and do not put us to the test with the women.
16786 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, they said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "March out to fight, and you shall take as spoils the daughters of al-Aṣfar" = by which he meant the women of the Romans, and then he mentioned the same.
16787 - ...... he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning His word (grant me leave and do not put me to the test): this is al-Jadd ibn Qays; he said: the Anṣār know very well that when I see women I cannot restrain myself until I fall into trial; but I will support you with my wealth.
16788 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, and Yazīd ibn Rūmān, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr, and ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatāda and others, they said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said one day, while he was making ready for the expedition, to al-Jadd ibn Qays, a brother of the Banū Salima: "Do you have a mind this year, O Jadd, to fight against the Banū al-Aṣfar?" He said: O Messenger of Allah, rather grant me leave and do not put me to the test, for by Allah, my people know that there is no man more rapturously enchanted by women than I, and I fear that, if I see the women of the Banū al-Aṣfar, I shall not be able to keep myself from them! Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned away from him and said: "I have granted you leave." And concerning al-Jadd ibn Qays this verse was revealed: (and among them are those who say: grant me leave and do not put me to the test), the verse, that is to say: if he truly feared only the trial by the women of the Banū al-Aṣfar — while that was not the real reason — then the trial (fitna) into which he has fallen by his remaining behind and his forsaking of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and his preferring himself over his person, is far greater still.
16789 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word (and among them are those who say: grant me leave and do not put me to the test), he said: this is a man of the hypocrites named al-Jadd ibn Qays, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: "This year we shall fight the Banū al-Aṣfar and acquire from them slave-women (sarārī) and young male slaves (wuṣafāʾ)" = he said: O Messenger of Allah, grant me leave and do not put me to the test; if you do not grant me leave, I shall fall into trial and remain sitting at home! And [the Messenger of Allah ﷺ] became angry, and Allah said: (Indeed, it is into the trial that they have fallen, and truly Hell encompasses the unbelievers). And he belonged to the Banū Salima, and the Prophet ﷺ said to them: "Who is your chief, O Banū Salima?" They said: al-Jadd ibn Qays, except that he is miserly and cowardly! Then the Prophet ﷺ said: "And what malady is worse than miserliness? Rather, your chief is the young man with the fair skin and the curly hair: Bishr ibn al-Barāʾ ibn Maʿrūr."
16790 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word (and among them are those who say: grant me leave and do not put me to the test), he says: grant me leave and do not bring me into difficulty = (indeed, it is into the trial that they have fallen), namely: into the difficulty they have fallen.
16791 - Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (and among them are those who say: grant me leave and do not put me to the test), and do not make me guilty of sin; indeed, it is into the sin that they have fallen.
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And His word (and truly Hell encompasses the unbelievers), he says: and truly the Fire surrounds those who disbelieved in Allah, denied His signs, and gave the lie to His messengers; it encompasses them and gathers them all together on the Day of Resurrection.
He says: it is shame enough for al-Jadd ibn Qays and his like among the hypocrites that they shall burn therein.