Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:52
Say, "Do you await for us except one of the two best things while we await for you that Allah will afflict you with punishment from Himself or at our hands? So wait; indeed we, along with you, are waiting."
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 words: قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا إِلا إِحْدَى الْحُسْنَيَيْنِ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا فَتَرَبَّصُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مُتَرَبِّصُونَ (9:52) (Say: Do you await for us anything other than one of the two fairest things? And we await for you that Allah will strike you with a punishment from Himself or by our hands. So wait; indeed, we are with you waiting.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad, to these hypocrites (munāfiqūn) whose character I have described to you and whose case I have made clear to you: do you await for us anything other than one of the two states that are fairer than all else — either a victory over the enemy and a triumph granted to us by Allah by defeating them, in which lie the reward, the spoils of war (ghanīma), and survival — or that our enemy kills us, in which lies martyrdom (al-shahāda), the attainment of Paradise (al-janna), and deliverance from the Fire (al-nār)? Both belong to what we love and do not abhor. And we await for you that Allah will strike you with a punishment from Himself means: and we wait for you that Allah will strike you with a swift punishment from Himself that destroys you. And or by our hands means: that we kill you. And So wait; indeed, we are with you waiting means: so wait; indeed, we are with you waiting for what Allah will do with us, and for that to which the affair of each of the two groups, ours and yours, will come.
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And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
Mention of those who said that:
16796 — 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 words Do you await for us anything other than one of the two fairest things, he said: that means victory or martyrdom. And on another occasion he said: it means being killed, and that is martyrdom, life, and provision. Or that He will disgrace you by our hands.
16797 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words Do you await for us anything other than one of the two fairest things, he said: being killed, in which lie life and provision; or that he is victorious, whereupon Allah grants him a tremendous reward. And this is like His words And whoever fights in the way of Allah, up to and is killed or is victorious, We shall grant him a tremendous reward (4:74).
16798 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ibn Numayr related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His words anything other than one of the two fairest things, he said: being killed in the way of Allah, and triumph over His enemies.
16799 — ...... he said: Muḥammad ibn Bakr related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: a report reached me on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: being killed in the way of Allah, and triumph.
16800 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: one of the two fairest things — being killed in the way of Allah, and triumph over the enemies of Allah.
16801 — 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, something similar. Ibn Jurayj said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: with a punishment from Himself means: by death. Or by our hands, he said: being killed.
16802 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words Do you await for us anything other than one of the two fairest things: nothing other than a victory or being killed in the way of Allah. And we await for you that Allah will strike you with a punishment from Himself or by our hands, that is to say: being killed.
