Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:95
They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning.
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: سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (95) ("They will swear by Allah to you, when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them; truly, they are an abomination, and their abode is Hell (jahannam), as a recompense for what they used to do.") (95)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: They will swear to you, O believers, by Allah — these hypocrites (munāfiqūn) who rejoiced at their staying behind, in opposition to the Messenger of Allah — when you return to them, that is to say: when you return from your military campaign to them, that you may turn away from them, so that you do not rebuke them. So turn away from them. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says to the believers: leave off rebuking them, and leave them be with what they have chosen for themselves of unbelief (kufr) and hypocrisy (nifāq). Truly, they are an abomination, and their abode is Hell. He says: truly, they are impure (najis), and their abode is Hell. He says: and their final destination is to Hell, and that is their dwelling which they will occupy in the Hereafter. As a recompense for what they used to do. He says: as a reward for their deeds which they used to perform in the worldly life of disobedience toward Allah.
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And it has been mentioned that this ayah was revealed concerning two men of the hypocrites, who said what follows:
17090 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related this to us, he said: my father related to me, he said: my paternal uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you may turn away, up to: for what they used to do. And that was because it was said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: Will you not go forth to fight against the Banū al-Aṣfar (the Romans)? Perhaps you will take captive the daughter of a Roman dignitary, for they are fair! Then two men said: You know, O Messenger of Allah, that women are a temptation (fitna), so do not put us to temptation with them, but give us permission! And he gave them permission. When they set out, one of the two said: He (Islam, or the Prophet) is nothing but a piece of fat for the first who eats! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, marched on, and nothing was revealed to him about this. But when he was on part of the road, it was revealed to him, while he was at one of the wells: لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَكِنْ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ ("Had it been a near gain and a moderate journey, they would surely have followed you, but the distance was too far for them") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 42]. And there was revealed to him: عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْكَ لِمَ أَذِنْتَ لَهُمْ ("May Allah pardon you; why did you give them permission?") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 43]. And there was revealed to him: لا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ("Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day do not ask your permission") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 44]. And there was revealed to him: truly, they are an abomination, and their abode is Hell as a recompense for what they used to do. A man who had gone forth to fight with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard this. He came to them, while they were behind them, and said: Do you know that, after your departure, Qurʾān has been revealed to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? They said: What have you heard? He said: I do not know, except that I heard that He says: "truly, they are an abomination"! Then a man called "Mukhashshī" said: By Allah, I would truly wish that I were given a hundred lashes, and that I were not with you! He came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: What brings you here? He said: The face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is scorched by the wind, while I sit in the shelter!! Then Allah revealed to him: وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِي وَلا تَفْتِنِّي ("And among them is he who says: give me permission and do not put me to temptation") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 49], وَقَالُوا لا تَنْفِرُوا فِي الْحَرِّ ("And they said: do not go forth in the heat") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 81]. And concerning the man who said: "I would wish that I were given a hundred lashes," there was revealed to him the word of Allah: يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ أَنْ تُنَـزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ("The hypocrites fear that a sūra will be sent down upon them which will inform them of what is in their hearts") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 64]. Then a man who was with the Messenger of Allah said: If these people are truly as they say, then there is no good in us! This reached the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to him: Are you the owner of the word that I have heard? He said: No, by Him who sent down the Book to you! Then Allah revealed concerning him: وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِسْلامِهِمْ ("And indeed, they spoke the word of unbelief (kufr) and became unbelievers after their Islam") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 74]. And concerning him there was revealed: وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ("And among you are some who listen to them, and Allah is All-Knowing of the wrongdoers") [Sūrat al-Tawba: 47].
17091 — Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Yūnus informed me, on the authority of Ibn Shihāb, he said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Kaʿb ibn Mālik informed me: that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Kaʿb said: I heard Kaʿb ibn Mālik say: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned from Tabūk, he sat down before the people. When he did so, those who had stayed behind came and began to make excuses to him and to swear oaths to him; they were more than eighty men. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accepted their outward declaration, took their oath of allegiance, asked forgiveness for them, and left their inner state to Allah. But my account he held to be truthful. Kaʿb said: By Allah, Allah has never granted me a favor, after He guided me to Islam, that was greater in my eyes than that I was sincere toward the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that I did not lie to him and thereby did not perish as those who lied have perished. For Allah said concerning those who lied, when the revelation was sent down, the worst thing He has said about anyone: They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you may turn away from them; so turn away from them, truly they are an abomination and their abode is Hell as a recompense for what they used to do, up to His word: فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ ("Truly, Allah is not pleased with the corrupt people (al-fāsiqīn)").
