Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:112

"The Repentant" (al-ta’ibun) is an adjective for the believers, detached [from the preceding case] for the sake of praise. It means: "They are the repentant." This is evidenced by the recitation of Abdullah [ibn Mas‘ud] and Ubayy [ibn Ka‘b] as "The Repentant" (al-ta’ibin) in the accusative case (using the ya), acting as a noun in the accusative of praise (madh), or in the genitive case as an adjective to the believers.

It is also possible that "The Repentant" is an initial subject (mubtada’) and its predicate (khabar) is omitted; that is, they are also "from the people of Paradise," even if they do not struggle [in battle], based on His saying: "And to each, Allah has promised the best" (4:152), for "each" here is general, and "the best" means Paradise.

It is said that the predicate is His saying: "The Worshippers," with all that follows being predicate after predicate. It is also said that the predicate is "The ones who enjoin what is right." Others say it is a substitute for the pronoun in "they fight." The first view is more apparent, though it implies that the one promised Paradise is the struggler characterized by these nine qualities, not every struggler. This is indicated by what Ibn Abi Shaybah and Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, who said: "The martyr is one who possesses these nine qualities," and then he recited this verse.

An objection is raised against this: it contradicts the authentic Hadith in Sahih Muslim that whoever is killed in the path of Allah while being patient, seeking reward, advancing and not retreating, his sins are forgiven—except for debt. This is explicit that a struggler might not possess all the qualities mentioned in the verse; otherwise, there would be no basis for the forgiveness of sins. It is as if, from this perspective, al-Zajjaj preferred the view that it is an initial subject with an omitted predicate, as you have heard. For in that case, the verse provides a general tidings to all strugglers of what was mentioned, which is what is understood from the apparent meanings of the traditions. Yes, many of them indicate that the virtue promised to the strugglers is specific to those who fight so that the word of Allah may be supreme, and that whoever fights for the sake of the world or reputation deserves the Fire—a point supported by Sahih Muslim. Let this be understood.

"The repentant" (al-ta’ibin), according to what Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and others recorded from al-Hasan and Qatadah, are those who repented from polytheism and did not practice hypocrisy. Ibn Abi Hatim and Abu al-Shaykh recorded from al-Dahhak that they are those who repented from polytheism and sins. This is supported by the fact that "the repentant" implies "those who have repented," and since it is a word of generalization, it encompasses every repentant person; restricting it to only those who repented from certain sins is an arbitrary claim. This was countered by the argument that mentioning them after the hypocrites makes it clear that "repentance" should be interpreted as repentance from disbelief and hypocrisy. Furthermore, if repentance were taken to mean repentance from sins, the qualities mentioned thereafter would be less than fully beneficial, even though one who is characterized by these qualities would clearly be avoiding sins.

"The Worshippers" are those who perform worship in its proper manner. Al-Hasan said: "They are those who worshipped Allah throughout all their times. By Allah, it is not for a month, two, a year, or two, but as the righteous servant said: 'And has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive' (19:31)." Qatadah said: "They are a people who exerted themselves in their bodies by night and by day."

"The Praisers" are those who praise Allah in every state, as narrated from more than one of the predecessors; praise here signifies describing [Him] with beauty absolutely. It is also said that it means "the thankful," in which case it is in response to a favor—that is, those who praise Him for His bounties. You know that praising in every state is better and follows the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Ibn Marduyah, Abu al-Shaykh, and al-Bayhaqi recorded in al-Shu‘ab from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said: "The first to be called to Paradise are the 'Hammudun' (the constant praisers), who praise [Him] in times of ease and adversity." It is narrated from ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) received something he liked, he would say: "Praise be to Allah, by whose favor good works are completed," and when he received something he disliked, he would say: "Praise be to Allah in every state."

"The Travelers" (al-sa’ihun), meaning those who fast. Ibn Marduyah recorded from Ibn Mas‘ud and Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about this and replied accordingly. A number of the Companions and Successors held this view. It is narrated from ‘Aishah that the siyahah (traveling/monasticism) of this nation is fasting. This is a metaphor because fasting restrains one from desires, just as traveling generally prevents them. Alternatively, it is because fasting is a spiritual exercise through which the conditions of the celestial and earthly realms are revealed; observing them is likened to observing distant lands and places, for the one who exercises the soul advances from rank to rank and enters the cities of knowledge one after another upon the mounts of reflection. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Zayd that the travelers are the emigrants (muhajirun), and there is no siyahah in the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him) except emigration. He and Abu al-Shaykh also recorded from ‘Ikrimah that they are the students of knowledge, for they travel the earth in search of it. It is also said that they are the strugglers, based on what al-Hakim (who authenticated it), al-Tabarani, and others recorded from Abu Umamah that a man sought permission from the Messenger of Allah to travel, and he said: "The siyahah of my nation is striving in the path of Allah." The preferred view is what was mentioned before, as we have indicated, so that siyahah is not interpreted in its common sense, which is a form of monasticism that has been forbidden. As Ibn Jarir recorded from Wahb ibn Munabbih, that form existed among the Children of Israel.

"The Bowing, the Prostrating" (al-raki‘un al-sajidun) means in the obligatory prayers, as narrated from al-Hasan. Bowing and prostrating are taken in their literal sense, while some consider them an expression for prayer itself, as they are its greatest pillars; thus, it is as if it said: "The praying ones."

"The ones who enjoin what is right," meaning faith, "and the ones who forbid what is wrong," meaning polytheism, as narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas regarding both commands. If the wording of the noble arrangement is kept to its generality, there is a basis for it; in fact, it is said to be more appropriate. The conjunction here, according to what is in al-Mughni, occurs because enjoining and forbidding—insofar as they are command and prohibition—are opposites, unlike the other attributes. For enjoining the good is a prohibition of the evil (which is the abandonment of the good), and forbidding the evil is an enjoining of the good. Thus, it is indicated that each of the two descriptions is to be counted, and that what is achieved within the other is not sufficient for it. In summary, as it is said, the conjunction is used due to the opposition between them or to prevent misconception.

Some researchers reasoned that there is a mutual implication between them in the mind and in reality, because commands include prohibitions, and there is an apparent contradiction because one is a request for action and the other a request for abstinence. Thus, they exist between complete connection and disconnection, which necessitates the conjunction, unlike what precedes them. It is also said that the conjunction is to indicate that they are in the status of a single quality, as if it said: "Those who combine both descriptions." It is objected that, according to this apparent meaning, "The bowing, the prostrating" should also be in the status of a single quality, so a conjunction should have been used there as well, as it would mean "those who combine bowing and prostrating." This is deflected by the slightest consideration.

As for the conjunction in His saying, "and those who keep the limits of Allah," that is, the truths and religious laws He has clarified, it is said that it is to signal that the count has been completed by the seventh, since seven is a complete number, and the eighth is the beginning of another count joined to it; this is why it is called the "Waw of the Eighth." Abu al-Baqa’ and others who affirmed the "Waw of the Eighth" inclined toward this, but it is a weak view that grammarians do not accept, as Ibn Hisham has detailed. Its verification will come, God willing. It is also said that it is to alert that what preceded it is a detailed account of virtues, and this is a summary of them; meaning it is a general, comprehensive command that includes what preceded it and more. Such a thing is brought with a conjunction, like saying: "Zayd, ‘Amr, and his entire tribe are generous." Thus, because of its difference in terms of summary, detail, generality, and specificity, it is joined to it. It is also said that it is a conjunction to what preceded it regarding enjoining and forbidding, because he whose actions do not verify his words, his enjoining provides no benefit, and his forbidding prevents no evil.

Some researchers said that what is meant by "keeping the limits" is their outward meaning, which is the establishment of legal punishment, such as retribution (qisas) against those who deserve it. The first attributes, up to His saying, "and those who enjoin," are commendable attributes of a person within themselves, while these are for the person with regard to others; thus, the expression for the two categories differs. Consequently, the conjunction was omitted in the first section and used in the second. Since it is necessary for the first to be gathered in one person, the conjunction was omitted due to intense connection, unlike this, for it is permissible for its doer and the one to whom it relates to differ. This is the motivator for parsing "The Repentant" as an initial subject described by what follows, and "The Enjoiners" as its predicate. It is as if it said: "Those who are complete in themselves and make others complete." The first was mentioned first because one does not complete another until one is complete in oneself. Through this, the arrangement is ordered in the best possible way without artifice, which is a sound reason for the conjunction in some places and its omission in others. However, what is transmitted from the predecessors, such as Ibn ‘Abbas and others, is the interpretation of "those who keep the limits of Allah" as those who stand firm on His obedience, which contradicts this reasoning. Perhaps the matter is simple; and Allah knows best His intent.

"And give glad tidings to the believers" (9:112), meaning those characterized by these noble attributes. The word "believers" was placed in the stead of their pronoun to signal that the foundation of the matter is faith, and that the perfect believer is the one who is as described. The object of the glad tidings was omitted as an indication that it is a magnificent matter that the scope of speech cannot encompass.