Al-Tawbah (The Repentance): (83) If Allah returns you...

And know that after Allah exposed the disgrace and the bad conduct of the hypocrites, He clarified that the best course of action for the Messenger (PBUH) is not to take them along on his expeditions, because their departure with him would cause various kinds of corruption.

He said: {If Allah returns you to a party of them}—meaning, to a group of the hypocrites—{say, "Never shall you go out with me ever again"}.

The phrase {If Allah returns you} means if Allah returns you to Medina. The meaning of rujūʿ (return) is the object’s return to the place it was previously in. It is said, rajaʿtuhu rajʿan, just as you say raddatuhu raddan (I returned it).

The phrase {to a party of them} is specified because not everyone who remained in Medina was a hypocrite; rather, some were sincere and had valid excuses.

The phrase {when they ask your permission to go out}—meaning, to fight alongside you—{say, "Never shall you go out with me ever again"} on any expedition.

This serves as a form of condemnation and curse upon them, and an exposure of their hypocrisy and shame. This is because encouraging Muslims toward Jihad is a matter known by necessity from the religion of Muhammad (PBUH). When these individuals are prevented from going out on expeditions after they requested permission, it is a clear indication that they are outside of Islam, characterized by cunning, deceit, and trickery. This is because the Messenger (PBUH) only prevented them out of caution against their plotting, malice, and deception. Thus, this meaning, from this perspective, functions as a curse and expulsion. A parallel is His saying: {The absentees will say when you set out to take the spoils, "Leave us to follow you"} (Al-Fatḥ: 15) until His saying: {Say, "You shall not follow us"}.

Then, the Almighty explained the reason for this prevention by saying: {You were content with staying behind the first time}. What is meant here is staying behind from the expedition of Tabuk. This means that the need for your compliance was most severe the first time. After that need passed, since you remained behind when your presence was necessary, we will not accept you or pay attention to you thereafter.

There is a linguistic point regarding the word marrah (time/instance) in {the first time} (awwal marrah), which the author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned. He noted that the word marrah is used to denote instances (plurality), yet the adjective awwal (first) is added to it, which denotes singularity. Therefore, it would have been more appropriate to say al-marrah al-ūlā (the first instance).

The response to this is that in most Arabic usages, one says, Hindun akbar al-nisā’ (Hind is the greatest of women), and one does not say Hindun kubrā al-nisā’.

Then the Almighty said: {So sit back with those who remain behind}. Several interpretations have been mentioned for the meaning of al-khālifīn (those who remain behind):

1. The first opinion, held by Al-Akhfash and Abū ʿUbaydah: Al-khālifūn is the plural of khālif, meaning one who stays behind for his people. Thus, it means those men who remain behind in the houses and do not leave.
2. The second opinion: Al-khālifīn is interpreted as al-mukhālifīn (the dissenters/opponents). Al-Farrā’ said that a man is called ʿabd khālif or ṣāḥib khālif if he is dissenting. Al-Akhfash said that so-and-so is khālifah to his household if he opposes them. Al-Layth said this man is khālifah, meaning one who frequently dissents, and a people are khālifūn. When pluralized, it becomes al-khālifūn.
3. The third opinion: Al-khālif means the corrupt one. Al-Aṣmaʿī said that one says khalafa ʿan kulli khayr (yakhlufulu khulūfan) if he becomes corrupt. Milk khalafa and wine khalafa if they spoil.

Once these three meanings are understood, there is no doubt that the word can apply to each one of them, because those hypocrites were characterized by all these attributes.

Know that this verse indicates that if a person perceives cunning, deceit, and plotting from someone connected to him, and sees that person insisting strongly upon establishing the causes for it, then it is obligatory for him to sever the bond between himself and that person and guard against accompanying him.

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