Surah At-Tawbah 9:87

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ﱁ ﱂ ﱃ ﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ

They were satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand.

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance): (86-87)

And when a Sura is revealed...

The Almighty has previously clarified that the hypocrites devised stratagems to seek exemption from accompanying the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and abstaining from Jihad. In this verse, another subtlety is added: whenever a verse is revealed commanding belief (Iman) and commanding striving (Jihad) alongside the Messenger, those among them possessing wealth and power ask for leave to stay behind from the expedition, saying to the Messenger of Allah: "Leave us to be with those who remain behind," meaning the weak people and those residing in the city.

Regarding His saying: {And when a Sura is revealed that you should believe in Allah and strive with His Messenger}, there are several discussions:

First Discussion: The term Sura might refer to the entire chapter, or it might refer to a part of it, just as Qur'an and Kitab can refer to the whole or a part. It is also said that the intended Sura here is Surah Bara'ah (At-Tawbah), because it contains the command for belief and striving.

Second Discussion: Regarding His saying: {And when a Sura is revealed}, Al-Wahidi said: The position of an (that) is accusative (mansub) due to the omission of a preposition. The meaning is bi-an (that), referring to belief.

Third Discussion: One might ask: How can the believers be commanded with belief (Iman)? This implies commanding the realization of something already present, which is impossible.

They answered this by saying that commanding believers with belief means persistence in it and adherence to it in the future. I say that this answer is unnecessary. The command is directed towards them. The command for belief was presented before the command for Jihad because the implied meaning is as if it were said to the hypocrites: Undertaking Jihad before belief yields no benefit whatsoever. Therefore, it is obligatory for you to believe first, and then engage in Jihad second, so that your engagement in Jihad benefits you in religion.

Then the Almighty recounted what they say upon the revelation of this Sura: {Those of wealth and power among them ask your leave, saying, "Leave us to be with those who remain behind."}

Concerning {Those of wealth and power} (Ulu al-Tawl), there are two opinions:

Ibn Abbas and Al-Hasan said: It refers to those affluent in wealth.
Al-Asamm said: It means the leaders and the prominent ones who are looked up to.

Regarding singling out {Those of wealth and power}, there are two opinions:

The censure is more binding upon them because they are capable of traveling and fighting Jihad.
The Almighty mentioned Ulu al-Tawl because one who lacks wealth and the ability to travel does not need to ask for leave.

Then the Almighty said: {They were pleased to be with those who remained behind} (Al-Khalif). We have already discussed the detailed explanation of Al-Khalif in the context of His saying: {Then sit back with those who remain behind}. Here, there are two interpretations:

Al-Farra' said: {Al-Khalif} is an expression for the women who stay behind in the house and do not leave it. The meaning is: They were pleased that their staying behind from Jihad would be like that of women.
It is also possible that Al-Khalif is the plural of Khalifah (one who remains behind) in a state of being unrighteous/unsuccessful. Al-Farra' said that the plural form Fawa'il for the pattern Fa'il has only occurred in two words: Faris (horseman) and Fawaris (horsemen), and Halik (destroyer) and Hawalik (destroyers). The first opinion is preferable because it indicates more weakness and humiliation. The commentators said that it was difficult for the hypocrites to be likened to the women who stay behind.

Then He said: {And their hearts have been sealed, so they do not understand}. You already know that sealing (Tab' and Khatm) refers to the presence of a strong incentive towards disbelief that prevents the attainment of faith. This is because an action without an incentive is impossible. When a firm and strong incentive for disbelief is present, the heart becomes as if sealed upon disbelief. If the attainment of that incentive is from the servant, it leads to an infinite regress (tasalsul). If it is from Allah, the intended meaning is achieved.

Al-Hasan said: Sealing refers to the heart reaching such an extreme inclination towards disbelief that it is as if it has died concerning faith. According to the Mu'tazila, it refers to a mark that appears on the heart. The detailed discussion on this is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah regarding His saying: {Allah has set a seal upon their hearts}. And His saying: {so they do not understand} means they do not comprehend the secrets of Allah's wisdom in commanding Jihad.

{But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove with their wealth and their lives, and it is those for whom are the good things, and it is those who are the successful. Allah has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. That is the great attainment.}

Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:86-87

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance): (86-87)

First Discussion: The term Sura might refer to the entire chapter, or it might refer to a part of it, just as Qur'an and Kitab can refer to the whole or a part. It is also said that the intended Sura here is Surah Bara'ah (At-Tawbah), because it contains the command for belief and striving.

Second Discussion: Regarding His saying: {And when a Sura is revealed}, Al-Wahidi said: The position of an (that) is accusative (mansub) due to the omission of a preposition. The meaning is bi-an (that), referring to belief.

Third Discussion: One might ask: How can the believers be commanded with belief (Iman)? This implies commanding the realization of something already present, which is impossible.

Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:86-87

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance): (86-87)

First Discussion: The term *Sura* might refer to the entire chapter, or it might refer to a part of it, just as *Qur'an* and *Kitab* can refer to the whole or a part. It is also said that the intended Sura here is Surah Bara'ah (At-Tawbah), because it contains the command for belief and striving.

Second Discussion: Regarding His saying: **{And when a Sura is revealed}**, Al-Wahidi said: The position of *an* (that) is accusative (mansub) due to the omission of a preposition. The meaning is *bi-an* (that), referring to belief.

Third Discussion: One might ask: How can the believers be commanded with belief (Iman)? This implies commanding the realization of something already present, which is impossible.

First Discussion: The term Sura might refer to the entire chapter, or it might refer to a part of it, just as Qur'an and Kitab can refer to the whole or a part. It is also said that the intended Sura here is Surah Bara'ah (At-Tawbah), because it contains the command for belief and striving.

Second Discussion: Regarding His saying: {And when a Sura is revealed}, Al-Wahidi said: The position of an (that) is accusative (mansub) due to the omission of a preposition. The meaning is bi-an (that), referring to belief.