Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:106

"And others are deferred for the command of Allah..."

It is read as murjawna and murja’una, derived from arjaytuhu and arja’tuhu, meaning: you delayed them. From this comes the term al-Murji’ah (the sect).

It means: And others among those who stayed behind, their affair is suspended:

• {Either He will punish them} if they persist in their obstinacy and do not repent.
• {Or He will accept their repentance} if they do repent.

They were three men: Ka’b ibn Malik, Hilal ibn Umayyah, and Murarah ibn al-Rabi’. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded his companions not to greet them or speak to them. They did not do as Abu Lubabah and his companions had done—tying themselves to the pillars and showing distress and grief. When they realized that no one would look at them, they entrusted their affair to Allah Almighty, purified their intentions, and their repentance was sincere, so Allah had mercy on them.

{And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.} In the reading of ‘Abdullah (ibn Mas’ud): "Forgiving, Merciful."

As for the servants: it means they feared the punishment for them and hoped for mercy for them.

{And [there are] those who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as an outpost for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allah testifies that they are liars. Do not stand [for prayer] within it ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.}