Tafsir al-Jalalayn

Those who disbelieve from among the people of Mecca and bar others from the way of God that is to say from faith He will leave their works to waste such as giving food to the poor or being kind to kin and so they will find no reward for these works of theirs in the Hereafter; but they are requited for them in this world purely out of His bounty exalted be He.

But those who believe namely the Helpers al-Ansār and others like them and perform righteous deeds and believe in what has been revealed to Muhammad namely the Qur’ān — and it is the truth from their Lord — He will absolve them of He will forgive them their misdeeds and rightly dispose their mind their state so that they do not disobey Him.

That rendering void of their works and the absolution of evil deeds is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood Satan and because those who believe follow the truth the Qur’ān from their Lord. Thus in the same manner of clarification does God strike for mankind similitudes of themselves that is how He clarifies for them their states in other words the disbeliever has his work rendered void while the believer is forgiven.

So when you encounter in battle those who disbelieve then attack them with a striking of the necks fa-darba’l-riqābi is a verbal noun in place of the full verbal construction that is to say fa’dribū riqābahum ‘then strike their necks’ in other words slay them — reference is made to the ‘striking of the necks’ because the predominant cause of being slayed is to be struck in the neck. Then when you have made thoroughly decimated them bind spare them take them captive and bind firmly the bonds al-wathāq is what is used to bind yūthaqu a captive. Thereafter either set them free by grace mannan is a verbal noun in place of the full verbal construction that is to say either show them grace by setting them free unconditionally; or by ransom ransoming them with payment or with Muslim captives until the war that is to say its participants lay down its burdens its heavy loads of weaponry and other things so that either the disbelievers surrender or enter into a treaty. This last clause constitutes the ‘purpose’ of enjoining the Muslims to slaying and taking captive. So shall it be dhālika is the predicate of an implied subject such as al-amr ‘the ordinance’ in other words ‘the ordinance of God regarding them is as mentioned’. And had God willed He could have Himself taken vengeance on them without any fighting but He has commanded you to do it that He may test some of you by means of others from among them by way of battle so that the slain among you will end up in Paradise while those slain among them will end up in the Fire. And those who are slain qutilū a variant reading has qātalū ‘those who fight’ — this verse was revealed on the day of the battle of Uhud after the dead and the wounded had become numerous among the Muslims — in the way of God He will not let their works go to waste He will not render them void.

He will guide them in this world and in the Hereafter to what benefits them and rightly dispose their minds their condition in both with that guidance and disposal in this world being for those who were not slain but who have been included in the statement ‘and those who were slain’ qutilū because of the predominance therein of those who were slain.

And He will admit them into Paradise which He has made known which He has pointed out to them so that they are guided to their dwellings in it and to their spouses and servants without asking to be shown the way.

O you who believe! If you help God that is to say His religion and His Messenger He will help you against your enemy and make your foothold firm He will make you stand firm while you fight on the battleground.

And as for those who disbelieve from among the people of Mecca wa’lladhīna kafarū is the subject the predicate of which is an implicit ta‘isū ‘they shall be wretched’ as indicated by what follows wretchedness shall be their lot that is destruction and defeat from God. And He will make their works go to waste wa-adalla a‘mālahum is a supplement to the implied ta‘isū ‘they shall be wretched’.

That wretchedness and wasting of their works is because they are averse to what God has revealed of the Qur’ān with all that it includes of religious obligations takālīf so He has made their works fail.

Have they not travelled in the land to see the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? God destroyed them — He destroyed them their children and their possessions; and a fate the like thereof will be for the disbelievers that is to say the like of the fate of those before them.

That granting of victory to the believers and the vanquishing of the disbelievers is because God is Patron Ally and Helper of those who believe and because the disbelievers have no patron.

God will surely admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens underneath which rivers flow. As for those who disbelieve they take their enjoyment in this world and eat as the cattle eat that is to say they are only concerned with filling their bellies and satisfying their private parts without giving any thought to the Hereafter; and the Fire will be their habitation their home their station and their final destination.

And how many ka-ayyin means kam a town by which is meant the inhabitants thereof mightier in power than your town Mecca that is to say its inhabitants which expelled you akhrajatka is feminine despite the plural sense of inhabitants meant is because it takes into account the feminine form of qarya ‘town’ have We destroyed ahlaknāhum takes into account the former plural import of qarya ‘town’ and they had none to help them against Our destruction of them.

Is he who follows a clear sign a definitive argument and proof from his Lord and these are the believers like those whose evil deeds have been adorned for them so that they see them as fair deeds and these are the disbelievers of Mecca and who follow their desires? by worshipping graven images. In other words there is no similarity between the two.

A similitude a description of the Garden promised to the God-fearing the Garden that is shared equally by all those who enter it this first clause is the subject of which the predicate follows therein are rivers of unstaling water read āsin or asin similar in form to dārib ‘striker’ and hadhir ‘cautious’ that is to say one that does not change in contrast to the water of this world which may change due to some factor; and rivers of milk unchanging in flavour in contrast to the milk of this world on account of its issuing from udders and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers in contrast to the wine of this world which is distasteful to drink; and also rivers of purified honey in contrast to the honey of this world which when it issues out of the bellies of bees becomes mixed with wax and other elements; and there will be for them therein varieties of every fruit and forgiveness from their Lord for He is pleased with them in addition to His beneficence towards them in the way mentioned in contrast to one who is a master of servants in this world who while being kind to them may at the same time be wrathful with them. Is such a one like him who abides in the Fire? ka-man huwa khālidun fī’l-nāri the predicate of an implied subject which is a-man huwa fī hādha’l-na‘īm ‘Is one who is amidst such bliss as him who abides in the Fire?’. And they will be given to drink boiling water which rips apart their bowels that is their entrails so that these will be excreted from their rears. Am‘ā’ ‘bowels’ is the plural of mi‘an its alif being derived from the yā’ of their saying mi‘yān as an alternative singular to mi‘an.

And there are some among them namely the disbelievers who listen to you during the Friday sermon — and these are the hypocrites; until when they go forth from you they say to those who have been given knowledge that is to say to the knowledgeable ones among the Companions of the Prophet such as ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Mas‘ūd and ‘Abd Allāh Ibn ‘Abbās in derision and mockery ‘What was he saying just now?’ read ānifan or anifan meaning al-sā‘a ‘just now’. In other words they mean to say ‘we will not go back to listen to him again’. Those are the ones on whose hearts God has set a seal of disbelief and who follow their own desires in acting with hypocrisy.

But those who are rightly guided namely the believers He God enhances their guidance and invests them with fear of Him He inspires them to do that by which they can be wary of ending up in the Fire.

Do they then await they do not await namely the disbelievers of Mecca anything except that the Hour should come upon them an ta’tiyahum is an inclusive substitution for al-sā‘ata ‘the Hour’; in other words it cannot be other than that it will come upon them … suddenly? For already its portents the signs thereof have come among which are the sending of the Prophet s the splitting of the Moon Q. 541 and the Smoke Q. 4410. So when it the Hour has come upon them for what benefit will their reminder be? their remembering; in other words it will be of no benefit to them.

Know then that there is no god except God that is to say adhere O Muhammad (s) to knowledge of this fact that will benefit you at the Resurrection and ask forgiveness for your sin — this was said to him despite his infallibility ‘isma so that his community might emulate him in this respect. Indeed he did do this. The Prophet s said ‘Verily I do ask God for forgiveness a hundred times every day’ — and for the believing men and believing women — herein is an honouring for them by having their Prophet enjoined to ask forgiveness for them. And God knows your going to and fro your bustle during the day in pursuit of your business and your place of rest when you retire to where you sleep at night. In other words He has knowledge of all your states nothing of which can be hidden from Him so be mindful of Him — the address in this verse is meant for believers as well as others.

And those who believe say seeking to take part in the struggle ‘Why has a sūra not been revealed?’ one in which there is mention of the command to participate in the struggle. But when a definitive sūra is revealed one in which nothing is abrogated naskh and fighting that is to say requirement for it is mentioned in it you see those in whose hearts is a sickness that is doubt — and they are the hypocrites — looking at you with the look of someone fainting at the point of death because of their fear of it and their aversion to it; in other words they fear fighting and are averse to it. Yet more fitting for them fa-awlā lahum is a subject the predicate of which is the following tā‘atun wa-qawlun ma‘rūfun

would be to offer obedience and honourable words that is words that are kind to you. Then when the matter has been resolved upon that is to say when fighting has been prescribed if they are loyal to God in faith and obedience it will be better for them the sentence beginning with law ‘if’ constitutes the response to idhā ‘when’.

May it not be the case with you read ‘asītum or ‘asaytum; there is a shift here from the third person to the second person address that if you were to turn away if you were to shun faith you would then cause corruption in the land and sever your kinship ties? in other words that you would then return to the ways of pagandom such as belligerence and fighting.

Those that is the agents of corruption are the ones whom God has cursed so made them deaf to hearing the truth and blinded their eyes to the path of guidance.

Do they not contemplate the Qur’ān? and so recognise the truth. Or am here is like bal ‘nay but’ is it that there are locks on their hearts? so they are unable to comprehend it.

Truly those who have turned by way of hypocrisy their backs after the guidance has become clear to them Satan has seduced he has adorned disbelief for them and has given them false hopes read wa-umliya lahum ‘false hopes have been given to them’ or wa-amlā lahum where the one who gives the false hopes is Satan but only by God’s will exalted be He for he Satan is the one who leads them astray.

That leading of them astray is because they said to those who were averse to what God revealed namely to the idolaters ‘We will obey you in some matters’ that is to say by cooperating to maintain enmity against the Prophet s and preventing people from participating in the struggle alongside him they had said as much secretly but God exalted be He exposed it; and God knows their secrets read asrārahum as the plural of sirr ‘a secret’ or isrārahum ‘their keeping of things secret’ as the verbal noun.

Then how will it be their predicament when the angels take them away beating yadribūna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the angels their faces and their backs? with hooked iron rods.

That taking of them away in the state mentioned is because they followed what angers God and because they were averse to what pleases Him that is to say they were averse to doing what pleases Him. Therefore He has made their works fail.

Or did those in whose hearts is a sickness suppose that God would not expose their rancour? that He would not bring to light their spite against the Prophet s and the believers.

And if We will We could show them to you We could have pointed them out to you the lām is repeated in the following fa-la-‘araftahum then you would recognise them by their mark. And you will certainly recognise them wa-la-ta‘rifannahum the wāw is for an omitted oath and what follows it fī lahni’l-qawl is its response by their tone of speech that is to say by the meaning thereof when they speak in your presence alluding as they do to what amounts to a scathing attack upon the Muslims; and God knows your deeds.

And We will assuredly try you We will assuredly test you by way of commanding you to participate in the struggle and in other ways until We know with knowledge outwardly manifested those of you who struggle for God’s cause and those who are steadfast in adhering to the struggle and in other ways and We will appraise We will reveal your record in terms of whether you acted with obedience or disobedience in what concerns the struggle all three verbs may be read with the third person singular yā’ or with the first person plural nūn.

Indeed those who disbelieve and bar from the way of God the path of truth and defy the Messenger opposing him after the guidance this is the meaning of ‘the way of God’ has become clear to them they will not hurt God in any way and He will make their works fail He will invalidate them good works such as voluntary alms and the like and so they will not find any reward for it in the Hereafter — this was revealed either regarding those Meccan participants at the battle of Badr who provided food for the needy or regarding the Jewish tribes of Qurayza and al-Nadīr.

O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and do not render your own works void by engaging in acts of disobedience for example.

Indeed those who disbelieve and bar from the way of God His path namely guidance and then die as disbelievers God will never forgive them — this was revealed regarding the men of the Well al-qalīb.

So do not falter do not be weak and do not call for peace read salm or silm that is to say a truce with the disbelievers should you encounter them when you have the upper hand al-a‘lawna the third letter of the triliteral root wāw has been omitted when you are the victors the vanquishers and God is with you helping and assisting and He will not stint you diminish you in the reward for your works that is to say of the reward for them.

The life of this world that is to say preoccupation solely with it is merely play and diversion; but if you believe and are wary of God both of which pertain to the goal of the Hereafter He will give you your rewards and will not ask you your wealth in return all of it rather only the alms that are required from it.

If He were to ask you for it and press you demand it persistently you would be niggardly and this niggardliness would expose your rancour towards the religion of Islam.

Lo! there you are O those who are being called to expend in the way of God that which has been prescribed for you; yet among you there are those who are niggardly; and whoever is niggardly is niggardly only to his own soul one may say bakhila ‘alayhi or bakhila ‘anhu to mean ‘he was niggardly to someone’. For God is the Independent One without need of your expending; while you are the needy of Him. And if you turn away from obedience to Him He will replace you with another people that is to say He will bring them in your place and they will not be the likes of you in turning away from obedience to Him but they will be obedient to Him Mighty and Majestic is He.