التوبة
The Repentance
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
fariḥa l-mukhalafūna bimaqʿadihim khilāfa rasūli l-lahi wakarihū an yujāhidū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim fī sabīli l-lahi waqālū lā tanfirū fī l-ḥari qul nāru jahannama ashaddu ḥarran law kānū yafqahūna
Those who remained behind rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allāh and said, "Do not go forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is more intense in heat" - if they would but understand.
falyaḍḥakū qalīlan walyabkū kathīran jazāan bimā kānū yaksibūna
So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.
fa-in rajaʿaka l-lahu ilā ṭāifatin min'hum fa-is'tadhanūka lil'khurūji faqul lan takhrujū maʿiya abadan walan tuqātilū maʿiya ʿaduwwan innakum raḍītum bil-quʿūdi awwala marratin fa-uq'ʿudū maʿa l-khālifīna
If Allāh should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."
walā tuṣalli ʿalā aḥadin min'hum māta abadan walā taqum ʿalā qabrihi innahum kafarū bil-lahi warasūlihi wamātū wahum fāsiqūna
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
walā tuʿ'jib'ka amwāluhum wa-awlāduhum innamā yurīdu l-lahu an yuʿadhibahum bihā fī l-dun'yā watazhaqa anfusuhum wahum kāfirūna
And let not their wealth and their children impress you. Allāh only intends to punish them through them in this world and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.
wa-idhā unzilat sūratun an āminū bil-lahi wajāhidū maʿa rasūlihi is'tadhanaka ulū l-ṭawli min'hum waqālū dharnā nakun maʿa l-qāʿidīna
And when a sūrah was revealed [enjoining them] to believe in Allāh and to fight with His Messenger, those of wealth among them asked your permission [to stay back] and said, "Leave us to be with them who sit [at home]."
raḍū bi-an yakūnū maʿa l-khawālifi waṭubiʿa ʿalā qulūbihim fahum lā yafqahūna
They were satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand.
lākini l-rasūlu wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿahu jāhadū bi-amwālihim wa-anfusihim wa-ulāika lahumu l-khayrātu wa-ulāika humu l-muf'liḥūna
But the Messenger and those who believed with him fought with their wealth and their lives. Those will have [all that is] good and it is those who are the successful.
aʿadda l-lahu lahum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīmu
Allāh has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. That is the great attainment.
wajāa l-muʿadhirūna mina l-aʿrābi liyu'dhana lahum waqaʿada alladhīna kadhabū l-laha warasūlahu sayuṣību alladhīna kafarū min'hum ʿadhābun alīmun
And those with excuses among the bedouins came to be permitted [to remain], and they who had lied to Allāh and His Messenger sat [at home]. There will strike those who disbelieved among them a painful punishment.
laysa ʿalā l-ḍuʿafāi walā ʿalā l-marḍā walā ʿalā alladhīna lā yajidūna mā yunfiqūna ḥarajun idhā naṣaḥū lillahi warasūlihi mā ʿalā l-muḥ'sinīna min sabīlin wal-lahu ghafūrun raḥīmun
There is not upon the weak or upon the ill or upon those who do not find anything to spend any discomfort [i.e., guilt] when they are sincere to Allāh and His Messenger. There is not upon the doers of good any cause [for blame]. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
walā ʿalā alladhīna idhā mā atawka litaḥmilahum qul'ta lā ajidu mā aḥmilukum ʿalayhi tawallaw wa-aʿyunuhum tafīḍu mina l-damʿi ḥazanan allā yajidū mā yunfiqūna
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you for you to take them along, you said, "I can find nothing upon which to carry you." They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allāh].
innamā l-sabīlu ʿalā alladhīna yastadhinūnaka wahum aghniyāu raḍū bi-an yakūnū maʿa l-khawālifi waṭabaʿa l-lahu ʿalā qulūbihim fahum lā yaʿlamūna
The cause [for blame] is only upon those who ask permission of you while they are rich. They are satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and Allāh has sealed over their hearts, so they do not know.
yaʿtadhirūna ilaykum idhā rajaʿtum ilayhim qul lā taʿtadhirū lan nu'mina lakum qad nabba-anā l-lahu min akhbārikum wasayarā l-lahu ʿamalakum warasūluhu thumma turaddūna ilā ʿālimi l-ghaybi wal-shahādati fayunabbi-ukum bimā kuntum taʿmalūna
They will make excuses to you when you have returned to them. Say, "Make no excuse - never will we believe you. Allāh has already informed us of your news [i.e., affair]. And Allāh will observe your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger; then you will be taken back to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
sayaḥlifūna bil-lahi lakum idhā inqalabtum ilayhim lituʿ'riḍū ʿanhum fa-aʿriḍū ʿanhum innahum rij'sun wamawāhum jahannamu jazāan bimā kānū yaksibūna
They will swear by Allāh to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning.
yaḥlifūna lakum litarḍaw ʿanhum fa-in tarḍaw ʿanhum fa-inna l-laha lā yarḍā ʿani l-qawmi l-fāsiqīna
They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allāh is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people.
al-aʿrābu ashaddu kuf'ran wanifāqan wa-ajdaru allā yaʿlamū ḥudūda mā anzala l-lahu ʿalā rasūlihi wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥakīmun
The bedouins are stronger in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely not to know the limits of what [laws] Allāh has revealed to His Messenger. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
wamina l-aʿrābi man yattakhidhu mā yunfiqu maghraman wayatarabbaṣu bikumu l-dawāira ʿalayhim dāiratu l-sawi wal-lahu samīʿun ʿalīmun
And among the bedouins are some who consider what they spend as a loss and await for you turns of misfortune. Upon them will be a misfortune of evil. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
wamina l-aʿrābi man yu'minu bil-lahi wal-yawmi l-ākhiri wayattakhidhu mā yunfiqu qurubātin ʿinda l-lahi waṣalawāti l-rasūli alā innahā qur'batun lahum sayud'khiluhumu l-lahu fī raḥmatihi inna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmun
But among the bedouins are some who believe in Allāh and the Last Day and consider what they spend as means of nearness to Allāh and of [obtaining] invocations of the Messenger. Unquestionably, it is a means of nearness for them. Allāh will admit them to His mercy. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
wal-sābiqūna l-awalūna mina l-muhājirīna wal-anṣāri wa-alladhīna ittabaʿūhum bi-iḥ'sānin raḍiya l-lahu ʿanhum waraḍū ʿanhu wa-aʿadda lahum jannātin tajrī taḥtahā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā abadan dhālika l-fawzu l-ʿaẓīmu
And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhājireen and the Anṣār and those who followed them with good conduct - Allāh is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.