9. Surah At-Tawba

Commentary Anti-Islam activities of hypocrites have been described in several previous verses. The present verses mention yet another conspiracy hatched by them. It has been reported that there was a man in Madinah. His name was Abu ` Amir. He had become a Christian during the days of Jahiliyyah and was known as Abu ` Amir the Rahib (that is, a monk). This is the same Abu ` Amir whose son Hanzalah ؓ is a well-known Sahabi whose dead body was washed by angels and which gave him the sobriquet of ` the one who was bathed by angels.' But, the father stuck by his error and remained a Christian. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, Abu ` Amir the Rahib visited him and criticized Islam. Even the answers given by the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not satisfy this unfortunate man. In fact, he said, ` may the liar between the two of us be cursed and die in travel far away from friends and relatives.' He also said, ` I shall be there to help any aggressor against you.' And so he did. He fought on the side of the enemies of Muslims in all battles right through the battle of Hunain. When the big and strong tribe of Hawazin too was defeated, he lost hope. He ran away to Syria, the stronghold of Christians where he died far away from his friends and relatives. The prayer he had made was before him. When disgrace is destined for someone, this is how he acts. His own prayer brought that disgrace upon him. But, as long as he lived, he remained busy hatching conspiracies against Islam and Muslims. He virtually tried to induce the Byzantine ruler to attack Madinah and expel Muslims from there. One aspect of this conspiracy materialized when he wrote a letter to the hypocrites of Madinah with whom he had a sinister understanding. He told them that he was working on the Byzantine ruler to attack Madinah. But, it was necessary to have group strength to lend lo-cal support to the invader. For this purpose, he suggested that they should make a building right there in Madinah giving people the im-pression that they were building a mosque so that Muslims do not get to be suspicious. After that, they should get their men together in this place and collect as much of weapons and supplies as they could. He wanted this to become an undercover center where his accomplices would be conducting their activities against Muslims by mutual consultation. It was on his suggestion that twelve hypocrites got together in Quba', a locality of Madinah where the Holy Prophet ﷺ had first stayed during his hijrah and where he had built a masjid. They chose the same place to lay the foundation of another ` masjid.' Ibn Ishaq and others have also reported the names of these hypocrites. Then, to keep Muslims under deception, the hypocrites made a plan that they would have the Holy Prophet ﷺ lead a Salah in congregation at their socalled masjid so that all Muslims are convinced that this new place was also a masjid very much like the one built there earlier. A delegation from them came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They pleaded that the existing Masjid of Quba' was far away. It was difficult for old and sick people to reach there. Moreover, they argued, the Masjid of Quba' itself was not spacious enough to accommodate all residents of the locality. Therefore, they claimed, they had founded another masjid for that purpose so that older Muslims may benefit by it. Finally, (releasing their punch line) they said, ` please lead a Salah in this ` masjid' so that it stands blessed!' That was a time when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was getting ready for the battle of Tabuk. He told them that he would be unable to do that as he was about to leave the city but he promised that he would pray there when he returned. However, on his return from the battle of Tabuk, when he camped at a place close to Madinah, the verses cited above were revealed to him which had exposed the conspiracy of these hypocrites. After the revelation of these verses, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ordered some of his Companions, ` Amir ibn Sakan, Wahshi, the killer of Hamzah and others, to go, demolish and burn the structure (of the ill-intentioned ` masjid' ). So these gentlemen took off, carried out the orders and the structure was leveled flat on the ground. (This event has been abridged from narratives reported in Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Mazhari.) Quoting Muhammad ibn Yusuf Salihi, Tafsir Mazhari also reports that the site of Masjid Dirar ضِرَار was still lying vacant at the time the Holy Prophet ﷺ had reached and settled in Madinah. When he allowed ` Asim ibn ` Adiyy to build his house on that site, he submitted, ` ya rasulallah, I do not like to build a house on a cursed site about which these verses of the Qur'an have been revealed. Nevertheless, Thabit ibn Aqram is really in need of a house for he has none. Please allow him to make a house here.' So, going along with his suggestion, he gave this plot of land to Thabit ibn Aqram. But, as fate would have it, since the time Sayyidna Thabit ؓ ، came to live in the house he made there, he either had no child or if he did, the child did not live. Historians have added that this place was cursed not only for human beings but also for domestic birds and animals that could not survive with their normal way of living. Thus, after that time, this place lies desolate at some distance from the well-known Masjid Quba'. After having gone through the details of the event, let us now turn to the text of the cited verses. It was said in the first verse (107): وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِدًا (And [ there are ] those who have built a mosque) to bring harm upon Muslims. This verse points out to three motives behind the making of this ` masjid': 1. The first one is: ضِرَ‌ارً‌ا (diraran: to cause harm to Muslims). The words dirar' ضِرَ‌ار and ` ضرر :darar' are both used in the Arabic language to carry the sense of causing harm. As for difference between the two, it has been said that ` darar' is a harm that brings gain for the person harming but causes loss for the harmed. And dirar' ضِرَ‌ار is the inflicting of a loss upon other people while it brings just no gain for the person inflicting it. Since, this was going to be the fate of this ` masjid' - that its founders gain nothing out of it - therefore, the word ` dirar' was used here. 2. The second motive reads: تَفْرِ‌يقًا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ :(to cause dissention among the believers). It means that, by setting up this ` masjid', they looked forward to creating a division among the community of Muslims. They hoped to wean out a group that would be offering Salah in their masjid as a sort of separate entity. Then, it may have also resulted in reducing the number of Muslims going for their prayers to the old Masjid Quba'. 3. The third motive was spelt out as: i.e. to provide a sanctuary to enemies of Allah and His Messenger and a forum to conspire against Muslims. This presentation as a whole proves that the ` masjid' which was declared to be a ` harmful mosque' (Masjid Dirar ضِرَ‌ار) by the Holy Qur'an, and which was demolished and burnt down under the orders of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was no masjid in the real sense. Nor was it intended to be a place where people could pray. The three objectives behind it have been mentioned immediately above. From here we learn the rules that should be followed in our time. Today, may be some Muslims were to make a masjid close to and in competition of another Masjid, while their purpose is nothing but the same mutual discord, the same old effort to split up the congregation of the first masjid, or any other evil interest of this nature. If so, the maker of such a masjid will deserve no reward from Allah. Rather, he would be a sinner because of having created dissention between Muslims - but, despite all this, that place shall be called a masjid in terms of Islamic law, and the etiquette and rules relating to mosques shall apply to it. Demolishing it or putting it on fire shall not be permissible. And the Salah of those who pray in it will also be valid - though, doing so shall continue to be a sin in itself. From here we also learn about another rule relevant in contemporary setting. If a Muslim makes a masjid in that manner, either to show off or to take an opposing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the maker will, though, not get the reward of making a masjid, instead, will incur a sin, yet it will not be what Masjid Dirar is in the terminology of the Holy Qur'an, that is, it will not be called by that name. When some people notice a masjid like that, they would say that it was Masjid Dirar. This is not correct. However, one could say that it was like Masjid Dirar. Therefore, its building can also be stayed - as done by Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ through a court order where he had instructed that another masjid should not be made close to the one already there lest the congregation and flourish of the first masjid is affected adversely. (Tafsir Kashsha)

About this Masjid Dirar, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has Been given the order: لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا 'Do not ever stand there (in prayer) - 108.' The word ` qiyam' in the text denotes standing for prayer. The sense is that the Holy Prophet ﷺ should never go in to offer his prayers in a mosque by that name. Ruling: What it tells us is: If, even today, a new masjid is made adjacent to the one already there unnecessarily, just to show off or to take an opposing stance out of obstinacy and enmity, the better choice is not to offer prayers therein - though, Salah remains valid. In the same verse (108), the Holy Prophet ﷺ has also been told that it is correct for him to pray in the particular masjid the foundation of which has been laid on Taqwa (the fear of Allah) from day one. And then, the people who offer their Salah in it love to observe full precaution in remaining cleansed and pure (of all physical and spiritual impurities) - for Allah too likes such meticulous observers of self-purity. The context of the verse shows what is being referred to here is Masjid Quba' where the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to say his prayers at that time. There are some Hadith narratives that also support this view. (As reported by Ibn Marduwayh from Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، by ` Amr ibn Shaibah from Sahl al-ansari and by Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih from ` Uwaimir ibn Sa` idah - with reference to Mazhari) As for the reports which say that it refers to the Prophet's Mosque, they do not contradict it. The reason is that the foundation of the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ was laid in accordance with a revealed command by the Holy Prophet ﷺ with his blessed hands. It goes without saying that its foundation rests on Taqwa, that is, on purity, piety and fear of Allah. And who else could be more purified than the noble messenger of Allah? Therefore, that too is a masjid founded on Taqwa. (As reported by Tirmidhi on sound authority from Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri ؓ with the chain of narrators ascending to the Holy Prophet ﷺ - from Qurtubi) At the end of the verse (108), it was said: فِيهِ رِ‌جَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُ‌وا (In it there are people who like to observe purity). In this verse, the masjid declared worthier for the prayers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is the one the foundation of which was laid on Taqwa from day one. Thus, both Masjid Quba' and the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ are included in the sense of the verse. Also pointed to in this verse there is yet another merit of this masjid - that those who prayed this masjid were a kind of people who did their best to remain cleansed and pure. The word for purity used in the text is Taharah طھارا . The sense of Taharah at this place includes purity from common filth and impurities, as well as purity from sins and bad morals. Those who offered their prayers in Masjid Quba' and the Prophet's Mosque were generally equipped with all these virtues. Special Note From here we also come to know that the merit or superiority of a masjid really depends on the fact that it should have been made with absolute sincerity for the sake of Allah. And to put it conversely, there should not be any trace of duplicity, any motive to earn name, fame and recognition, or any other false and corrupting interest involved in its making. Then, we also learn that the quality of those who pray in a masjid is significant. If they are good, righteous, knowledgeable about their religion ('Alim عَالِم ) and are devoted to the worship of Allah ('Abid عَابِد ), the superiority of the masjid increases. Offering prayers in a masjid frequented by such God-fearing people is more merit worthy.

In the third (109) and the fourth (110) verses, Masjid Dirar (the harmful mosque) made by the hypocrites has been condemned as it has to be when compared with a masjid that is blessed. This has been accomplished through the use of a similitude. The surface of the land on which they were laying the foundation of their ` masjid' has been likened to a landmass that has been corroded on the inside by flowing water. The topsoil looks solid and smooth. Now, if someone starts building there, it is obvious that the whole thing would collapse instantly. Similarly, the foundation of this Masjid Dirar was inherently unstable. The result was that it collapsed and went right into the fire of Jahannam. The expression ` collapsed into the fire of Jahannam' could be figurative in its sense - in that it smoothed out the way of Jahannam for its makers. Some others have taken it in the real sense - in that the masjid, when made to collapse, went into the Jahannam. Allah knows best.

Then, in the last verse (110), it was said that this building would al-ways keep increasing the doubt and hypocrisy in their hearts unless their hearts are shredded into pieces. The sense is that their doubt, hypocrisy, envy and chagrin would go on increasing right to the end of their life.

Commentary Sequence Previous verses carried a condemnation of those staying behind without a valid excuse and missing the Jihad. The present verses take up the merit of mujahidin. The background of revelation As explained by the majority of commentators, these verses were revealed about the participants of Bai'atul-'Aqabah (the pledge of allegiance to the Holy Prophet ﷺ at al-'Aqabah) which was taken from the Ansar of Madinah before Hijrah in 'Makkah al-Mukarramah. Therefore, despite that the entire Surah is Madani, these verses have been termed as Makki. 'Al-'Aqabah' is part of a mountain. Here, it refers to the 'Aqabah that forms a part of the mountain along the Jamratu al-'Aqabah (the stone pillar of 'Aqabah) in Mina. (In our time, due to the increased number of Hujjaj [ Hajj pilgrims ], this part of the mountain has been leveled to form a smooth surface with the only exception of Jamarah [ the stone pillar ] which still stands there). It is on this 'Aqabah that a pledge of allegiance بیعۃ (bai'ah) was taken from the people of Madinah thrice. The first pledge came in the eleventh year of the Prophet's advent. Six persons embraced Islam, gave the pledge and returned to Madinah. When they arrived there, Islam and the Prophet of Islam became the talk of the town. Next year, it was during the Hajj season that twelve people assembled at the same place. Out of these, five had taken part in the first pledge while the other seven were new. All of them took the pledge. By that time, the number of Muslims in Madinah had increased to more than forty. They requested that someone should be sent to teach Qur'an to them. The Holy Prophet ﷺ sent Sayyidna Mus` ab ibn ` Umair ؓ . He taught Qur'an to Muslims present there as well as conveyed the message of Islam around, as a result of which major groups of people in Madinah entered the fold of Islam. After that, in the thirteenth year of the Prophet's advent, seventy men and women assembled at the same place. This is the third Bai'atu al-'Aqabah - and the last. Generally, when reference is made to Bai'atu al-'Aqabah, it means this very Bai'ah (pledge of allegiance). This pledge made it binding on participants that they would uphold the basic beliefs (` aqa'id عقَایٔد ) and deeds (a` mal اَعمَال ) of Islam, and would particularly be ready to take part in Jihad against the disbelievers, and protect and support the Holy Prophet ﷺ when he migrates and reaches Madinah. In this connection, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Rawahah ؓ submitted, ` ya rasulallah, a compact is being made at this time. If there are any conditions regarding your Lord or regarding yourself, let these be mentioned there clearly.' He said, ` As for Allah Ta` ala, I lay down the condition that all of you shall worship Him - and worship none but Him. As for myself, the condition is that you shall protect me as you protect your own lives, wealth, property and children.' They asked, ` if we fulfill these two conditions, what shall we get in return?' He said, ` you will get Jannah جَنَّت .' All in delight, they said, ` we are pleased with this deal, so pleased that we shall never request on our own that it be cancelled nor shall we like it to be cancelled. At this place, since the pledge took the apparent form of a transaction of give and take, this verse (111) was revealed in the terminology of a business deal: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اشْتَرَ‌ىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ. (Surely, Allah has bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, against which Paradise shall be for them). After hearing this verse, Sayyidna Bara' ibn Ma` rur, Abu al-Haitham and As'ad ؓ عنہم were the first ones who placed their hands on the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They were promising in effect that they were readily agreeable to this deal and they would protect the Holy Prophet ﷺ as they protected their family and would stand by him to face any challenge, even if it came from the combined forces of the blacks and whites on this Earth. This is the very first verse of Jihad Injunctions of Jihad did not exist during the early Makkah period. This is first verse about fighting and killing which was revealed in Makkah al-Mukarramah itself, though its implementation began after Hijrah. After that, came another verse: (Permission [ to fight ] has been given to those who are being fought against - al-Hajj 22:39). When this Bai'atu al-'Aqabah (pledge of 'Aqabah) was concluded in secret from the disbelievers of Makkah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ordered his noble Companions to migrate from Makkah to Madi-nah. Groups of them started migrating gradually. The Holy Prophet ﷺ remained behind waiting for the permission from Allah Ta` ala. When Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ decided to migrate, he held him back so that he could accompany him. (This whole event has been described in Tafsir Mazharl with relevant references) We can now move to the second sentence of the verse (111): يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِي التَّوْرَ‌اةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ وَالْقُرْ‌آنِ (They fight in the way of Allah, and kill and are killed ... a promise on His part which is true (as made) in the Torah and the Injil and the Qur'an). This verse tells us that fighting in the way of Allah was a commandment also revealed for past communities in their Scriptures. As for the popular assumption that there is no injunction of Jihad in the Injil, it is possible that, as part of the changes made by people who came later, the injunctions of Jihad were expunged. Allah knows best. At the end of the verse (111), it was said: فَاسْتَبْشِرُ‌وا ِبَيْعِكُمُ (So, rejoice in the deal you have made). The agreement arrived at with the Holy Prophet ﷺ in this event of the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah had, on the surface, turned into a sort of buying and selling deal. Therefore, it was expressed through the word: شراء (Allah has bought) at the beginning of the verse. In the present sentence, Muslims were told that they had struck a good deal which will bring blessings for them. The reason was that they had tendered their life and wealth that were mortal while that which they received in return was eternal. If we come to think about it, we would realize that wealth was the only thing they spent out. As for life, that is, the essential spirit, that will remain even after death, and remain forever. And if we were to look deeper into the reality of wealth, that too happens to be nothing but the gift of Allah Almighty. When born, human beings visit the world empty-handed. It was He who made them own everything around them and it was He who made His own gift the price of eternal blessings and gave them Paradise. Therefore, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said, ` this is a strange deal where the commodity and the price have both been given to you!' The sage, Hasan al-Basri (رح) said, ` Behold, what a profitable business is this that Allah has thrown open to every believer!' And he also said, ‘It is Allah who has blessed you with wealth and property. Spend a little out of it and buy Paradise.' (Mazhari)

The last verse (112) which begins with the words: التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ " (They are) those who repent, those who worship...) describes the attributes of the same believers about whom it was said earlier that Allah has bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, against which Paradise shall be for them. Though, the verse was revealed as relating to a particular group of participants in the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah, but the sense of the verse covers all mujahidin in the way of Allah. As for the list of their attributes which opens with: التَّائِبُونَ (those who repent), they are not there as a condition, because the promise of Paradise has been made for Jihad in the way of Allah, in an absolute sense. The purpose behind the delineation of these attributes is to stress that those who deserve Paradise do have such attributes - as was specially the case with the noble Companions ؓ who were a party to Bai'atu al-'Aqabah. The word: السَّائِحُونَ (as-sa'ihun: translated literally as ` those who journey' ), according to the majority of commentators, means those who fast صَّائِمِونَ (sa'imun). Actually, this word has been derived from: سِیَاحہ (siyahah: journey, pilgrimage). Before Islam, siyahah was taken to be an act of worship in the Christian religion that meant leaving home for the sake of worship. Islam declared it to be monasticism, and prohibited it. It was replaced with fasting as an act of worship. The reason is that siyahah taught disengagement from worldly life while fasting taught that one should abstain from worldly desires for a limited period of time living at home. It is on the same basis that Jihad too has been equated with siyahah in some reports. Ibn Majah, Hakim and Baihaqi have authentically reported that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: سِیَاحَۃُ اُمَّتِی اَلجِھَادُ فِی سَبِیلِ اللہِ (The siyahah of my ummah is Jihad in the way of Allah). Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ has said that سَآیٔحِین (sa'ihin: those who journey) in the Qur'an means: صَّائِمِينَ (sa'imin: those who fast). Explaining سَآیٔحِین (as-sa'ihin: those who journey), ` Ikrimah said, ` they are students who leave their homes to seek religious knowledge.' (Mazhari) At this place, seven attributes of believing mujahidin have been described as those who repent, those who worship, those who praise Allah, those who journey, those who bow in رُکُوع ruku`, those who prostrate in سَجدَہ sajdah, those who bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. After having enumerated these seven attributes, the eighth attribute was put as: الْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّـهِ ` those who preserve the limits prescribed by Allah.' Actually, this expression is an embodiment of all attributes mentioned earlier. In other words, the details given in those seven attributes have been eloquently reduced to one small sentence which means that they are committed to the limits set by Allah, that is, they obey, adhere to and protect the injunctions of the Shari’ ah of Islam. At the end of the verse (112), it was said: وَبَشِّرِ‌ الْمُؤْمِنِين (And give the good news to the believers). It means that the Prophet of Islam should convey to believers who have the attributes mentioned above the good news of blessings nobody could ever imagine, nor could it be explained in words, nor has anyone heard about it from any source. The reference is to the ultimate blessings of Paradise.

Commentary The entire Surah At-Taubah consists of injunctions of absolution and withdrawal from kafirs (disbelievers) and mushriks (those who associate partners with Allah). The Surah opens with the words: بَرَ‌اءَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ (Here is a withdrawal [ proclaimed ] by Allah) and that is why this Surah is also known as Surah al-Bara'ah. The injunctions appearing earlier relate to withdrawal and severance of relationships with kafirs and mushriks in this worldly life. The same injunction of withdrawal and severance of relationships appears in the present verses, but it relates to the life hereinafter. It makes it impermissible even to pray for the forgiveness of kafirs and mushriks after their death - as it appears in a previous verse (84) where the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been prohibited from offering funeral prayers for hypocrites. The background of revelation The event that was the cause or background of the revelation of this ayah has been reported in a narrative appearing in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim. According to this report, Abu Talib, the uncle of the Holy Prophet ﷺ had not, though, embraced Islam, yet he continued to support and protect the Holy Prophet ﷺ throughout his life. He did not listen to any member of his clan in this matter. The Holy Prophet ﷺ too was concerned about him. He wished that his uncle would somehow recite the Kalimah and embrace Islam. He would thus be able to intercede on his behalf and he could have his deliverance from the punishment of Jahannam. When Abu Talib was suffering from his last sickness and death became certain, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was worried. He wished if his uncle were to recite the Kalimah even now, things might work for him. He came close to him in that state of anxiety - but, Abu Jahl and ` Abdullah ibn Umayyah (disbelieving diehards) were already there. He said, ` my uncle, recite the Kalimah: لا إلہ إلا اللہ (La ilaha illallah). I shall try to seek forgiveness for you.' But, Abu Jahl interrupted, ` would you forsake the faith of ` Abd al-Muttalib (father of Abu Talib)?' The Holy Prophet ﷺ repeated what he had said several times. But, every time, Abu Jahl would say the same thing he had said before - until the last words spoken by Abu Talib were, ` I am on the faith of ` Abd al-Muttalib.' It was in this very condition that he died. Then, the Holy Prophet ﷺ swore that he would continue seeking forgiveness for him until he was prohibited from it. Thereupon, this verse of prohibition was revealed where the Holy Prophet ﷺ and all Muslims were prohibited from praying for the forgiveness of kafirs and mushriks - even if they were close relatives.

This put some Muslims into doubt. Was it not, they thought, that Sayyidna Ibrahim ؓ too had prayed for his disbelieving father? To answer it, the second verse (114) was revealed: مَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ‌ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ. In gist, it means: As for the prayer made by Sayyidna Ibrahim ؓ for his father, it was conditioned by circumstances. In the beginning, Sayyidna Ibrahim ؓ did not know that he would keep on sticking to his disbelief right through the end and would die a disbeliever. In other words, his going to Hell was not certain. That was the time when he had made the promise that he would pray for his forgiveness: سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ‌ لَكَ رَ‌بِّي (I shall ask my Lord to forgive you - Maryam 19:47). Later, when it be-came clear to Sayyidna Ibrahim ؓ that he was an enemy of Allah, that is, he had remained a disbeliever right through the end, he elected to become indifferent to him and stopped asking pardon for him. With regard to the mention of Sayyidna Ibrahim ؓ praying for the forgiveness of his father at different places in the Qur'an, it should all be taken in that sense, whereby it would mean that Allah may give him the taufiq of 'Iman and Islam so that he could be forgiven. When the disbelievers inflicted a wound on the blessed face of the Holy Prophet ﷺ during the battle of Uhud, he was seen wiping blood from his face and praying: اللَّھُمَّ اغفِرلِقَومِی اِنَّھُم لَا یَعلَمُونَ ( O Allah, forgive my people. They do not know). The object of this prayer of forgiveness for the disbelievers is no other but that Allah may bless them with the taufiq of 'Iman and Islam so that they could become deserving of being forgiven. Imam al-Qurtubi said, ` this proves that it is permissible to pray for the forgiveness of a living kafir with the intention that this disbelieving person may have the taufiq of 'Iman and become deserving of forgiveness.' In the last sentence of the verse (114), it was said: إِنَّ ِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ حَلِيمٌ (Surely, Ibrahim is oft sighing [ before Allah ], forbearing). The word: اوَّاه awwah) is used for a host of meanings. Al-Qurtubi has reported fifteen meanings of this word but they are all close to each other without any real difference between them. Some of these are: one who sighs a lot, or one who supplicates profusely, or one who is full of mercy for the servants of Allah. This (last) meaning is reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ .

Commentary In the comments on verse 102: وَآخَرُ‌ونَ اعْتَرَ‌فُوا (And there are those who admitted...), it was said that following the general call of Jihad at Tabuk which required all Muslims to join in, the people of Madinah had split into five groups. Two of them were of those who elected to stay behind without any valid excuse, a detailed description of which has appeared in previous verses. Here, in the present verses, three kinds of sincere believers have been mentioned. First were those who responded to the call of Jihad instantly. They have been identified in the initial sentence: اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَ‌ةِ (who followed him in the hour of hardship) of verse 117. The second group was of those who hesitated during the early stage but recovered soon and got ready for Jihad with other participants. They have been described in the sentence: كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِ‌يقٍ مِّنْهُمْ (after the hearts of a group of them were about to turn crooked) of the same verse (117). The third group was that of the believers who did not, though, participate in the Jihad because of their laziness at that time, yet, later on, they regretted and sought forgiveness - and ultimately, the Taubah made by them was accepted. However, their group was further divided in two types. Originally, they were ten in number. Seven out of these men demonstrated their genuine remorse and repentance instantly soon after the return of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The manner in which they did so was unusual. They tied themselves up with the pillars of the Prophet's Mosque with the resolve that they would stay tied as long as their Taubah was not accepted. The verse known as the 'Ayah of Taubah granting forgiveness for them was revealed immediately then. Details can be seen under comments on verse 102. The remaining three out of the ten were those who did not act in that manner. The Holy Prophet ﷺ asked his Companions to boycott them whereby no one was to greet or talk to them. This thing was terrible. It really disturbed them. They have been mentioned in the second verse (118) through the words: وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا (And towards the three whose matter was deferred) where comes the acceptance of their Taubah soon after which the order to boycott them was withdrawn. Before we move on to explain the first verse (117): لَّقَد تَّابَ اللَّـهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِ‌ينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ‌ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَ‌ةِ (Surely, Allah has relented towards the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Supporters who followed him in the hour of hardship) in some details, let us answer a question first. Is it not that Taubah is done because of having committed an act of sin and disobedience? The Holy Prophet ؓ is protected from that (ma` sum). What, then, would be the sense of accepting his Taubah ('relenting towards the Prophet' )? In addition to that, there were the Sahabah from among the Muhajirin and Ansar who had opted for Jihad since the very beginning. They too had not done anything wrong. For what crime had they made their Taubah that was accepted? The answer is that Allah Ta` a1a made all of them safe from sin. This was expressed as Taubah, or that Allah Ta` ala made all of them tawwab, those who turn to Allah. This indicates that no one is free from the need to make Taubah, not even the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his closest Companions ؓ - as it appears in another verse: وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (and turn towards Allah in repentance, all of you - 24:31). The reason is that the degrees and ranks of nearness to Allah are endless. Whoever has reached a certain station should realize that there is a higher station ahead and, as compared to that high station, the present one is a shortcoming. The quest must go on. Let one seek forgiveness for any shortcoming he may have at his present station so that he could move on to the next, the higher. Coming to words: سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَ‌ةِ (translated as ` the hour of hardship' ) appearing in verse 117, the Holy Qur'an has employed this expression to portray the condition of the Muslims on the occasion of this very Jihad because they were poor and straitened on many counts. Hasan al-Basri (رح) says, ` they had one mount for every ten men. They had to take turns to ride. The wherewithal required for such a trip was very short and ordinary. On the other hand, the heat was intense and scorching. Water in en route was scarce and at distances. As for the next sentence: مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِ‌يقٍ مِّنْهُمْ (after the hearts of a group of them were about to turn crooked), the زَیغ (zaigh: crookedness) of the hearts of some people referred to here does not mean some deviation from faith. In fact, it means to lose heart and wish to avoid action in Jihad because of the hardship of hot weather and the dearth of necessary supplies. Hadith narratives prove that. It was in view of these hardships they faced that their repentance was accepted.