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At-Tawbah () is the ninth chapter () of the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
. It contains 129 verses () and is one of the last Medinan surahs. This Surah is also known as Al-Bara'ah (). It is called At-Tawbah in light of the fact that it articulates tawbah ( repentance) and informs about the conditions of its acceptance. ( verse , ). The name Bara'at (release) is taken from the opening word of the Surah. It is believed by
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
to have been revealed at the time of the
Expedition of Tabuk The Expedition of Tabuk (; ''Ghazwat Tabūk''), also known as the Campaign of Hardship (''Ghazwat al-ʿUsrah''), was a military campaign that was initiated by the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in October 630 CE (Raja ...
in
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
in the 9th year of the ''
Hijrah The Hijrah, () also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the e ...
''. The Sanaa manuscript preserves some verses, on parchment radiocarbon dated to between 578/44 bh and 669/49 ah. It is the only Surah of the Quran that does not begin with ''Bismillah'', the usual opening formula, ''In the name of
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate''. It deals with almost the same topics as those dealt with in Surat al-Anfal. In contrast to all other surahs, the
Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
did not order that this formula should be put at the beginning of this surah. At-Tawba's verse 40 refers to
Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
as ('Second of the Two').


Summary

*1 Allah makes a declaration of disassociation from the polytheists. *2 they can travel freely for 4 months *3 It would be better if they repent *4 Polytheists who didn’t break any treaty are to be spared and treated with respect until time of treaty is over *5 after the Sacred months have passed Polytheists are to be killed but if they repent they are accepted *6 Any Polytheist who goes to Muslims and asks for protection is to be granted protection so they can hear the words of Allah *7 Polytheists who upheld treaties not to be harmed *8 Polytheists rebuked for not observing treaty believing they have the upper hand *9 Polytheists rebuked for exchanging the signs of Allah and averting from his way *10 Those who broke the treaties are the transgressors *11 If those who broke the treaties become Muslims they are regarded as brothers to the believers *12 Muslims are told to fight the leaders of disbelief *13-16 Muslims exhorted to fight against the truce-breakers *17-18 All but Muslims to be excluded from the sacred temples *19 Abbás rebuked for his vainglory *20-22 The Muhajirun assigned the first rank among Muslims—their reward *23-24 True believers to refuse friendship with nearest kin if they be infidels *25-27 The Battle of Hunayn victory due to God's help *28 Idolators excluded from the
Kaaba The Kaaba (), also spelled Kaba, Kabah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaba al-Musharrafa (), is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and Holiest sites in Islam, holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Sa ...
* 29 The Jews and Christians to be attacked (if they refuse to pay the
Jizya Jizya (), or jizyah, is a type of taxation levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya without specifying its rate or amount,Sabet, Amr (2006), ''The American Journal of Islamic Soc ...
tax) *30 Jews and Christians reproved for applying the epithet “ Son of God” to Uzayr and
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
*31-32 They take their priests and monks and Jesus as Lords besides Allah. *33 Islam superior to all other religions *34-35 Stingy Muslims likened to covetous monks—their punishment *36 Infidels may be attacked in sacred months *37 The sacred months not to be transferred *38–41 Muslims exhorted to go on expedition to Tabuk by reference to God's help to Muhammad and
Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
in the cave; Abu Bakr is referenced as ('Second of the Two') *42 The lukewarm Muslims rebuked for wishing to stay at home *43 Muhammad rebuked for excusing some of these from going *44-46 Willingness to fight for Muhammad, a test of faith *47-50 Seditious Muslims rebuked *51-52 The sure reward of the faithful *53-55 God refuses the offerings of infidels and hypocrites *55 The wealth and prosperity of infidels a sign of their reprobation *56-57 Half-hearted Muslims reproved *58-59 Those who had spread libellous reports regarding Muhammad's use of alms rebuked *60 How alms should be expended *61-69 Grumblers and hypocrites threatened *70 They are warned by the example of the wicked in former ages *71-72 The faithful described—their rewards *73-74 Hypocrites denounced and threatened *76-78 Prosperity of infidels a prelude to their destruction *79 God shall scoff at the scoffers *80 The defamers of the faithful shall never be forgiven *81-83 Punishment of the “stayers at home” *84 Muhammad forbidden to pray at the grave of unbelievers and hypocrites *85-87 The Prophet not to wonder at the prosperity of the wicked *88-89 Reward of those who assist the Apostle in his wars *90 Hypocritical Arabs of the desert reproved *91-92 Who may lawfully remain at home in time of war *93-96 Other hypocrites reproved *97-98 The Bedouin, the worst of hypocrites *99 Some of them true believers *100 The reward of the Ansars and Muhájjirín *101 The desert Arabs and some of the people of Madína reproved *102-105 The penitent confessors in Madína are pardoned *106 Others await God's decision in their case *107-110 Denunciation against those who built a Masjid in opposition to Muhammad and his faithful ones *111-112 True believers are sold to God *113 Muslims not to pray for idolatrous relatives *114 Why Abraham prayed for his idolatrous parents *115-117 God merciful to the faithful *118 The three recreant Ansars pardoned *119-121 The people of Madína rebuked for want of loyalty to Muhammad *122 Some believers excused from going to war *123 True believers to war against neighbouring infidels and hypocrisy *124-127 Reproof of those who doubt the revelations of God and Muhammad *128-129 The Apostle trusts in the help of God


Omission of Bismillah

Out of all 114 Surahs of the Quran this is the only one to which Bismillah is not prefixed. Among the explanations put forward for his not doing so, the most commonly accepted according to Unal is that, like the Islamic salutation, ''Peace be upon you'', the expression, ''In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate'' conveys security and giving of quarter to those addressed. However, ''Surat at-Tawbah'' begins with an ultimatum to certain polytheists in Arabia. It deals, for the most part, with a re-evaluation of the relations with the polytheists who were frequently violating their agreements, the campaign to Tabuk, a disclosure of the intrigues of the hypocrites in Madinah(9:64-67, 101), the importance of ''jihad'' in God's cause(9:24), and relationships with the People of the Book.


Sanaa manuscript folio 22, Q9:122-129

Verses 122-129 are preserved in Folio 22 of the Sanaa manuscript. The sequence of Sanaa 1 chapters do not follow any other known quranic order and folio 22 is shared with Chapter 19 (Mary). Saudi-based experts in Quranic history emphasize that while Muhammad was alive, Quranic texts did not follow any standard sequence of surahs.


Three Discourses

From opening up to the 37th ayat, the initial talk, was uncovered in Zil-Qa'adah A.H. 9. As the significance of the subject of the talk required its affirmation on the event of Hajj Muhammad dispatched Ali to follow Abu Bakr, who had just left for Makkah to lead the Pilgrims to the Ka'abah. He trained Ali to convey the talk before the representatives of the various clans of Arabia in order to advise them regarding the new policy guidelines pertinent to the mushriks. Starting from ayat 38 up to 72nd ayat the subsequent talk was revealed during Rajab A.H. 9 or a little before this, when Muhammad was occupied with getting ready for the Campaign of Tabuk. The Believers were encouraged to take a dynamic part in Jihad, and the shirkers were seriously reproached for keeping down their riches and for wavering to forfeit their lives in the path for Allah due to their hypocrisy, powerless belief(iman) or carelessness. The final section of ayaat 73rd to last, was uncovered on his return from the Campaign of Tabuk. There are a few pieces revealed in different events during the same time frame and were incorporated by Muhammad into the Surah as per instructions from Allah. This talk cautions the hypocrites of their malevolent deeds and censures those Believers who had remained behind in the Campaign of Tabuk. At that point in the wake of berating them, Allah exculpates those genuine Believers who had not partaken in the Jihad in the Way of Allah for one explanation or the other. In the middle of the ayat 97 In other words, apart from hypocrisy, one of their defects is that they did not even keep in touch with the Muslims of Madinah through which they would have known the rules of Sharia. That is, these people want the Muslims to fall into such a cycle of trouble that these people get freedom from the kind of commands that they find very difficult to follow.  Especially on the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk, these people had the hope that this time the Muslims were facing the great power of Rome, so maybe this time they would lose all their power after being defeated by the Romans.  Further, Allah Ta'ala said that in reality these people are lying in the cycle of self-hypocrisy, which will cause them to be disgraced both in this world and in the hereafter.


Exegesis


Battle of Badr

Some parts of the chapter are believed to be speaking about the help of
Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
by sending the invisible army of war, particularly mentioning the battle of Badr. According to Muhammad Sulaiman al-Ashqar from Islamic University of Madinah, who quoted several contemporary and classical scholars, the invisible army here were the Angels army consisted of
Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...
,
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
,
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
and thousands of best angels from the third level of heaven, all came to the battle of Badr by impersonating the appearance of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, companion of Muhammad. are deemed as his other personal virtue and venerable status according to Islamic belief. Meanwhile, Mahdi Rizqullah has compiled the commentary from classical Islamic scholars, that the verse narration about the angels attendance in the battle were also supported by hadiths from hadith collection from Muslim ibn Hajjaj, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and the also from Quranic historiography work by
Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...
. Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani gave commentary of another supportive narration from al-Baihaqi and Ibn Ishaq, through various hadith narration chains about the testimony from several different sahabah. This included the narration of Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib who at that time fought on the side of Qurayshite polytheist, who testified that he has been taken captive on the aftermath of the battle by a horse rider whom he did not recognize at all from Muslims rank. According to the hadith authority from Ahmad ibn Hanbal, The captor of Abbas were confirmed by Muhammad as one of the angel who helped the Muslims during this battle.


Verses 9:2 - 9:6

The
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
, chapter 9 ( At-Tawba), verses 2–6: is termed as the ''Sword Verse''. The journalist Arun Shourie has criticized this and many other verses from the Quran contending that the
Sunnah is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed, and passed on to the next generations. Diff ...
and the
Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
are equally evocative in their support of Jihad. Many mainstream Islamic scholars, however, assert that this verse relates to a very specific event in early Islamic history i.e. the covenant that was made and consecutively broken by the polytheist tribes of Mecca:74-91. Some think they very easily bypass the fact that Quran is often quoted by Islamic scholars to be the book perfect for all times and all places and all humans, and if it is so, its verses never need a historical context at all. On the other hand, even if the Quran are not supposed to have a historic contextual explanation the context provided (such as the unfaithfulness in pacts and treatises) are mentioned in the previous verses, thus a part of the Quran itself instead of an "out-world" context relations. According to Asma Afsaruddin, citing various early exegetes' opinions regarding the Arab polytheists, the consensus among the earliest commentators has been that this does not translate into indiscriminate killing.:88-89 Similarly, Western Islam-scholar Rudolph F. Peters also asserts that indiscriminate killing is not supported in this verse.


Verse 9:29

At-Tawbah also contains: Al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210), on this occasion quoted an early exegetical authority, Abū Rawq (d. 140/757), who explained that this verse was not a unilateral condemnation of all Jews and Christians, but those "who do not heed the prescriptions contained in the Torah and the Gospel, respectively". Similarly Al-Qurṭubī (d. 671/1273) "did not read into Qurān 9:29 a wholesale denunciation of the People of the Book as an undifferentiated collectivity".:278 Modern Muslim scholars like Muhammad Abduh shared similar views, agreeing that this verse was revealed on the occasion of the military campaign in Tabuk, and this verse specifically deals with the People of the Book", and also that "the only kind of legitimate war on which there is unanimity among Muslim scholars is the defensive war when proclaimed by the Imām in the event of an attack upon Muslim territory". The Grand Imam of al-Azhar from 1935 to 1945, Mustafa Al-Maraghi, notes that 9:29 means: "fight those mentioned when the conditions which necessitate fighting are present, namely, aggression against you or your country, oppression and persecution against you on account of your faith, or threatening your safety and security, as was committed against you by the Byzantines, which was what led to Tabuk."


Verse 9:103

In Kitab al-Kafi,
Ja'far al-Sadiq Ja'far al-Sadiq (; –765) was a Muslim hadith transmitter and the last agreed-upon Shia Imam between the Twelvers and Isma'ilis. Known by the title al-Sadiq ("The Truthful"), Ja'far was the eponymous founder of the Ja'fari school of Isla ...
has narrated that Imams are not needy to what people own but rather collect religious tax on accord that Allah said, "Take from their wealth (religious tax) and charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase and invoke blessings upon them." Therefore, it is the people who need that the Imam accepts from them.


Q9:29 in Hadith

According to Zayd ibn Thabit, when the Qu'ran was first being compiled, he found the last verses of this Surah in the possession of Abu al-h al-Ansari and no one else. In another account,
Ubay ibn Ka'b Ubayy ibn Ka'b (, ') (died 649), also known as Abu Mundhir, was a Sahabah, companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a person of high esteem in the early Muslim community. He was short, skinny, and gray haired. He is notable for the Codex of ...
informed Zayd that Muhammad taught him the end of this ''sūrah'' and recited the same verses.Ahmad Ali Al-Imam
''Variant Readings of the Qurʼan: A Critical Study of Their Historical and Linguistic Origins,''
International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2006 pp.28-29.
Some, like Ibn Hazm, suggested that Abu Khuzayma was the only one to have the last verses in written form, as Zayd and others had memorized them. In a continuum of Surah Al-Anfal, this Surah additionally manages the issues of harmony and war and puts together the subject with respect to the Tabuk Expedition. The Significant Issues, Divine Laws and pieces of Guidance incorporated in this surah are as follows # # Policy guidelines for Muslims pertaining the mushriks. # # Instructions to participate in Jihad. # # Guidelines about hypocrisy, feeble faith, and carelessness. # # Battle of Tabuk. # # Foundation of a Dar-ul-Islam (an Islamic state). # # Stretching out the impact of Islam to abutting nations. # # Pulverizing the underhandedness of the hypocrites. # # Setting up the Muslims for a battle in the reason for Islam.


Hadith

* Abu Ishaq said that he heard al-Bara' b. 'Azib (Allah be pleased with him) say: The last complete sura revealed (in the Holy Qur'an) is Sura At-Tawbah (i e. al-Bara'at, ix.), and the last verse revealed is that pertaining to Kalala. * Narrated Sa'id ibn Jubayr: I asked Ibn `Abbas about Surat At-Tawbah, and he said, "Surat Al-Tauba? It is exposure (of all the evils of the infidels and the hypocrites). And it continued revealing (that the oft-repeated expression): '...and of them ...and of them.' till they started thinking that none would be left unmentioned therein." I said, "What about) Surat Al-Anfal?" He replied, "Surat Al-Anfal was revealed in connection with the Battle of Badr." I said, "(What about) Surat Al-Hashr?" He replied, "It was revealed in connection with Banu Nadir." * Narrated Zayd ibn Thabit Al-Ansari: who was one of those who used to write the Divine Revelation: Abu Bakr sent for me after the (heavy) casualties among the warriors (of the battle) of Yamama (where a great number of Qurra' were killed). `Umar was present with Abu Bakr who said, `Umar has come to me and said, The people have suffered heavy casualties on the day of (the battle of) Yamama, and I am afraid that there will be more casualties among the Qurra' (those who know the Qur'an by heart) at other battle-fields, whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost, unless you collect it. And I am of the opinion that you should collect the Qur'an." Abu Bakr added, "I said to `Umar, 'How can I do something which Allah's Apostle has not done?' `Umar said (to me), 'By Allah, it is (really) a good thing.' So `Umar kept on pressing, trying to persuade me to accept his proposal, till Allah opened my bosom for it and I had the same opinion as `Umar." (Zaid bin Thabit added:) `Umar was sitting with him (Abu Bakr) and was not speaking. me). "You are a wise young man and we do not suspect you (of telling lies or of forgetfulness): and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger. Therefore, look for the Qur'an and collect it (in one manuscript). " By Allah, if he (Abu Bakr) had ordered me to shift one of the mountains (from its place) it would not have been harder for me than what he had ordered me concerning the collection of the Qur'an. I said to both of them, "How dare you do a thing which the Prophet has not done?" Abu Bakr said, "By Allah, it is (really) a good thing. So I kept on arguing with him about it till Allah opened my bosom for that which He had opened the bosoms of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I started locating Qur'anic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men (who knew it by heart). I found with Khuza`ima two Verses of Surat At-Tawbah which I had not found with anybody else, (and they were):-- "Verily there has come to you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty He (Muhammad) is ardently anxious over you (to be rightly guided)" (9.128) The manuscript on which the Qur'an was collected, remained with Abu Bakr until Allah took him unto Him, and then with `Umar till Allah took him unto Him, and finally it remained with Hafsa, `Umar's daughter.


Placement and coherence with other surahs

The idea of textual relation between the verses of a chapter has been discussed under various titles such as ''nazm'' and ''munasabah'' in non-English literature and ''coherence'', ''text relations'', ''intertextuality'', and ''unity'' in English literature. Hamiduddin Farahi, an
Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
scholar of the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
, is known for his work on the concept of nazm, or coherence, in the Quran. Fakhruddin al-Razi (died 1209 CE), Zarkashi (died 1392) and several other classical as well as contemporary Quranic scholars have contributed to the studies. The entire Qur'an thus emerges as a well-connected and systematic book. Each division has a distinct theme. Topics within a division are more or less in the order of revelation. Within each division, each member of the pair complements the other in various ways. The seven divisions are as follows:


See also

* Repentance in Islam * Salat al-Tawbah


Appendix


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links


Quran 9
Clear Quran translation Mustafa Khattab is a Canadian–Egyptian Muslim scholar, imam, and university chaplain. He holds a professional ijâzah in the Ḥafṣ style of recitation. He is known for his translation of the Quran in "The Clear Quran" series. Career He ...

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