Tafsir Surah Al-Anfal ayah 33 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Ayah

Word by Word

وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمۡ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَهُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ

وَمَا

But not

كَانَ

ٱللَّهُ

(for) Allah

لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ

that He punishes them

وَأَنتَ

while you

فِيهِمۡۚ

(are) among them

وَمَا

and not

كَانَ

ٱللَّهُ

Allah

مُعَذِّبَهُمۡ

the One Who punishes them

وَهُمۡ

while they

يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ

seek forgiveness

وَمَا

But not

كَانَ

ٱللَّهُ

(for) Allah

لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ

that He punishes them

وَأَنتَ

while you

فِيهِمۡۚ

(are) among them

وَمَا

and not

كَانَ

ٱللَّهُ

Allah

مُعَذِّبَهُمۡ

the One Who punishes them

وَهُمۡ

while they

يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ

seek forgiveness

Translation

But Allah was not going to send them a penalty whilst thou wast amongst them; nor was He going to send it whilst they could ask for pardon.

Tafsir

God then says: But God was not about to chastise them, for what they requested, while you were among them, for when chastisement is sent down it is all-encompassing, and no community was ever chastised except after its prophet and the believers had departed from it; nor was God about to chastise them while they sought forgiveness, crying, as they performed the circumambulations: 'Your forgiveness! Your forgiveness!'; it is also said that this [last clause] refers to those oppressed believers among them, similar to where God says Had they been clearly separated, verily We would have chastised the disbelievers among them with a painful chastisement [Q. 48:25].

The Makkans plot to kill the Prophet, imprison Him or expel Him from Makkah

Allah reminds;

وَإِذۡ يَمۡكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ أَوۡ يَقۡتُلُوكَ أَوۡ يُخۡرِجُوكَ

And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you (from your home, Makkah); they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the best of plotters.

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said,

لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ

(Liyuthbituka),

means ""to imprison you.""

As-Suddi said,

""Ithbat is to confine or to shackle.""

Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar, the author of Al-Maghazi, reported from Abdullah bin Abi Najih, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas,

""Some of the chiefs of the various tribes of Quraysh gathered in Dar An-Nadwah (their conference area) and Iblis (Shaytan) met them in the shape of an eminent old man. When they ﷺ him, they asked, `Who are you?'

He said, `An old man from Najd. I heard that you are having a meeting, and I wished to attend your meeting. You will benefit from my opinion and advice.'

They said, `Agreed, come in.'

He entered with them. Iblis said, `You have to think about this man (Muhammad)! By Allah, he will soon overwhelm you with his matter (religion).'

One of them said, `Imprison him, restrained in chains, until he dies just like the poets before him all died, such as Zuhayr and An-Nabighah! Verily, he is a poet like they were.'

The old man from Najd, the enemy of Allah, commented, `By Allah! This is not a good idea. His Lord will release him from his prison to his companions, who will liberate him from your hands. They will protect him from you and they might expel you from your land.'

They said, `This old man said the truth. Therefore, seek an opinion other than this one.'

Another one of them said, `Expel him from your land, so that you are free from his trouble! If he leaves your land, you will not be bothered by what he does or where he goes, as long as he is not among you to bring you troubles, he will be with someone else.'

The old man from Najd replied, `By Allah! This is not a good opinion. Have you forgotten his sweet talk and eloquence, as well as, how his speech captures the hearts By Allah! This way, he will collect even more followers among Arabs, who will gather against you and attack you in your own land, expel you and kill your chiefs.'

They said, `He has said the truth, by Allah! Therefore, seek an opinion other than this one.'

Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, spoke next, `By Allah! I have an idea that no one else has suggested yet, and I see no better opinion for you. Choose a strong, socially elevated young man from each tribe, and give each one of them a sharp sword. Then they would all strike Muhammad at the same time with their swords and kill him. Hence, his blood would be shed by all tribes. This way, his tribe, Banu Hashim, would realize that they cannot wage war against all of the Quraysh tribes and would be forced to agree to accept the blood money; we would have brought comfort to ourselves and stopped him from bothering us.'

The old man from Najd commented, `By Allah! This man has expressed the best opinion, and I do not support any other opinion.'

They quickly ended their meeting and started preparing for the implementation of this plan.

Jibril came to the Prophet and commanded him not to sleep in his bed that night and conveyed to him the news of their plot. The Messenger of Allah did not sleep in his house that night, and Allah gave him permission to migrate. After the Messenger migrated to Al-Madinah, Allah revealed to him Surah Al-Anfal reminding him of His favors and the bounties He gave him,

وَإِذۡ يَمۡكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ أَوۡ يَقۡتُلُوكَ أَوۡ يُخۡرِجُوكَ وَيَمۡكُرُونَ وَيَمۡكُرُ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيۡرُ الۡمَاكِرِينَ

And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you (from Makkah); they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the best of plotters.

Allah replied to the pagans' statement that they should await the death of the Prophet, just as the poets before him perished, as they claimed,

أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيۡبَ الۡمَنُونِ

Or do they say:""He is a poet! We await for him some calamity by time!"" (52:30)

As-Suddi narrated a similar story.

Allah next tells;

وَيَمۡكُرُونَ وَيَمۡكُرُ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيۡرُ الۡمَاكِرِينَ

they were plotting and Allah too was plotting, and Allah is the best of plotters.

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Muhammad bin Jafar bin Az-Zubayr, from Urwah bin Az-Zubayr who commented on Allah's statement,

""I (Allah) plotted against them with My sure planning, and I saved you (O Muhammad) from them.

The Quraysh claimed They can produce Something similar to the Qur'an

Allah tells;

وَإِذَا تُتۡلَى عَلَيۡهِمۡ ايَاتُنَا قَالُواۡ قَدۡ سَمِعۡنَا لَوۡ نَشَاء لَقُلۡنَا مِثۡلَ هَـذَا إِنۡ هَـذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الاوَّلِينَ

And when Our Ayat are recited to them, they say:""We have heard (the Qur'an); if we wish we can say the like of this.

Allah describes the disbelief, transgression, rebellion, as well as misguided statements that the pagans of Quraysh used to utter when they heard Allah's Ayat being recited to them,

قَدۡ سَمِعۡنَا لَوۡ نَشَاء لَقُلۡنَا مِثۡلَ هَـذَا

(""We have heard (the Qur'an); if we wish we can say the like of this).""

They boasted with their words, but not with their actions. They were challenged several times to bring even one chapter like the Qur'an, and they had no way to meet this challenge. They only boasted in order to deceive themselves and those who followed their falsehood.

It was said that;

An-Nadr bin Al-Harith, may Allah curse him, was the one who said this, according to Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Ibn Jurayj and others.

An-Nadr visited Persia and learned the stories of some Persian kings, such as Rustum and Isphandiyar. When he went back to Makkah, He found that the Prophet was sent from Allah and reciting the Qur'an to the people. Whenever the Prophet would leave an audience in which An-Nadr was sitting, An-Nadr began narrating to them the stories that he learned in Persia, proclaiming afterwards, ""Who, by Allah, has better tales to narrate, I or Muhammad?""

When Allah allowed the Muslims to capture An-Nadr in Badr, the Messenger of Allah commanded that his head be cut off before him, and that was done, all thanks are due to Allah.

The meaning of,

إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الاوَّلِين

(. ..tales of the ancients) is that;

the Prophet has plagiarized and learned books of ancient people, and this is what he narrated to people, as they claimed.

This is the pure falsehood that Allah mentioned in another Ayah,

وَقَالُواۡ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكۡتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمۡلَى عَلَيۡهِ بُكۡرَةً وَأَصِيلً

قُلۡ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعۡلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

And they say:""Tales of the ancients, which he has written down:, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.""

Say:""It (this Qur'an) has been sent down by Him (Allah) Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."" (25:5-6)

for those who repent and return to Him, He accepts repentance from them and forgives them.

The Idolators ask for Allah's Judgment and Torment!

Allah said,

وَإِذۡ قَالُواۡ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ فَأَمۡطِرۡ عَلَيۡنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاء أَوِ ايۡتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

And (remember) when they said:""O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.""

This is indicative of the pagans' enormous ignorance, denial, stubbornness and transgression.

They should have said, ""O Allah! If this is the truth from You, then guide us to it and help us follow it.""

However, they brought Allah's judgment on themselves and asked for His punishment.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَيَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَكَ بِالۡعَذَابِ وَلَوۡلَا أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَأءَهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ وَلَيَأۡتِيَنَّهُمۡ بَغۡتَةً وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

And they ask you to hasten on the torment (for them), and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not! (29:53)

وَقَالُواۡ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبۡلَ يَوۡمِ الۡحِسَابِ

They say:""Our Lord! Hasten to us Qittana (our record of good and bad deeds so that we may see it) before the Day of Reckoning!"" (38:16)

and,

سَأَلَ سَأيِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

لِّلۡكَـفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ

مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الۡمَعَارِجِ

A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall. Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert. From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent. (70:1-3)

The ignorant ones in ancient times said similar things. The people of Shu`ayb said to him,

فَأَسۡقِطۡ عَلَيۡنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

""So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!"" (26:187)

while the pagans of Quraysh said,

اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ فَأَمۡطِرۡ عَلَيۡنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاء أَوِ ايۡتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

""O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.""

Shu`bah said from Abdul-Hamid that Anas bin Malik said that;

it was Abu Jahl bin Hisham who uttered this statement,

""O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.""

So Allah revealed this Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمۡ وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَهُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ

And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.

Al-Bukhari recorded it.

The Presence of the Prophet, and the Idolators' asking For forgiveness, were the Shelters against receiving Allah's immediate Torment

Allah said,

And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

""Pagans used to go around the House in Tawaf and proclaim, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah, there is no partner with You,' and the Prophet would tell them,

قَدٍ قَد

Enough, enough.

But they would go on, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah, there is no partner with You except a partner who is with You, You own Him but he does not own!

They also used to say, `O Allah, Your forgiveness, Your forgiveness.'

Allah revealed this verse;

وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمۡ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them...).""'

Ibn Abbas commented,

""They had two safety shelters:

the Prophet, and

their seeking forgiveness (from Allah).

The Prophet went away, and only seeking forgiveness remained.""

At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Musa said that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَنۡزَلَ اللهُ عَلَيَّ أَمَانَيۡنِ لاُِمَّتِي

""Allah sent down to me two safe shelters for the benefit of my Ummah.

And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.

فَإِذَا مَضَيۡتُ تَرَكۡتُ فِيهِمُ الاۡإسۡتِغۡفَارَ إِلَى يَومِ الۡقِيَامَة

When I die, I will leave the seeking of forgiveness with them, until the Day of Resurrection.

What testifies to this Hadith, is the Hadith that Ahmad recorded in his Musnad and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, that Abu Sa`id narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ الشَّيۡطَانَ قَالَ وَعِزَّتِكَ يَا رَبِّ لَا أَبۡرَحُ أَغۡوِي عِبَادَكَ مَا دَامَتۡ أَرۡوَاحُهُمۡ فِي أَجۡسَادِهِمۡ

فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَلِي لَا أَزَالُ أَغۡفِرُ لَهُمۡ مَا اسۡتَغۡفَرُونِي

Shaytan said, `By Your might, O Lord! I will go on luring Your servants as long as their souls are still in their bodies.'

The Lord said, `By My might and majesty! I will keep forgiving them, as long as they keep invoking Me for forgiveness.'

Al-Hakim said, ""Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it.

The Idolators deserved Allah's Torment after Their Atrocities

Allah states that the idolators deserved the torment, but He did not torment them in honor of the Prophet residing among them. After Allah allowed the Prophet to migrate away from them, He sent His torment upon them on the day of Badr. During that battle, the chief pagans were killed, or captured. Allah also directed them to seek forgiveness for the sins, Shirk and wickedness they indulged in. If it was not for the fact that there were some weak Muslims living among the Makkan pagans, those Muslims who invoked Allah for His forgiveness, Allah would have sent down to them the torment that could never be averted. Allah did not do that on account of the weak, ill-treated, and oppressed believers living among them, as He reiterated about the day at Al-Hudaybiyyah,

هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ وَصَدُّوكُمۡ عَنِ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَالۡهَدۡىَ مَعۡكُوفاً أَن يَبۡلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوۡلَا رِجَالٌ مُّوۡمِنُونَ وَنِسَأءٌ مُّوۡمِنَـتٌ لَّمۡ تَعۡلَمُوهُمۡ أَن تَطَيُوهُمۡ فَتُصِيبَكمۡ مِّنۡهُمۡ مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ لِّيُدۡخِلَ اللَّهُ فِى رَحۡمَتِهِ مَن يَشَأءُ لَوۡ تَزَيَّلُواۡ لَعَذَّبۡنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ مِنۡهُمۡ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

They are the ones who disbelieved and hindered you from Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah) and detained the sacrificial animals from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may kill them and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without (your) knowledge, that Allah might bring into His mercy whom He wills if they (the believers and the disbelievers) had been apart, We verily, would have punished those of them who disbelieved with painful torment. (48:25)

Allah said here,

وَمَا لَهُمۡ أَلاَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللّهُ وَهُمۡ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُواۡ أَوۡلِيَاءهُ إِنۡ أَوۡلِيَأوُهُ إِلاَّ الۡمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

And why should not Allah punish them while they hinder (men) from Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and they are not its guardians!

None can be its guardians except those who have Taqwa, but most of them know not.

Allah asks, `why would not He torment them while they are stopping Muslims from going to Al-Masjid Al-Haram, thus hindering the believers, its own people, from praying and performing Tawaf in it'

Allah said,

وَمَا كَانُواۡ أَوۡلِيَاءهُ إِنۡ أَوۡلِيَأوُهُ إِلاَّ الۡمُتَّقُونَ

And they are not its guardians. None can be its guardians except those who have Taqwa,

meaning, the Prophet and his Companions are the true dwellers (or worthy maintainers) of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, not the pagans. Allah said in other Ayah,

مَا كَانَ لِلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ أَن يَعۡمُرُواۡ مَسَاجِدَ الله شَـهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِم بِالۡكُفۡرِ أُوۡلَـيِكَ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَـلُهُمۡ وَفِى النَّارِ هُمۡ خَـلِدُونَ

إِنَّمَا يَعۡمُرُ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَلَمۡ يَخۡشَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُوۡلَـيِكَ أَن يَكُونُواۡ مِنَ الۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

It is not for the polytheists, to maintain the Masjids of Allah, while they witness disbelief against themselves. The works of such are in vain and in the Fire shall they abide.

The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give the Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are on true guidance. (9:17-18)

and,

وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفۡرٌ بِهِ وَالۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَإِخۡرَاجُ أَهۡلِهِ مِنۡهُ أَكۡبَرُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

But a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, (2:217)

Urwah, As-Suddi and Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Allah's statement,

إِنۡ أَوۡلِيَأوُهُ إِلاَّ الۡمُتَّقُونَ

(None can be its guardians except those who have Taqwa),

refers to Muhammad and his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Mujahid explained that;

this Ayah is about the Mujahidin (in Allah's cause), whomever and wherever they may be.

Allah then mentioned the practice of the pagans next to Al-Masjid Al-Haram and the respect they observed in its vicinity

وَمَا كَانَ صَلَتُهُمۡ عِندَ الۡبَيۡتِ إِلاَّ مُكَاء وَتَصۡدِيَةً

Their Salah (prayer) at the House was nothing but Muka' and Tasdiyah.

Abdullah bin Umar, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Raja' Al-Utardi, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Hujr bin Anbas, Nubayt bin Sharit, Qatadah and Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that;

this part of the Ayah refers to whistling.

Mujahid added that the pagans used to place their fingers in their mouth (while whistling).

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ صَلَتُهُمۡ عِندَ الۡبَيۡتِ إِلاَّ مُكَاء وَتَصۡدِيَةً

(Their Salat at the House was nothing but Muka'and Tasdiyah),

""The Quraysh used to perform Tawaf (encircling the Ka`bah) while naked, whistling and clapping their hands, for Muka' means `whistling', while, Tasdiyah means `clapping the hands.""'

This meaning was also reported from Ibn Abbas, by Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-Awfi.

Similar was recorded from Ibn Umar, Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Atiyyah Al-Awfi, Hujr bin Anbas and Ibn Abza.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Umar explained the Ayah,

""Muka' means `whistling', while, `Tasdiyah' means `clapping the hands.""'

Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said that,

وَتَصۡدِيَةً

(and Tasdiyah),

means, they hindered from the path of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.

Allah said,

فَذُوقُواۡ الۡعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ

Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve.

According to Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and Muhammad bin Ishaq,

this refers to the death and capture that they suffered during the battle of Badr."

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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