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Ayah
Word by Word
قُل
Say
لِّلَّذِينَ
to those who
كَفَرُوٓاْ
disbelieve
إِن
if
يَنتَهُواْ
they cease
يُغۡفَرۡ
will be forgiven
لَهُم
for them
مَّا
what
قَدۡ
[verily]
سَلَفَ
(is) past
وَإِن
But if
يَعُودُواْ
they return
فَقَدۡ
then verily
مَضَتۡ
preceded
سُنَّتُ
(the) practice
ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
(of) the former (people)
قُل
Say
لِّلَّذِينَ
to those who
كَفَرُوٓاْ
disbelieve
إِن
if
يَنتَهُواْ
they cease
يُغۡفَرۡ
will be forgiven
لَهُم
for them
مَّا
what
قَدۡ
[verily]
سَلَفَ
(is) past
وَإِن
But if
يَعُودُواْ
they return
فَقَدۡ
then verily
مَضَتۡ
preceded
سُنَّتُ
(the) practice
ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
(of) the former (people)
Translation
Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them).
Tafsir
Say to the disbelievers, such as Aboo Sufyaan and his companions, that if they desist, from unbelief and from waging war against the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, that which is past, of their deeds, will be forgiven them; but if they return, to waging war against him, the way of [dealing with] the ancients has already gone before!, that is, Our way [in dealing] with them, by destroying them: We will do the same with these ones.
"
The Disbelievers spend Their Wealth to hinder Others from Allah's Path, but this will only cause Them Grief
Allah states;
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَالَهُمۡ لِيَصُدُّواۡ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَسۡرَةً ثُمَّ يُغۡلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحۡشَرُونَ
Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto Hell.
Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Az-Zuhri, Muhammad bin Yahya bin Hibban, Asim bin Umar bin Qatadah, and Al-Husayn bin Abdur-Rahman bin Amr bin Sa`id bin Mu`adh said,
""The Quraysh suffered defeat at Badr and their forces went back to Makkah, while Abu Sufyan went back with the caravan intact. This is when Abdullah bin Abi Rabiah, Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl, Safwan bin Umayyah and other men from Quraysh who lost their fathers, sons or brothers in Badr, went to Abu Sufyan bin Harb.
They said to him, and to those among the Quraysh who had wealth in that caravan, `O people of Quraysh! Muhammad has grieved you and killed the chiefs among you. Therefore, help us with this wealth so that we can fight him, it may be that we will avenge our losses.'
They agreed.""
Muhammad bin Ishaq said,
""According to Ibn Abbas, this Ayah was revealed about them,
(
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَالَهُمۡ
... Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth... until,
هُمُ الۡخَاسِرُونَ
they who are the losers).""
Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hakam bin Uyaynah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Abza said that;
this Ayah was revealed about Abu Sufyan and his spending money in Uhud to fight the Messenger of Allah.
Ad-Dahhak said that;
this Ayah was revealed about the idolators of Badr.
In any case, the Ayah is general, even though there was a specific incident that accompanied its revelation.
Allah states here that the disbelievers spend their wealth to hinder from the path of truth. However, by doing that, their money will be spent and then will become a source of grief and anguish for them, availing them nothing in the least. They seek to extinguish the Light of Allah and make their word higher than the word of truth. However, Allah will complete His Light, even though the disbelievers hate it. He will give aid to His religion, make His Word dominant, and His religion will prevail above all religions. This is the disgrace that the disbelievers will taste in this life; and in the Hereafter, they will taste the torment of the Fire. Whoever among them lives long, will witness with his eyes and hear with his ears what causes grief to him. Those among them who are killed or die will be returned to eternal disgrace and the everlasting punishment. This is why Allah said,
فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَسۡرَةً ثُمَّ يُغۡلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحۡشَرُونَ
And so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto Hell.
Allah said
لِيَمِيزَ اللّهُ الۡخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ
In order that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good,
meaning recognize the difference between the people of happiness and the people of misery, according to Ibn Abbas, as Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from him.
Allah distinguishes between those believers who obey Him and fight His disbelieving enemies and those who disobey Him.
Allah said in other Ayat,
مَّا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ عَلَى مَأ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الۡخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطۡلِعَكُمۡ عَلَى الۡغَيۡبِ
Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghayb (Unseen). (3:179)
and,
أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواۡ الۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعۡلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواۡ مِنكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمَ الصَّـبِرِينَ
Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah (tests) those of you who fought (in His cause) and (also) tests those who are the patient. (3:142)
Therefore, the Ayah (8:37) means,
`We tried you with combatant disbelievers whom We made able to spend money in fighting you,'
لِيَمِيزَ اللّهُ الۡخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَيَجۡعَلَ الۡخَبِيثَ بَعۡضَهُ عَلَىَ بَعۡضٍ فَيَرۡكُمَهُ جَمِيعاً
in order that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good, and put the wicked one over another, heap them together,
put in a pile on top of each other,
فَيَجۡعَلَهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ أُوۡلَـيِكَ هُمُ الۡخَاسِرُونَ
and cast them into Hell. Those! It is they who are the losers.
in this life and the Hereafter
Encouraging the Disbelievers to seek Allah's Forgiveness, warning Them against Disbelief
Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad,
قُل لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ إِن يَنتَهُواۡ
Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease...
the disbelief, defiance and stubbornness they indulge in, and embrace Islam, obedience and repentance.
يُغَفَرۡ لَهُم مَّا قَدۡ سَلَفَ
their past will be forgiven.
along with their sins and errors.
It is recorded in the Sahih Al-Bukhari that Abu Wa'il said that Ibn Mas'ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنۡ أَحۡسَنَ فِي الاِۡسۡلَمِ لَمۡ يُوَاخَذۡ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الۡجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنۡ أَسَاءَ فِي الاِۡسۡلَمِ أُخِذَ بِالاَۡوَّلِ وَالاۡخِر
He who becomes good in his Islam, will not be punished for what he has committed during Jahiliyyah (before Islam). He who becomes bad in his Islam, will face a punishment for his previous and latter deeds.
It is also recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,
الاِۡسۡلَمُ يَجُبُّ مَا قَبۡلَهُ وَالتَّوۡبَةُ تَجُبُّ مَا كَانَ قَبۡلَهَا
""Islam erases what occurred before it, and repentance erases what occurs before it.""
Allah said,
وَإِنۡ يَعُودُواۡ
But if they return,
and remain on their ways,
فَقَدۡ مَضَتۡ سُنَّةُ الَاوَّلِينِ
then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded.
meaning, Our way with the nations of old is that when they disbelieve and rebel, We send down to them immediate torment and punishment.
The Order to fight to eradicate Shirk and Kufr
Allah said
وَقَاتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah, and the religion will all be for Allah alone.
Al-Bukhari recorded that;
a man came to Ibn Umar and said to him, ""O Abu Abdur-Rahman! Why do you not implement what Allah said in His Book,
وَإِن طَايِفَتَانِ مِنَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ اقۡتَتَلُوا
(And if two parties (or groups) among the believers fall to fighting...(49:9). What prevents you from fighting as Allah mentioned in His Book?""
Ibn Umar said, ""O my nephew! I prefer that I be reminded with this Ayah rather than fighting, for in the latter case, I will be reminded by the Ayah in which Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, said,
وَمَن يَقۡتُلۡ مُوۡمِناً مُّتَعَمِّداً
(And whoever kills a believer intentionally...) (4:93).""
The man said, ""Allah, the Exalted, said,
وَقَاتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ
(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah...).""
Ibn Umar said, ""We did that during the time of the Messenger of Allah, when Islam was weak and the man would be tried in religion, either tormented to death or being imprisoned. When Islam became stronger and widespread, there was no more Fitnah.""
When the man realized that Ibn Umar would not agree to what he is saying, he asked him, ""What do you say about Ali and Uthman?""
Ibn Umar replied, ""What do I say about Ali and Uthman! As for Uthman, Allah has forgiven him, but you hate that Allah forgives him. As for Ali, he is the cousin of the Messenger of Allah and his son-in-law,""
and he pointed with his hand saying, ""And this is his house over there.""
Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
""Ibn Umar came to us and was asked, ""What do you say about fighting during Fitnah?""
Ibn Umar said, ""Do you know what Fitnah refers to Muhammad. He was fighting against the idolators, and at that time, attending (or residing with) the idolators was a Fitnah (trial in religion). It is nothing like what you are doing, fighting to gain leadership!""
All these narrations were collected by Al-Bukhari, may Allah the Exalted grant him His mercy.
Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said about the Ayah,
وَقَاتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ
(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah...),
""So that there is no more Shirk.""
Similar was said by Abu Al-Aliyah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Zayd bin Aslam.
Muhammad bin Ishaq said that he was informed from Az-Zuhri, from Urwah bin Az-Zubayr and other scholars that
حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ
(until there is no more Fitnah),
the Fitnah mentioned here means, until no Muslim is persecuted so that he abandons his religion.
Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said about Allah's statement,
وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه
(and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah alone).
""So that Tawhid is practiced in sincerity with Allah.""
Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ibn Jurayj said,
وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه
(and the religion will all be for Allah alone),
""So that La ilaha illa-llah is proclaimed.""
Muhammad bin Ishaq also commented on this Ayah,
""So that Tawhid is practiced in sincerity towards Allah, without Shirk, all the while shunning all rivals who (are being worshipped) besides Him.""
Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said about,
وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلّه
(and the religion will all be for Allah alone),
""So that there is no more Kufr (disbelief) with your religion remains.""
There is a Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs that testifies to this explanation. The Messenger of Allah said,
أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَقُولُوا لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ
فَإِذَا قَالُوهَا عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمۡ وَأَمۡوَالَهُمۡ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهَا وَحِسَابُهُمۡ عَلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل
I was commanded to fight against the people until they proclaim, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.'
If and when they say it, they will preserve their blood and wealth from me, except for its right (Islamic penal code), and their reckoning is with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.
Also, in the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ashari said,
""The Messenger of Allah was asked about a man who fights because he is courageous, in prejudice with his people, or to show off. Which of these is for the cause of Allah?
He said,
مَنۡ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الۡعُلۡيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل
Whoever fights so that Allah's Word is the supreme, is in the cause of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.""
Allah said next,
فَإِنِ انتَهَوۡاۡ
But if they cease,
and desist from their Kufr as a result of your fighting them, even though you do not know the true reasons why they did so,
فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.
Allah said in similar Ayah,
فَإِن تَابُواۡ وَأَقَامُواۡ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَوُاۡ الزَّكَوةَ فَخَلُّواۡ سَبِيلَهُمۡ
But if they repent and perform the Salah, and give Zakah, then leave their way free. (9:5)
فَإِخوَانُكُمۡ فِى الدِّينِ
then they are your brethren in religion. (9:11)
and,
وَقَـتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ للَّهِ فَإِنِ انتَهَواۡ فَلَ عُدۡوَنَ إِلاَّ عَلَى الظَّـلِمِينَ
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah and the religion (worship) is for Allah (alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against the wrongdoers. (2:193)
It is recorded in the Sahih that;
the Messenger of Allah said to Usamah bin Zayd when he overpowered a man with his sword, after that man proclaimed that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah;
أَقَتَلۡتَهُ بَعۡدَ مَا قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ
وَكَيۡفَ تَصۡنَعُ بِلَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ
Have you killed him after he proclaimed, `La Ilaha Illallah!'
What would you do with regard to `La Ilaha Illallah' on the Day of Resurrection.
Usamah said, ""O Allah's Messenger! He only said it to save himself.""
The Messenger replied,
هَلَّ شَقَقۡتَ عَنۡ قَلۡبِهِ
Did you cut his heart open?
The Messenger kept repeating,
مَنۡ لَكَ بِلَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ
What would you do with regard to `La Ilaha Illallah' on the Day of Resurrection? until Usamah said, ""I wished I had embraced Islam only that day.""
Allah said next,
وَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاۡ فَاعۡلَمُواۡ أَنَّ اللّهَ مَوۡلَاكُمۡ نِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلَى وَنِعۡمَ النَّصِيرُ
And if they turn away, then know that Allah is your protector, an excellent protector, and an excellent helper!
Allah says, if the disbelievers persist in defying and fighting you, then know that Allah is your protector, master and supporter against your enemies. Verily, what an excellent protector and what an excellent supporter."
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