At-Tawbah Explained

Name Of Surah:at-Tawbah
Arabic Name:Arabic: ٱلتَّوْبَة
Screenshot Of Surah:Tawba.pdf
Caption:from 15th century Mamluk Scribes
Classification:Madinan
Meaning Of The Name:The Repentance
Other Names:Bara'ah ("Repudiation")
Sura Number:9
Number Of Verses:129
Juz' Number:10 to 11
Hizb Number:19 to 21
Number Of Rukus:16
Number Of Sajdahs:none
Number Of Letters:11115
Previous Sura:Quran 8
Next Sura:Quran 10
Number Of Words:2505

At-Tawbah (Arabic: ٱلتوبة|lit=the Repentance) is the ninth chapter of the Quran. It contains 129 verses and is one of the last Medinan surahs. This Surah is known by two names, At-Taubah and Al-Bara'at. It is called At-Taubah in light of the fact that it articulates taubah (atonement) and informs about the conditions of its acceptance. (verse,). The name Bara'at (Release) is taken from the opening word of the Surah.[1]

It is believed by Muslims to have been revealed at the time of the Expedition of Tabuk in Medina in the 9th year of the Hijrah. The Sanaa manuscript preserves some verses, on parchment radiocarbon dated to between 578/44 bh and 669/49 ah.[2] [3]

It is the only Surah of the Quran that does not begin with Bismillah, the usual opening formula, In the name of God, 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 Muhammad did not order that this formula should be put at the beginning of this surah.[4] [5] at-Tawba's verse 40 refers to Abu Bakr as ('Second of the Two').

Summary

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.[7]

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.[8]

Folio 22, recto Visible TracesReconstructionStandard Text
Quran 9 (al-Tawbah), Verse 122
Line 3, p. 62 		ما [كـ]ﺎ ﮞ مَا كَانَ مَا كَانَ
Quran 9:122
Line 4 		مں كل ا ﻣﻪ مِن كُلِّ مِن كُلِّ
Quran 9:124
Line 9 		و ا د ا ا ٮر لٮ وَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ وَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ
Quran 9:125
Line 12 		ڡی ٯلو ٮهم ر حس فِى قُلُوبِهِم فِى قُلُوبِهِم
Quran 9:125
Line 13 		ر حر ا ا لی ر ﺣﺴ[ﻬ]ـﻢ إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ
Quran 9:125
Line 13 		و ما ٮو ا و هم ڡـ(ـﺴٯـ)[ـﻮ] ﮞ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ
Quran 9:126
Line 13 		ا [و] / / ٮر و أَوَلَا أَوَلَا
Quran 9:126
Line 15 		و لا ٮـ(ـٮـ)ـﺪ كر و ﮞ وَلَا يَتَذَكَّرُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
Quran 9:127
Line 15 		و ا د ا ا [ٮـ]ـﺮ (ﻟ)ـٮ وَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ وَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ
Quran 9:127
Line 16 		هل ٮر ٮٮا هَلْ هَلْ
Quran 9:127
Line 17 		ڡا ٮـ[ـﺼ](ـﺮ) ڡـ(ـﻮ) ا ﭑنصَرَفُوا انصَرَفُوا
Quran 9:127
Line 17 		ڡصر ڡ ا ﻟـﻠـﻪ ـصَرَفَ اللهُ صَرَفَ ٱللَّـهُ
Quran 9:127
Line 17 		د لک ٮـ(ﺎ ٮـ)//[ـﻢ] (ٯـ)ـﻮ م لا ٮڡٯهو ﮞ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
Quran 9:128
Line 18 		و لٯد حا کم لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ
Quran 9:128
Line 18 		ر سو ل ﻣٮـ(ﮑ)ـﻢ رَسولٌ رَسُولٌ
Quran 9:128
Line 19 		عر ٮر (ﻋ)ﻠ[ـٮـ](ﻪ) ما عٮٮکم عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا
Quran 9:129
Line 20 		ڡا / / (ٮـ)ـﻮ لو ا [ﻋ](ـٮـ)ـﮏ فَإن تَوَلَّوْا فَإن تَوَلَّوْا
Quran 9:129
Line 21 		ا لد ی لا ا ﻟ[ﻪ] ا لا ﻫﻮ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

Three Discourses

From opening up to the 37th ayat, the initial talk,[9] 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[10] 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,[11] 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.[12]

Exegesis

Battle of Badr

Some parts of the chapter are believed to be speaking about the help of Allah by sending the invisible army of war, particularly mentioning the battle of Badr.[13] 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,[14] Michael, Raphael 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.[15] [16] 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.[17] 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.[18] 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[21] :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.:88-89Similarly, Western Islam-scholar Rudolph F. Peters also asserts that indiscriminate killing is not supported in this verse.[22]

Verse 9:29

See main article: articles and At-Tawba 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[23] 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."[24]

Verse 9:103

In Kitab al-Kafi, Ja'far al-Sadiq 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.[25]

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.[26] [27] In another account, Ubay ibn Ka'b informed Zayd that Muhammad taught him the end of this sūrah and recited the same verses.[28] 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

    1. Policy guidelines for Muslims pertaining the mushriks.
    2. Instructions to participate in Jihad.
    3. Guidelines about hypocrisy, feeble faith, and carelessness.
    4. Battle of Tabuk.
    5. Foundation of a Dar-ul-Islam (an Islamic state).
    6. Stretching out the impact of Islam to abutting nations.
    7. Pulverizing the underhandedness of the hypocrites.
    8. Setting up the Muslims for a battle in the reason for Islam.

Hadith

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 scholar of the Indian subcontinent, 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.[37] 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:

Group From To Central theme
1 Islamic law
2 The consequences of denying Muhammad for the polytheists of Mecca
3 Glad tidings of Muhammad's domination
4 Arguments on the prophethood of Muhammad and the requirements of faith in him
5 Arguments on monotheism and the requirements of faith in it
6 Arguments on afterlife and the requirements of faith in it
7 Admonition to the Quraysh about their fate in the Herein and the Hereafter if they deny Muhammad

See also

Appendix

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 9. Surah At Taubah (The Repentance) - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an . https://web.archive.org/web/20240530164127/http://englishtafsir.com/Quran/9/index.html . 2024-05-30 . 2021-02-20 . www.englishtafsir.com.
  2. Web site: Birmingham Qur'an manuscript dated among the oldest in the world . 22 July 2015 . . 22 July 2015.
  3. Web site: 'Oldest' Koran fragments found in Birmingham University. 22 July 2015. BBC. 22 July 2015.
  4. Book: Ünal, Ali.. The Qurʼan with annotated interpretation in modern English. 2008. Tughra Books. 978-1-59784-144-3. Somerset, N.J.. 385. 234244740.
  5. Web site: Ibn Kathir . Ibn Kathir . Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al Tawbah . 22 December 2019 . Quran 4 U . Tafsir.
  6. Book: Wherry . Elwood Morris . Elwood Morris Wherry . A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes . 1896 . Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co . London.
  7. Book: Saheeh International.. The Qur'ān : English meanings and notes. 2012. Al-Muntada Al-Islami Trust. 978-9960-792-63-7. Surah 9: at–Tawbah. 840114255.
  8. Web site: Experts doubt oldest Quran claim . 27 July 2015 . Saudi Gazette . 27 July 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906130646/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150727251595 . 6 September 2015 .
  9. (vv. 1-37)
  10. (vv., 38-72)
  11. (vv. 73-129)
  12. Web site: Surah falaq-in english translation . 2023-11-18.
  13. Web site: Omar Al-Muqbil . Omar Al-Muqbil . professor Shalih bin Abdullah bin Humaid from Riyadh Tafsir center . Imad Zuhair Hafidz from Markaz Ta'dhim Qur'an Medina . Surat at-Tawbah Ayat 40 . 30 January 2022 . Tafsirweb . Islamic University of Madinah. Indonesian, Arabic.
  14. Book: al-Misri . Mahmud . Sahabat-Sahabat Rasulullah vol 1: Zubair bin Awwam . 2015 . Pustaka Ibnu Katsir . 9789791294386 . Shaja'ah Zubayr ibn al-Awwam Radhiyallahu anh (bravery of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
    by ; official Book review by Basalamah; quoting various supplementary sources such as Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Siyar A'lam Nubala, Al-Tirmidhi, Prophetic biography of Ibn Hisham, etc.
    . id, ar . Companion of the Prophet vol 1: Zubair bin Awwam . 6 November 2021.
  15. Book: Nasrulloh . Muhammad . PERISTIWA DIBALIK TURUNNYA AL-QURAN: Fakta Sejarah Pengantar Turunnya Ayat-Ayat Al-Quran . 2020 . Aghitsna Publisher . 9786236865101 . 92–93 . Indonesian, Arabic . EVENTS BEHIND THE DECENT OF THE QURAN: Historical Facts Introduction . 46: Doa Rasulullah SAW ketika perang Badar . Religion / Islam / History . ebook . Hadith from Sahih Muslim no.1763; Sahih al-Bukhari no.2915; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal no.1161; al-Tabarani vol 10 p.18110270; compiled in the book of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani vol.7 p.289 . 2 February 2022.
  16. Web site: Omar Al-Muqbil . Omar Al-Muqbil . professor Shalih bin Abdullah bin Humaid from Riyadh Tafsir center . Imad Zuhair Hafidz from Markaz Ta'dhim Qur'an Medina . 2016 . Surat Ali-Imran ayat 125 . 30 January 2022 . Tafsirweb . Islamic University of Madinah. Indonesian, Arabic.
  17. Book: Mahdi Rizqullah Ahmad . Biografi Rasulullah Sebuah Studi Analitis Berdasarkan Sumber-sumber yang Otentik . Anis Maftukhin . Yessi HM. Basyaruddin . 2017 . Qisthi Press . 9789793715568 . Maftukhin . Anis . 441–443 . id . Biography of the Prophet An Analytical Study Based on Authentic Sources . Biography & Autobiography / Religious, Religion / Islam / General, Muhammad, Prophet, d. 632 -- Biography . ebook . 9 March 2022.
  18. [Arun Shourie|Shourie, Arun]

  19. Verses 9:2 - 9:6

    See main article: articles and Sword Verse. The Quran, 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 and the Hadith are equally evocative in their support of Jihad.[18]

  20. 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.[18]
  21. Book: Afsaruddin, Asma. Striving in the Path of God: Jihad and Martyrdom in Islamic Thought. 2013-06-27. OUP USA. 978-0-19-973093-3. en. Asma Afsaruddin.
  22. Book: Peters, Rudolph. Jihad in Classical and Modern Islam. 2005.
  23. Book: Tafsir al-Kabir, al-Razi, التفسير الكبير.
  24. Book: Mustafa, al-Maraghi. Tafsir al-Maraghi. 10. p. 95. محمد مصطفى المراغي.
  25. Book: Kitab al-Kafi. Al-Kulayni. Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ya’qub. 2015. The Islamic Seminary Inc.. 9780991430864. South Huntington, NY.
  26. [Muhammad al-Bukhari|Muḥammad ibn Ismāʻīl Bukhārī]
  27. [F. E. Peters]
  28. 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.
  29. [Sahih Muslim]
  30. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  31. [Sahih Muslim]
  32. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  33. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  34. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  35. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  36. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
  37. Book: Hamiduddin Farahi, translated by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Hamiduddin Farahi. Exordium to coherence in the Quran : an English translation of Fātiḥah Niẓām al-Qurʼān. 2008. al-Mawrid. Lahore. 978-9698799571. 1st.

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