Surah Anfal ayat 34 Tafsir Quran 8:34

﴿وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُ ۚ إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[ الأنفال: 34]

8:34 But why should Allah not punish them while they obstruct [people] from al-Masjid al- Haram and they were not [fit to be] its guardians? Its [true] guardians are not but the righteous, but most of them do not know.

But what plea have they now that God should not chastise them with the sword after your departure and that of the oppressed believers — if this verse is understood in accordance with the first opinion that it refers to the idolaters asking forgiveness then it abrogates the previous one for God had chastised them at Badr and in other instances — when they bar prevent the Prophet s and the Muslims from the Sacred Mosque from performing circumambulations there though they are not its guardians? as they claim? Its only rightful guardians are the God-fearing but most of them do not know that they have no rightful custodianship over it.

What excuse can they offer now to justify their wrongful deeds and bar prosecution! Therefore there is no reason why Allah should make them suffer for their offense. They have abused the act of grace and fallen from grace. They malevolently obstructed the way to the Sacrosanct House when they are not its guardians. Its guardians are those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah but most of these do not realize this fact

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 كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْىَ مَعْكُوفاً أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلاَ رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَآءٌ مُّؤْمِنَـتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَئُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكمْ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِّيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُواْ لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ 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 لَهُمْ أَلاَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ( 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 كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ T( 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 لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُواْ مَسَاجِدَ الله شَـهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُوْلَـئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ وَفِى النَّارِ هُمْ خَـلِدُونَ - إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُوْلَـئِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ( 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 وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ 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, إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ ( 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 صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( 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 صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( 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, وَمَا كَانَ صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( Their Salat at the House was nothing but Muka' and Tasdiyah. ) "Muka' means `whistling', while, `Tasdiyah' means `clapping the hands."' Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said that, وَتَصْدِيَةً ( and Tasdiyah ), means, they hindered from the path of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.
Allah said, فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ( Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve. ) This refers to the death and capture that they suffered during the battle of Badr, according to Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and Muhammad bin Ishaq.

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 كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْىَ مَعْكُوفاً أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلاَ رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَآءٌ مُّؤْمِنَـتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَئُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكمْ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِّيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُواْ لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ 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 لَهُمْ أَلاَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ( 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 كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ T( 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 لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُواْ مَسَاجِدَ الله شَـهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُوْلَـئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ وَفِى النَّارِ هُمْ خَـلِدُونَ - إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُوْلَـئِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ( 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 وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ 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, إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ ( 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 صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( 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 صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( 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, وَمَا كَانَ صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ( Their Salat at the House was nothing but Muka' and Tasdiyah. ) "Muka' means `whistling', while, `Tasdiyah' means `clapping the hands."' Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said that, وَتَصْدِيَةً ( and Tasdiyah ), means, they hindered from the path of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.
Allah said, فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ( Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve. ) This refers to the death and capture that they suffered during the battle of Badr, according to Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and Muhammad bin Ishaq.

( What (plea ) have they that Allah should not punish them) that Allah should not destroy them after you left them, ( when they debar ) Muhammad ( pbuh ) and his Companions ( from the Inviolable Place of Worship ) and circumambulate it in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah, ( though they are not its fitting guardians ) guardians of the Mosque. ( Its fitting guardians are those only who keep their duty to Allah ) those who ward off disbelief, idolatry and indecencies: i.e. Muhammad ( pbuh ) and his Companions. ( But most of them ) all of them ( know not ) this nor believe in it.

And why should not Allah punish them while they stop (men) from Al-Masjid-al-Haram, and they are not its guardians? None can be its guardian except Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2), but most of them know not.

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