Surah Tawbah ayat 43 Tafsir Quran 9:43

﴿عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ﴾
[ التوبة: 43]

9:43 May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why did you give them permission [to remain behind]? [You should not have] until it was evident to you who were truthful and you knew [who were] the liars.

The Prophet s exercising his personal judgement had given leave to a group to stay behind and so the following was revealed as a reprimand for him but with the pardon first in order to reassure his heart May God pardon you! Why do you give them leave to stay behind; why did you not leave them until it was clear to you which of them spoke the truth in their excuse and you knew those who were lying in it?

Allah bless you O Muhammad! Why did you grant them permission to be among the stay-at- home before sifting them in action to find out the truthful, and expose those who lie in their teeth

Moderately criticizing the Prophet for allowing the Hypocrites to stay behind Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Awn said, "Have you heard criticism softer than this, starting with forgiveness before criticism, عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ ( May Allah forgive you.
Why did you grant them leave... )" Muwarriq Al-`Ijli and others said similarly.
Qatadah said, "Allah criticized him as you read here, then later revealed to him the permission to allow them to lag behind if he wants, in Surat An-Nur, فَإِذَا اسْتَـْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَن لِّمَن شِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ ( So if they ask your permission for some affairs of theirs, give permission to whom you will of them ) 24:62." `Ata' Al-Khurasani said similarly.
Mujahid said, "This Ayah was revealed about some people who said, `Ask permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to stay behind, and whether he agrees, or disagrees, remain behind!"' Allah said, حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ ( ...until those who told the truth were manifest to you ), in reference to valid excuses, وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَـذِبِينَ ( and you had known the liars ) Allah says, `Why did you not refuse to give them permission to remain behind when they asked you, so that you know those who truly obey you and the liars, who were intent on remaining behind even if you do not give them permission to do so, Allah asserts that none who believe in Allah and His Messenger seek his permission to remain behind from fighting, لاَ يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ ( would not ask your leave ), to stay behind from Jihad, الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ أَن يُجَـهِدُواْ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ( Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, to be exempted from fighting with their properties and their lives. ) because they consider Jihad an act of worship.
This is why when Allah called them to perform Jihad, they obeyed and hasten to act in His obedience, وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَإِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ ( and Allah is the All-Knower of those who have Taqwa.
Those who ask your leave ), to remain behind, without a valid excuse, الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ ( those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day ), they do not hope for Allah's reward in the Hereafter for their good actions, وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ( and whose hearts are in doubt ), about the validity of what you brought them, فَهُمْ فِى رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ ( so in their doubts they waver. ) They waver in doubt, taking one step forward and one step back.
They do not have a firm stance in anything, for they are unsure and destroyed, neither belonging to these nor to those.
Verily, those whom Allah misguides, will never find a way for themselves to guidance.

(9:43) O Prophet, may Allah forgive you: why did you give them leave to stay behind? (You yourself should not have given them leave), so that it would have become clear to you which of them spoke the truth, and you would have also known which of them were liars. *45

May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why meaning

*45) Allah did not approve of the exemption which the Holy Prophet had granted to the hypocrites who had put forward lame excuses.
Though he knew it well that they were inventing false excuses, he gave them leave to stay behind because of his inherent kindness.
But Allah warned him that such a leniency was not well placed as he gave them an opportunity of hiding their hypocrisy.
Had they remained behind without getting an exemption, the false profession of their faith would have been exposed.

 

Moderately criticizing the Prophet for allowing the Hypocrites to stay behind Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Awn said, "Have you heard criticism softer than this, starting with forgiveness before criticism, عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ ( May Allah forgive you.
Why did you grant them leave... )" Muwarriq Al-`Ijli and others said similarly.
Qatadah said, "Allah criticized him as you read here, then later revealed to him the permission to allow them to lag behind if he wants, in Surat An-Nur, فَإِذَا اسْتَـْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَن لِّمَن شِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ ( So if they ask your permission for some affairs of theirs, give permission to whom you will of them ) 24:62." `Ata' Al-Khurasani said similarly.
Mujahid said, "This Ayah was revealed about some people who said, `Ask permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to stay behind, and whether he agrees, or disagrees, remain behind!"' Allah said, حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ ( ...until those who told the truth were manifest to you ), in reference to valid excuses, وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَـذِبِينَ ( and you had known the liars ) Allah says, `Why did you not refuse to give them permission to remain behind when they asked you, so that you know those who truly obey you and the liars, who were intent on remaining behind even if you do not give them permission to do so, Allah asserts that none who believe in Allah and His Messenger seek his permission to remain behind from fighting, لاَ يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ ( would not ask your leave ), to stay behind from Jihad, الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ أَن يُجَـهِدُواْ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ( Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, to be exempted from fighting with their properties and their lives. ) because they consider Jihad an act of worship.
This is why when Allah called them to perform Jihad, they obeyed and hasten to act in His obedience, وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَإِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ ( and Allah is the All-Knower of those who have Taqwa.
Those who ask your leave ), to remain behind, without a valid excuse, الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ ( those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day ), they do not hope for Allah's reward in the Hereafter for their good actions, وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ( and whose hearts are in doubt ), about the validity of what you brought them, فَهُمْ فِى رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ ( so in their doubts they waver. ) They waver in doubt, taking one step forward and one step back.
They do not have a firm stance in anything, for they are unsure and destroyed, neither belonging to these nor to those.
Verily, those whom Allah misguides, will never find a way for themselves to guidance.

( Allah forgive thee ) O Muhammad! ( Wherefore didst thou grant them leave ) give leave to the hypocrites to stay behind and not go to Tabuk ( ere those who told the Truth were manifest to you ) until those who are genuine in their faith are manifest to you upon going forth with you ( and thou didst know the liars ) about their faith, when they fail to set forth with you without leave?

May Allah forgive you (O Muhammad SAW). Why did you grant them leave (for remaining behind, you should have persisted as regards your order to them to proceed on Jihad), until those who told the truth were seen by you in a clear light, and you had known the liars?

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