Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 124

(Ayah 125,124) ➊ The increase in the letters of {وَ اِذَا مَاۤ اُنْزِلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ … : ’’ يَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَ‘‘} indicates an increase in meaning, such a tremendous joy whose effects are also visible on the face. By {’’ سُوْرَةٌ ‘‘ }, it can mean the entire surah or even a portion of verses. Upon the revelation of any surah, there is a clear difference between the acceptance of it by the believers and the hypocrites; the excellence of the seed is not beneficial without the capability of the soil, thus the hypocrites, in mockery or to cast doubt among some weak-faith Muslims, ask each other: "Whose faith among you has increased with these verses?" It is said that the faith of the believers increases with them, in the knowledge and certainty of the heart, in verbal affirmation, and in action as well, and the name of all three is faith. {’’وَ هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَ‘‘} And they become very happy, whose effects are also evident on their faces, and those whose hearts have the disease of disbelief and hypocrisy, they were deniers of the earlier surahs and verses as well, and when they denied this too, another layer of disbelief was added to their hearts and it became the cause of their death upon disbelief.

➋ This verse and many other verses of the Noble Qur’an explicitly state the increase of faith in clear words. Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, in his Sahih, at the beginning of the Book of Faith, has mentioned eight verses and then many hadiths which clearly indicate the decrease and increase of faith, and not only in terms of action, but also in the affirmation and certainty itself, indicating decrease and increase. It is astonishing about those scholars of hadith and tafsir who spend their whole lives teaching Sahih Bukhari and the Noble Qur’an, but when the verses and hadiths about the increase or decrease of faith come, they either reject them by saying they are against their school of thought, or they interpret them in such a way that is clearly against the intent of the verses and hadiths, and such interpretation is more deserving to be called distortion rather than interpretation. Perhaps at this time, no one can speak before them, but what interpretation will they present before that Pure Lord who increases faith and certainty in the hearts of the believers with the verses? And what answer will those people give to Allah Almighty who say that my faith and that of Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and my faith and that of Jibreel, peace be upon him, is the same, because faith is equal for everyone, there is neither decrease nor increase in it. They should think for themselves, do they have the same certainty in Allah, His Messenger, and the Hereafter as Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and Jibreel, peace be upon him, had?

124. 1 In this surah, the character of the hypocrites has been exposed; these verses are its remainder and conclusion. It is being stated that when, in their absence, a surah or a part of it is revealed and the matter comes to their knowledge, they mockingly say to each other, "Whose faith among you has increased because of this?"

124. 2 Allah Almighty said, whatever surah is revealed, it increases the faith of the believers, and they rejoice at the increase in their faith. This verse is also evidence that faith increases and decreases, just as is the position of the hadith scholars.

124. And whenever a (new) surah is revealed, there are six people among the hypocrites who say (to the believers): "Which of you has this surah increased in faith [143]?" As for those who believe, it has indeed increased them in faith, and they rejoice at its revelation.

[143] That is, the hypocrites express their inner malice by mockingly asking this question to their fellow hypocrites or to Muslims of weak faith, implying that there is nothing in this surah that could increase faith and certainty.