Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
May Allâh forgive you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم). Why did you grant them leave (for remaining behind; you should have persisted as regards your order to them to proceed on Jihâd ), until those who told the truth were seen by you in a clear light, and you had known the liars?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
عَفَاʿafā(May) Allah forgive
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(May) Allah forgive
عَنكَʿankayou
لِمَlimaWhy (did)
أَذِنتَadhintayou grant leave
لَهُمْlahumto them
حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
يَتَبَيَّنَyatabayyana(became) evident
لَكَlakato you
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
صَدَقُوا۟ṣadaqūwere truthful
وَتَعْلَمَwataʿlamaand you knew
ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَl-kādhibīnathe liars
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah43) {عَفَااللّٰهُعَنْكَ …:} What happened was that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out towards Tabuk, some hypocrites presented fabricated excuses and sought permission from you (peace be upon him) to remain in Madinah, even though they had already decided that even if permission was not granted, they would still not go. Now, to test them, you should have refrained from granting them permission until it became clear whose excuse was genuine and who was just making excuses, but you (peace be upon him) granted them permission to stay in Madinah before their reality was exposed. For granting this permission, Allah expressed His displeasure, but with utmost kindness and mercy, as He first informed of forgiveness before expressing displeasure, and then said, "Why did you do so?" In this, the condemnation of those who stayed behind is also clearly evident, because there were very few among them whose excuse was valid; most of them were lying.
Allah here expressed displeasure at granting permission to those who sought it from you and described them as those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, who did not want to go out for jihad, and in Surah An-Nur it is said: «اِنَّالَّذِيْنَيَسْتَاْذِنُوْنَكَاُولٰٓىِٕكَالَّذِيْنَيُؤْمِنُوْنَبِاللّٰهِوَرَسُوْلِهٖ»[ النور : ۶۳ ] "Indeed, those who ask your permission are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger." There, it means that when the hypocrites are present in collective tasks such as jihad, they slip away without asking, they do not seek permission at all, whereas the believers do not leave even in times of need without asking you.
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
43. 1. The Noble Prophet ﷺ is being addressed here: Why did you grant permission to those who sought exemption from participating in jihad, without first investigating whether they had a valid excuse or not? Therefore, clarification of forgiveness for this shortcoming has already been made. Note that this admonition was given because permission was granted hastily, and it was not considered necessary to thoroughly investigate.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(O Prophet)! May Allah pardon you. Why did you grant them permission [47] (to stay behind) until it became clear to you who were truthful and who were the liars?
[47] Declaration of Forgiveness Before Reproach Upon You:
On this occasion, the hypocrites adopted the approach of fabricating false excuses and sought your permission to remain in Madinah, and youﷺ, even though to some extent you knew that their excuse was not genuine but rather a lame pretext, due to your gentle nature, would grant them permission. However, Allah did not like this. Allah intended that the inner wickedness and deceit of these hypocrites should be exposed openly before everyone. They had no intention or courage to set out for jihad in the first place, so why should they take refuge in this permission? Why should they not come forth openly? Upon this situation, Allah’s reproach came, but at the same time, Allah manifested His utmost favor upon His beloved, that before mentioning the shortcoming, He declared forgiveness.