سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 37
إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّسِىٓءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُحِلُّونَهُۥ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا۟ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ أَعْمَـٰلِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿37﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief: thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they make it lawful one year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allâh, and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their deeds is made fair-seeming to them. And Allâh guides not the people who disbelieve.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Indeed
ٱلنَّسِىٓءُ
l-nasīu
the postponing
زِيَادَةٌۭ
ziyādatun
(is) an increase
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْكُفْرِ ۖ
l-kuf'ri
the disbelief
يُضَلُّ
yuḍallu
are led astray
بِهِ
bihi
by it
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
يُحِلُّونَهُۥ
yuḥillūnahu
They make it lawful
عَامًۭا
ʿāman
one year
وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُۥ
wayuḥarrimūnahu
and make it unlawful
عَامًۭا
ʿāman
(another) year
لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟
liyuwāṭiū
to adjust
عِدَّةَ
ʿiddata
the number
مَا
mā
which
حَرَّمَ
ḥarrama
Allah has made unlawful
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah has made unlawful
فَيُحِلُّوا۟
fayuḥillū
and making lawful
مَا
mā
what
حَرَّمَ
ḥarrama
Allah has made unlawful
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah has made unlawful
زُيِّنَ
zuyyina
Is made fair-seeming
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
سُوٓءُ
sūu
(the) evil
أَعْمَـٰلِهِمْ ۗ
aʿmālihim
(of) their deeds
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَهْدِى
yahdī
guide
ٱلْقَوْمَ
l-qawma
the people
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
the disbelievers
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.
37. 1. The meaning of نسییء is to postpone. Among the Arabs, fighting, quarreling, and looting during the sacred months was considered highly detestable. However, it was very difficult for them to abstain from killing and bloodshed for three consecutive months while observing the sanctity of these months. Therefore, they found a solution: whenever they wanted to commit bloodshed during a sacred month, they would do so and announce that another month would be considered sacred in its place. For example, by violating the sanctity of the month of Muharram, they would declare the month of Safar as the sacred month instead. Allah Almighty said regarding this that this is an increase in disbelief because the purpose of this substitution is nothing but fighting and the pursuit of worldly interests. And the Prophet ﷺ also announced its termination by saying that time has turned to its original state, meaning that from now on, the order of the months will remain as it has been since the beginning of creation.
37. 2. That is, by violating the sanctity of one month and declaring another month as sacred in its place, their purpose was that Allah Almighty has designated four months as sacred, so the count of sacred months should remain complete. In other words, in maintaining the count, they were in agreement with Allah, but they had no concern for Allah’s prohibition of fighting, quarreling, and looting. Rather, they made these substitutions only for their own oppressive actions.
37. 2. That is, by violating the sanctity of one month and declaring another month as sacred in its place, their purpose was that Allah Almighty has designated four months as sacred, so the count of sacred months should remain complete. In other words, in maintaining the count, they were in agreement with Allah, but they had no concern for Allah’s prohibition of fighting, quarreling, and looting. Rather, they made these substitutions only for their own oppressive actions.
