سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 84
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ ﴿84﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And never (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave. Certainly they disbelieved in Allâh and His Messenger, and died while they were Fâsiqûn (rebellious, - disobedient to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And not
تُصَلِّ
tuṣalli
you pray
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
for
أَحَدٍۢ
aḥadin
any
مِّنْهُم
min'hum
of them
مَّاتَ
māta
who dies
أَبَدًۭا
abadan
ever
وَلَا
walā
and not
تَقُمْ
taqum
you stand
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
by
قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ
qabrihi
his grave
إِنَّهُمْ
innahum
Indeed, they
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَرَسُولِهِۦ
warasūlihi
and His Messenger
وَمَاتُوا۟
wamātū
and died
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they were
فَـٰسِقُونَ
fāsiqūna
defiantly disobedient
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.
84. 1 Although this verse was revealed regarding the chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubayy, its ruling is general; every person whose death occurs upon disbelief and hypocrisy is included in it. Its context of revelation is that when Abdullah bin Ubayy passed away, his son Abdullah (who was a Muslim and bore the same name as his father) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and requested, "Please grant me your shirt (as a blessing) so that I may shroud my father in it. Secondly, please lead his funeral prayer." You ﷺ granted him your shirt and went to lead the funeral prayer. Hazrat Umar said to you ﷺ, "Allah Almighty has forbidden you from offering the funeral prayer for such people, so why do you pray for their forgiveness?" You ﷺ replied, "Allah Almighty has given me a choice," meaning He has not forbidden it. Allah Almighty has said, "If you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will never forgive them," so I will ask forgiveness for them more than seventy times. Thus, you led the funeral prayer. Upon this, Allah Almighty revealed this verse and absolutely prohibited praying for forgiveness for the hypocrites in the future (Sahih Bukhari).
84. 2 This is the reason for not offering the funeral prayer and not praying for forgiveness. Its meaning is that for those whose end is upon disbelief and wickedness, neither should their funeral prayer be offered nor is it permissible to pray for their forgiveness. In one hadith, it is even mentioned that when the Prophet ﷺ reached the graveyard, he found out that Abdullah bin Ubayy had already been buried, so he ﷺ had him exhumed, placed him on his knees, put his saliva on him, and clothed him in his shirt (Sahih Bukhari). From this, it is understood that whoever is deprived of faith, even the prayer for forgiveness and intercession of the greatest personality in the world will not benefit him.
84. 2 This is the reason for not offering the funeral prayer and not praying for forgiveness. Its meaning is that for those whose end is upon disbelief and wickedness, neither should their funeral prayer be offered nor is it permissible to pray for their forgiveness. In one hadith, it is even mentioned that when the Prophet ﷺ reached the graveyard, he found out that Abdullah bin Ubayy had already been buried, so he ﷺ had him exhumed, placed him on his knees, put his saliva on him, and clothed him in his shirt (Sahih Bukhari). From this, it is understood that whoever is deprived of faith, even the prayer for forgiveness and intercession of the greatest personality in the world will not benefit him.
