Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 112

(Ayah 112) ➊ In this verse, Allah Almighty has mentioned nine qualities of true striving believers. In the first six qualities, the relationship is only with Allah Almighty; the seventh and eighth qualities relate to creation, and the last relates to both.
➋ { اَلتَّآىِٕبُوْنَ:} Those who, feeling remorse for their sins, resolve to abandon them and seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, because repentance is complete when all three are combined. In the battlefield, nothing is more beneficial than repentance and seeking forgiveness, as Allah Almighty has mentioned the prayer of those who fought alongside many prophets: «{ وَ مَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ قَالُوْا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوْبَنَا وَ اِسْرَافَنَا فِيْۤ اَمْرِنَا وَ ثَبِّتْ اَقْدَامَنَا وَ انْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ }» [ آل عمران : 147 ] "And their only words were that they said: 'Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our excess in our affairs, make our feet firm, and help us against the disbelieving people.'"
➌ { الْعٰبِدُوْنَ الْحٰمِدُوْنَ:} Those who worship Allah in hardship and ease, in happiness and sorrow, in comfort and difficulty, and who praise Him and remain content with Him in every situation.
➍ { السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ: ’’سَاحَ يَسِيْحُ سِيَاحَةً‘‘} means water flowing and spreading over the earth. {’’ اَلسِّيَاحَةُ ‘‘ } means to set out in the land (leaving home and family) for worship. (Qamoos) Since this involves abandoning comfort and luxury and renouncing the world, in Christianity it took the form of monasticism, which Allah Almighty forbade, as He said: «{ وَ رَهْبَانِيَّةَ اِبْتَدَعُوْهَا مَا كَتَبْنٰهَا عَلَيْهِمْ }» [ الحدید : ۲۷ ] "And monasticism (withdrawal from the world) they invented for themselves; We did not prescribe it for them." Now, its form is migration for the sake of Allah Almighty, that if one cannot practice Allah's religion or invite to it, he should leave and go elsewhere in Allah's land. See Surah An-Nisa (97 to 100), Az-Zumar (10), and Al-Ankabut (53). One form is striving in the way of Allah, in which the struggler leaves home, abandons comfort and luxury, and travels to the most difficult and beautiful places in Allah's land to raise Allah's name high and proclaims Allah's word everywhere. It is narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to travel (for worship)." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: [ اِنَّ سِيَاحَةَ اُمَّتِي الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ] [أبوداوٗد، الجھاد، باب فی النھی عن السیاحۃ : ۲۴۸۶، و صححہ الألبانی ] "The travel of my Ummah is striving in the way of Allah." According to some scholars, {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘ } also includes those students who travel from city to city to learn Allah's religion. One form is the fast of {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘}, in which a person, along with abandoning all sins, gives up his three most beloved things: eating, drinking, and intimacy with his wife. {’’السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘} means "those who fast." This has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them), and many Tabi'een. (Ibn Kathir) In a narration from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ اَلسَّائِحُوْنَ هُمُ الصَّائِمُوْنَ ] "'As-Sa'ihoon' are those who fast." (Mustadrak, etc., but Shaykh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it weak in Silsilah Da'eefah 3729.)
Shah Abdul Qadir, may Allah have mercy on him, says that detachment is either fasting, migration, or not being attached to the pleasures of the world. (Mawdhih) If we consider the literal meaning of {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ ‘‘} and the authentic hadith, then those who travel the earth for migration, striving, raising the religion, or other good purposes are its real examples. The system of passports and visas was implemented by the disbelievers in their own and Muslim countries to end this characteristic of Muslims, because through travel, migration, striving, seeking knowledge, preaching, trade, and countless benefits are achieved, which continued as long as Muslims traveled the whole earth and were honored with this strength. When they sat at home and became comfort-seeking, the disbelievers' aim was fulfilled.
➎ {الرّٰكِعُوْنَ السّٰجِدُوْنَ:} Its foremost examples are those who, in addition to obligatory prayers, also perform voluntary prayers, about whom even the disbelievers testified: {’’هُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ رُهْبَانٌ وَبِالنَّهَارِ فُرْسَانٌ‘‘} that they are monks at night and horsemen by day. Otherwise, at the very least, being steadfast in obligatory prayers is fundamental for this. Considering oneself a merchant of Paradise while abandoning prayer is nothing but deceiving oneself.
➏ {الْاٰمِرُوْنَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ … :} That is, those who, by enjoining good and forbidding evil, make disbelievers into Muslims and urge Muslims to act upon Islam, and not only others, but themselves also strictly observe every limit and obey every command of Allah. In {’’ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ‘‘}, due to the definite article "al," it has been translated as "those believers," meaning that only believers possessing these qualities are entitled to glad tidings, not mere claimants.