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 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.
(Ayah37) {اِنَّمَا النَّسِيْٓءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ …: ’’ النَّسِيْٓءُ ‘‘} is a verbal noun on the pattern of {’’ فَعِيْلٌ‘‘ }. The meaning of {’’نَسَأَ الشَّيْءَ‘‘} is "he postponed such-and-such thing." When camels are removed from a watering place, it is said: { ’’نَسَأْتُ الْاِبِلَ عَنِ الْحَوْضِ‘‘} "I have removed the camels from the watering place." The polytheists used to practice "Nasi’" in two ways: one is the one mentioned above in footnote (4), the other is that they were accustomed to fighting and looting, and it was difficult for them to refrain from this for three consecutive months. Therefore, they would declare a sacred month, such as Muharram, as permissible, and designate the following month, Safar, as sacred instead. For them, it was only necessary to complete four sacred months in total; as for their designation, they had taken that into their own hands. This is what Allah Almighty declared as an increase in disbelief, because declaring the unlawful as lawful and the lawful as unlawful is the prerogative of Allah Almighty. Then, the times of worship with Allah Almighty, which would change according to the lunar calendar and come in every season, they had shifted them from their original times; this too was disbelief upon disbelief. Then they were pleased with this action of theirs, and Satan made their evil deeds attractive to them. «وَ اللّٰهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ » That is, now whoever insists on hiding the truth and denying it, why would Allah Almighty guide him to the straight path? The meaning of Kufr includes both hiding and denying.
