سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 43
عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَتَعْلَمَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿43﴾
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
عَفَا
ʿafā
(May) Allah forgive
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(May) Allah forgive
عَنكَ
ʿanka
you
لِمَ
lima
Why (did)
أَذِنتَ
adhinta
you grant leave
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَتَبَيَّنَ
yatabayyana
(became) evident
لَكَ
laka
to you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
صَدَقُوا۟
ṣadaqū
were truthful
وَتَعْلَمَ
wataʿlama
and you knew
ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
l-kādhibīna
the 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) {عَفَا اللّٰهُ عَنْكَ …:} 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: «اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَسْتَاْذِنُوْنَكَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ الَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ» [ 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.
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: «اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَسْتَاْذِنُوْنَكَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ الَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ» [ 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.
