سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 90
وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿90﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who made excuses from the bedouins came (to you, O Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) asking your permission to exempt them (from the battle), and those who had lied to Allâh and His Messenger sat at home (without asking the permission for it); a painful torment will seize those of them who disbelieve.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَآءَ
wajāa
And came
ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ
l-muʿadhirūna
the ones who make excuses
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْأَعْرَابِ
l-aʿrābi
the bedouins
لِيُؤْذَنَ
liyu'dhana
that permission be granted
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
وَقَعَدَ
waqaʿada
and sat
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَذَبُوا۟
kadhabū
lied
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(to) Allah
وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ
warasūlahu
and His Messenger
سَيُصِيبُ
sayuṣību
Will strike
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
a punishment
أَلِيمٌۭ
alīmun
painful
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.
(Ayah90){وَ جَآءَ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ مِنَ الْاَعْرَابِ … :} Previously, the mention was of the hypocrites and believers of Madinah; now the condition of the Bedouins around Madinah is mentioned, because among them too were both types of people, as will be mentioned ahead in Ayah (98, 99) and then (101, 102). The commentators have interpreted this in two ways, because those making excuses can be truthful or liars. Therefore, some have taken {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ‘‘} to mean those Bedouins who were true believers but could not go due to a genuine excuse. These people came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to present their excuse, and those who lied to Allah and His Messenger and were not Muslims at heart, they remained sitting in their homes; they did not even bother to come and present an excuse. Thus, among them, those who disbelieved were warned of a painful punishment, meaning imprisonment and killing in this world and being fuel for Hell in the Hereafter. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) preferred this interpretation.
Some commentators have taken {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} to mean those who presented false excuses and invalid reasons. Zamakhshari (may Allah have mercy on him) supported this view; he says that if {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of the verb taf‘il, then the meaning of {’’عَذَّرَ فِي الْأَمْرِ‘‘} is that he was lazy in the task, did not even try, and only outwardly showed that he had an excuse, though he had none. And if {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of the verb ifti‘al and its original is {’’مُعْتَذِرُوْنَ‘‘}, then even so, false excuses are meant, as is clearly coming ahead: «يَعْتَذِرُوْنَ اِلَيْكُمْ اِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ اِلَيْهِمْ» [ التوبۃ : ۹۴ ] "They will present excuses to you when you return to them." The first interpretation is supported by the fact that not every excuse-maker was a liar; rather, Allah Himself in the next verse has declared many of those with excuses to be free from sin, and even in this verse, only {’’الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا ‘‘} among both types are warned of punishment. Although the common translation of the verse leans toward the second interpretation, the statement of Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) seems weighty.
Some commentators have taken {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} to mean those who presented false excuses and invalid reasons. Zamakhshari (may Allah have mercy on him) supported this view; he says that if {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of the verb taf‘il, then the meaning of {’’عَذَّرَ فِي الْأَمْرِ‘‘} is that he was lazy in the task, did not even try, and only outwardly showed that he had an excuse, though he had none. And if {’’ الْمُعَذِّرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of the verb ifti‘al and its original is {’’مُعْتَذِرُوْنَ‘‘}, then even so, false excuses are meant, as is clearly coming ahead: «يَعْتَذِرُوْنَ اِلَيْكُمْ اِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ اِلَيْهِمْ» [ التوبۃ : ۹۴ ] "They will present excuses to you when you return to them." The first interpretation is supported by the fact that not every excuse-maker was a liar; rather, Allah Himself in the next verse has declared many of those with excuses to be free from sin, and even in this verse, only {’’الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا ‘‘} among both types are warned of punishment. Although the common translation of the verse leans toward the second interpretation, the statement of Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) seems weighty.
