سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 94
يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿94﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They (the hypocrites) will present their excuses to you (Muslims), when you return to them. Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) "Present no excuses, we shall not believe you. Allâh has already informed us of the news concerning you. Allâh and His Messenger will observe your deeds. In the end you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He (Allâh) will inform you of what you used to do." [Tafsir At-Tabari]
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَعْتَذِرُونَ
yaʿtadhirūna
They will make excuses
إِلَيْكُمْ
ilaykum
to you
إِذَا
idhā
when
رَجَعْتُمْ
rajaʿtum
you (have) returned
إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ
ilayhim
to them
قُل
qul
Say
لَّا
lā
(Do) not
تَعْتَذِرُوا۟
taʿtadhirū
make excuse
لَن
lan
never
نُّؤْمِنَ
nu'mina
we will believe
لَكُمْ
lakum
you
قَدْ
qad
Verily
نَبَّأَنَا
nabba-anā
Allah (has) informed us
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah (has) informed us
مِنْ
min
of
أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ
akhbārikum
your news
وَسَيَرَى
wasayarā
and Allah will see
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
and Allah will see
عَمَلَكُمْ
ʿamalakum
your deeds
وَرَسُولُهُۥ
warasūluhu
and His Messenger
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
تُرَدُّونَ
turaddūna
you will be brought back
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
عَـٰلِمِ
ʿālimi
(the) Knower
ٱلْغَيْبِ
l-ghaybi
(of) the unseen
وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ
wal-shahādati
and the seen
فَيُنَبِّئُكُم
fayunabbi-ukum
then He will inform you
بِمَا
bimā
of what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used (to)
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
do
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.
(Ayah 94) ➊ {يَعْتَذِرُوْنَ اِلَيْكُمْ …:} As mentioned earlier, this series of verses was revealed upon return from Tabuk. Allah Almighty had already informed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about their false excuses and also commanded him to say to them: Do not make excuses, we will not believe you in any way, because Allah Almighty has told us some news about you. Now it will be seen what your future attitude remains, whether you refrain from your current behavior or persist in it.
➋ {وَ سَيَرَى اللّٰهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ:} This phrase could also have been: {’’وَ سَيَرَي اللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ عَمَلَكُمْ‘‘} that soon Allah and His Messenger will see your deeds, but bringing the object {’’ عَمَلَكُمْ ‘‘} before {’’ رَسُوْلُهٗ ‘‘} clearly means that the real observer and watcher is Allah Almighty Himself, because He knows the apparent and the hidden. After that, the Messenger of Allah will also see your deeds that are apparent, but even if you satisfy the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with your outward actions and your inner state is not correct, then you will have to appear before the One who knows the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of your true reality. Some people afflicted with the disease of shirk have argued from this verse that Allah Almighty is aware of our conditions and so is His Messenger, because according to this verse, both are seeing everything. The meaning of the verse has already been explained above, but what will these people do with verse (105) of this same Surah, in which it is said: "And say: Do deeds, for soon Allah will see your deeds, and His Messenger and the believers as well." So, are the Messenger and the believers, besides Allah, also seeing everything and aware of every matter? These people would also consider themselves to be believers; if they reflect on their own status and the reach of their knowledge, the matter will become clear very soon. Also, take a look at Surah Naml, verse (65), and A'raf, verse (188), and also reflect on verse (101) of this Surah Tawbah «{ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ}».
➌ In these verses, the hypocrites are also invited to turn towards sincerity; this is a special grace of Allah Almighty that He repeatedly calls even the hypocrites in this way: Yes, do deeds, We are watching over you, if you turn back (in repentance), We will forgive you, and indeed, many hypocrites were also blessed with the wealth of sincerity. See Surah Tawbah (66) and Nisa (44, 45).
➋ {وَ سَيَرَى اللّٰهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ:} This phrase could also have been: {’’وَ سَيَرَي اللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ عَمَلَكُمْ‘‘} that soon Allah and His Messenger will see your deeds, but bringing the object {’’ عَمَلَكُمْ ‘‘} before {’’ رَسُوْلُهٗ ‘‘} clearly means that the real observer and watcher is Allah Almighty Himself, because He knows the apparent and the hidden. After that, the Messenger of Allah will also see your deeds that are apparent, but even if you satisfy the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with your outward actions and your inner state is not correct, then you will have to appear before the One who knows the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of your true reality. Some people afflicted with the disease of shirk have argued from this verse that Allah Almighty is aware of our conditions and so is His Messenger, because according to this verse, both are seeing everything. The meaning of the verse has already been explained above, but what will these people do with verse (105) of this same Surah, in which it is said: "And say: Do deeds, for soon Allah will see your deeds, and His Messenger and the believers as well." So, are the Messenger and the believers, besides Allah, also seeing everything and aware of every matter? These people would also consider themselves to be believers; if they reflect on their own status and the reach of their knowledge, the matter will become clear very soon. Also, take a look at Surah Naml, verse (65), and A'raf, verse (188), and also reflect on verse (101) of this Surah Tawbah «{ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ}».
➌ In these verses, the hypocrites are also invited to turn towards sincerity; this is a special grace of Allah Almighty that He repeatedly calls even the hypocrites in this way: Yes, do deeds, We are watching over you, if you turn back (in repentance), We will forgive you, and indeed, many hypocrites were also blessed with the wealth of sincerity. See Surah Tawbah (66) and Nisa (44, 45).
