سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 98
وَمِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مَا يُنفِقُ مَغْرَمًا وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ ٱلدَّوَآئِرَ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿98﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And of the bedouins there are some who look upon what they spend (in Allâh’s Cause) as a fine and watch for calamities for you, on them be the calamity of evil. And Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمِنَ
wamina
And among
ٱلْأَعْرَابِ
l-aʿrābi
the bedouins
مَن
man
(is he) who
يَتَّخِذُ
yattakhidhu
takes
مَا
mā
what
يُنفِقُ
yunfiqu
he spends
مَغْرَمًۭا
maghraman
(as) a loss
وَيَتَرَبَّصُ
wayatarabbaṣu
and he awaits
بِكُمُ
bikumu
for you
ٱلدَّوَآئِرَ ۚ
l-dawāira
the turns (of misfortune)
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
Upon them
دَآئِرَةُ
dāiratu
(will be) the turn
ٱلسَّوْءِ ۗ
l-sawi
(of) the evil
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
سَمِيعٌ
samīʿun
(is) All-Hearer
عَلِيمٌۭ
ʿalīmun
All-Knower
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 98) ➊ {وَ مِنَ الْاَعْرَابِ مَنْ يَّتَّخِذُ … : ’’ مَغْرَمًا ‘‘} refers to compensation, fine, and penalty; loan is also sometimes called {’’ مَغْرَمًا ‘‘}. The creditor is called ghareem, because the meaning of gharam is to be necessary, to cling. The penalty also becomes necessary, and the creditor also does not let go. In Surah Al-Furqan it is said: «{ اِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا }» [ الفرقان : ۶۵ ] "Indeed, its punishment is ever clinging." That is, some Bedouins are such that whether it is zakat or jihad, whenever they give a contribution for it, it is not for seeking Allah's pleasure nor with heartfelt enthusiasm, but merely considering it a fine or penalty, they reluctantly pay it, thinking that if they do not, Muslims will look at them with suspicion and living among them will become difficult.
➋ {وَ يَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَآىِٕرَ: ’’ الدَّوَآىِٕرَ ‘‘ ’’دَائِرَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’دَارَ يَدُوْرُ دَوْرًا‘‘}, which is an active participle from (to revolve), a cycle, one who revolves, meaning they are waiting for when a sudden calamity befalls you and when you fall into the grip of some cycle of time and become a victim of decline, or when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passes away and the polytheists gain dominance over you. In reality, Allah is not only hearing their verbal abuse and inner ill-will, but is hearing every word and knows everything.
➌ {عَلَيْهِمْ دَآىِٕرَةُ السَّوْءِ: ’’ السَّوْءِ ‘‘ سَاءَهُ يَسُوْءُهُ سَوْءً ‘‘} with a fathah on the seen is a verbal noun, when someone is treated in a way that displeases him, and with a dammah on the seen it is a noun of action, meaning this evil cycle is about to come upon them, or it is a supplication that the evil cycle comes upon them. But Allah has no need for supplication; in this case, the meaning will be that their ill-will demands that this supplication be made against them, that the evil cycle turns upon them.
➋ {وَ يَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَآىِٕرَ: ’’ الدَّوَآىِٕرَ ‘‘ ’’دَائِرَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’دَارَ يَدُوْرُ دَوْرًا‘‘}, which is an active participle from (to revolve), a cycle, one who revolves, meaning they are waiting for when a sudden calamity befalls you and when you fall into the grip of some cycle of time and become a victim of decline, or when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passes away and the polytheists gain dominance over you. In reality, Allah is not only hearing their verbal abuse and inner ill-will, but is hearing every word and knows everything.
➌ {عَلَيْهِمْ دَآىِٕرَةُ السَّوْءِ: ’’ السَّوْءِ ‘‘ سَاءَهُ يَسُوْءُهُ سَوْءً ‘‘} with a fathah on the seen is a verbal noun, when someone is treated in a way that displeases him, and with a dammah on the seen it is a noun of action, meaning this evil cycle is about to come upon them, or it is a supplication that the evil cycle comes upon them. But Allah has no need for supplication; in this case, the meaning will be that their ill-will demands that this supplication be made against them, that the evil cycle turns upon them.
