سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 52
قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَآ إِلَّآ إِحْدَى ٱلْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِۦٓ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ فَتَرَبَّصُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ ﴿52﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say: "Do you wait for us (anything) except one of the two best things (martyrdom or victory); while we await for you either that Allâh will afflict you with a punishment from Himself or at our hands. So wait, we too are waiting with you."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
هَلْ
hal
Do
تَرَبَّصُونَ
tarabbaṣūna
you await
بِنَآ
binā
for us
إِلَّآ
illā
except
إِحْدَى
iḥ'dā
one
ٱلْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ
l-ḥus'nayayni
(of) the two best (things)
وَنَحْنُ
wanaḥnu
while we
نَتَرَبَّصُ
natarabbaṣu
[we] await
بِكُمْ
bikum
for you
أَن
an
that
يُصِيبَكُمُ
yuṣībakumu
Allah will afflict you
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah will afflict you
بِعَذَابٍۢ
biʿadhābin
with a punishment
مِّنْ
min
from
عِندِهِۦٓ
ʿindihi
[near] Him
أَوْ
aw
or
بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ
bi-aydīnā
by our hands
فَتَرَبَّصُوٓا۟
fatarabbaṣū
So wait
إِنَّا
innā
indeed, we
مَعَكُم
maʿakum
with you
مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ
mutarabbiṣūna
(are) waiting
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
52. Say also, “What you await for us is only one of the two best things, while what we await for you is that Allah will afflict you with punishment from Himself or by our hands [56]. So wait, we too are waiting with you.”
[56]
Both Muslims and Hypocrites Await Two Outcomes:
That is, O hypocrites! You are only waiting regarding us to see whether the Muslims are defeated by the King of Rome or succeed against him, while our belief is that we are always successful in every situation. If we are victorious and return home with spoils of war, even you consider that a success, and if we are martyred, that too is our success, and our conscience is satisfied that we gave our lives in the path of truth, and then in the Hereafter there is Paradise as well, as is clear from the following hadith:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has guaranteed that whoever goes out in My path, and nothing drove him out except faith in Me and belief in My messengers, then I will either return him with reward and spoils, or admit him to Paradise." [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب الجهاد من الايمان مسلم۔ كتاب الامارة۔ باب فضل الجهاد والخروج فى سبيل الله]
And Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that by "one of the two good things" is meant victory or martyrdom. [ بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير] And our view regarding you is also related to two things. It is certain that you will be punished. Now we are waiting to see whether Allah Himself sends you a punishment, or He makes you suffer at our hands. Therefore, you wait according to your thinking, and we wait according to ours.
[56]
Both Muslims and Hypocrites Await Two Outcomes:
That is, O hypocrites! You are only waiting regarding us to see whether the Muslims are defeated by the King of Rome or succeed against him, while our belief is that we are always successful in every situation. If we are victorious and return home with spoils of war, even you consider that a success, and if we are martyred, that too is our success, and our conscience is satisfied that we gave our lives in the path of truth, and then in the Hereafter there is Paradise as well, as is clear from the following hadith:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has guaranteed that whoever goes out in My path, and nothing drove him out except faith in Me and belief in My messengers, then I will either return him with reward and spoils, or admit him to Paradise." [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب الجهاد من الايمان مسلم۔ كتاب الامارة۔ باب فضل الجهاد والخروج فى سبيل الله]
And Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that by "one of the two good things" is meant victory or martyrdom. [ بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير] And our view regarding you is also related to two things. It is certain that you will be punished. Now we are waiting to see whether Allah Himself sends you a punishment, or He makes you suffer at our hands. Therefore, you wait according to your thinking, and we wait according to ours.
