Surah 9 At-Tawba — Ayah 106
وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
And [there are] others deferred until the command of Allah - whether He will punish them or whether He will forgive them. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
waākharūna mur'jawna li-amri l-lahi immā yuʿadhibuhum wa-immā yatūbu ʿalayhim wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥakīmun
Word by word
- وَءَاخَرُونَ waākharūna And others
- مُرْجَوْنَ mur'jawna deferred
- لِأَمْرِ li-amri for the Command of Allah
- ٱللَّهِ l-lahi for the Command of Allah
- إِمَّا immā whether
- يُعَذِّبُهُمْ yuʿadhibuhum He will punish them
- وَإِمَّا wa-immā or
- يَتُوبُ yatūbu He will turn (in mercy)
- عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ ʿalayhim to them
- وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
- عَلِيمٌ ʿalīmun (is) All-Knower
- حَكِيمٌۭ ḥakīmun All-Wise
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Delaying the Decision about the Three Companions Who stayed away from the Battle of Tabuk
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak and several others said that those mentioned in the Ayah are the three who were made to wait to know if their repentance was accepted; Mararah bin Ar-Rabi`, Ka`b bin Malik and Hilal bin Umayyah. Some Companions stayed behind from the battle of Tabuk due to laziness, preferring comfort, ease, ripe fruits and shade. They did not lag behind because of hypocrisy or doubts. Some of them tied themselves to the pillars (of the Masjid) like Abu Lubabah and several of his friends did. Some of them did not do that, and they are the three mentioned here. Those who tied themselves received their pardon before these three men whose pardon was delayed, until this Ayah was revealed,
(Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin and the Ansar...)
(And the three who stayed behind, until for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened...) We will mention the Hadith about this story from Ka`b bin Malik. Allah said,
(whether He will punish them or will forgive them. ) meaning, they are at Allah's mercy, if He wills, He pardons them or punishes them. However, Allah's mercy comes before His anger,
(And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.) 9:106 Allah knows those who deserve the punishment and those who deserve the pardon. He is All-Wise in His actions and statements, there is no deity worthy of worship nor Lord besides Him.