The Madinan Period II, Part 4: The Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyah, Abū Baṣīr and Sūrat al-Fatḥ
Section 8 of 10 · The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: The Madinan Period, Part Two
The Bedouins Who Lagged Behind
سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَآ أَمْوَٰلُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا فَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًۢا ۚ بَلْ كَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۢا
“Those of the Bedouins who remained behind will say to you, “Our possessions and our families kept us busy, (hence we could not accompany you in your journey to Hudaibiyah). So, pray to Allah for our forgiveness.” They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.Say, “Then, who has power to help you in any thing against Allah, if He intends to do you harm, or intends to do you good? Rather, Allah is fully aware of what you do.” (48:11)
The desert Arabs who lagged behind — these are the ones who did not come with the believers to al-Ḥudaybiyah. Why did they not come? They felt that Quraysh were too strong and the Muslims would be killed, so they stayed behind. Allah (swt) says: the desert Arabs who lagged behind will say to you, we were occupied with looking after our flocks and herds and our families. So this is the excuse they came forward with: we stayed behind because of our families and our wealth. Now, subḥān Allāh, the fourteen hundred who went with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) — did they not have wealth, or families? So this is not an acceptable excuse in the eyes of Allah. Having a family does not excuse one from going out fī sabīlillāh. Having business to take care of and a job to attend to does not excuse one from going out fī sabīlillāh. So it is an invalid excuse. And they say: then ask forgiveness for us. They were asking the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to ask forgiveness for them. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: who then has any power at all to intervene on your behalf with Allah, if His will is to bring you some loss or some profit? But Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.
بَلْ ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنتُمْ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوْءِ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًۢا بُورًا وَمَن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ فَإِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ سَعِيرًا وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
“But you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never ever return to their families, and it seemed good to your hearts, and you thought an evil thought and became a people who are ruined (by their selfishness).” If one does not believe in Allah and His Messenger, then We have prepared a blazing fire for the disbelievers. To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whomsoever He wills, and punishes whomsoever He wills. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.” (48:12–14)
And Allah says about them — Allah is telling us the real reason they stayed behind — nay, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families; this seemed pleasing in your hearts, and you conceived an evil thought, for you are a people lost. And whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger — We have prepared for those who reject a blazing fire. To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills; and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
سَيَقُولُ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا ٱنطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَىٰ مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ۖ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا۟ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّن تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَٰلِكُمْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
“Those who remained behind will say, when you will proceed to the spoils (of war) to receive them, “Let us follow you.”They wish to change the words of Allah. Say, “You shall not follow us. Allah had said like this beforehand.” Then they will say, “No, but you are jealous of us.” On the contrary, they do not understand (the reality) but a little.” (48:15)
Those who lagged behind will say, when you set out to take booty in war: permit us to follow you. Now, subḥān Allāh: they refused to join the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) at al-Ḥudaybiyah because they thought that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Companions would be defeated; things turned out contrary to their belief. Now Allah had promised the believers ghanīmah, spoils of war, so these Arabs wanted to join. For the dunyā they were willing to join; when it was for Allah, they did not want to join. As a punishment for them, they were prevented from going out with the Muslims to Khaybar. When they were told not to join at Khaybar, they said: you are jealous; you want to take the spoils for yourselves. So Allah says: they wish to change the decree of Allah. Say: you shall not follow us; Allah has already declared this beforehand. Then they will say: but you are jealous of us. Nay, but little do they understand.
These are people who have no understanding; they do not have fiqh. Their understanding is limited to the dunyā. They measure things by the dollar sign; that is how they see things. Everything for them is worldly. They are attached to the dunyā; their hearts are not attached to Allah and not attached to the Ākhirah. They do not think about the unseen; they do not think about the future, what happens to us after death. They are limited to the understanding of this dunyā — a secular way of thinking.
قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ تُقَـٰتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ ۖ فَإِن تُطِيعُوا۟ يُؤْتِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا ۖ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
“Say to those of the Bedouins who remained behind, “You will be called against a people possessed of strong fighting power; you will have to fight them until they submit. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, and if you turn away, as you had turned away earlier, He will punish you with a painful punishment.” (48:16)
And then Allah (swt) tells them that they would be punished by being kept from Khaybar only; after that they could join. So now Allah says: say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind, you shall be summoned against a people given to mighty war — they are very tough in fighting — you shall fight them, or they shall submit. Then if you show obedience, Allah will grant you a goodly reward; but if you turn back as you did before, He will punish you with a grievous penalty. This tough enemy whom Allah told them they would meet: some say it refers to the murtaddūn who followed Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb, and some say it refers to the Persians and the Romans. Well, Allah knows best.
لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ يُعَذِّبْهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
“There is no blame on the blind, nor is there any blame on the lame, nor is there any blame on the sick. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to the gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever turns away, He will punish him with a painful punishment.” (48:17)
No blame is there on the blind, nor is there blame on the lame, nor on the sick, if they do not join the fighting: these are excused from fighting in jihād. But whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, Allah will admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow; and whoever turns back, Allah will punish him with a grievous penalty.