Sūrat at-Tawbah
Section 16 of 20 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Allah Has Purchased from the Believers
Then comes a verse of great interest — it has always been of interest: verse 111, and after it verse 112. They are prominent verses, well worth reading. As a matter of logical principle, why must we carry out the commands of Allah? Plainly because we are His servants. But here Allah furnishes another reason:
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ ۚ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَبْشِرُوا۟ بِبَيْعِكُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَايَعْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
“Surely, Allah has bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, in exchange of (a promise) that Paradise shall be theirs. They fight in the way of Allah, and kill and are killed, on which there is a true promise (as made) in the Torah and the Injīl and the Qur’ān. And who can be more faithful to his covenant than Allah? So, rejoice in the deal you have made, and that is the great achievement.” (9:111)
Allah says that Allah has purchased from the believers their selves — their lives — and their wealth. For what? For Jannah, for Paradise. If, then, you desire Paradise, Allah would have you expend yourself and your wealth in His path. Hence He says: yuqātilūna fī sabīli Allāhi fa-yaqtulūna wa-yuqtalūn — they fight in the path of Allah, and so they kill and are killed. And this is a promise binding upon Him as a right, in the Tawrāt and the Injīl and the Qur'an alike. And whoever fulfils this covenant — fa-stabshirū bi-bayʿikumu alladhī bāyaʿtum bih — let him receive the glad tidings of the bargain he has struck with Allah. Such is the offer Allah has made: I shall give you Jannah for yourselves; spend yourselves, expend yourselves. Do so, and Allah will assuredly fulfil His part of the bargain; and that is the great and mighty success.
Allah (swt) then gives the characteristics of the true believers — what He would see in believers; and may Allah make us of them:
ٱلتَّـٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْـَٔامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“(They are) those who repent, those who worship, those who praise (Allah), those who journey (in Allah’s way), those who bow in Rukū‘, those who prostrate in sajdah, those who bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair and those who preserve the limits prescribed by Allah. And give the good news to the believers.” (9:112)
Al-tāʾibūn: repentance, those who repent; al-ʿābidūn, the devotees and worshippers; al-ḥāmidūn, those who praise Allah; al-sāʾiḥūn, those who travel for the sake of Allah — when a journey must be undertaken for the Hajj, or for any other reason, for the purposes of daʿwah; al-rākiʿūn, those who are in rukūʿ; al-sājidūn, those in prostration, in sujūd; those who enjoin the right and forbid the wrong — which is always a characteristic, and one wonders how it comes to be overlooked; and those who keep the bounds of Allah. And give glad tidings to the believers.
In the next verse, 113, Allah (swt) forbids the Prophet (peace be upon him) to make istighfār for the mushrikīn: that one may not seek forgiveness for the mushrikīn. One might say: why not do it, and if it is accepted it is accepted, and if not, not? It is not permitted; it is in fact forbidden, for one must acknowledge that they did wrong and that they will not be forgiven; they will not receive forgiveness. And then Allah answers a question that arises from the account of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), where he says: I shall make istighfār for you. So here it is said:
وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌ
“As for the prayer of Ibrāhīm for the forgiveness of his father, it was only due to a promise he had made to him. Later, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he withdrew himself from him. Indeed, Ibrāhīm was very tender-hearted, very forbearing.” (9:114)
Wa-mā kāna istighfāru Ibrāhīma li-abīhi illā ʿan mawʿidatin waʿadahā iyyāh: the reason for Ibrāhīm's (peace be upon him) istighfār for his father was a promise he had given; but when it became clear that his father too was an enemy of Allah, he exonerated himself and withdrew from it — for Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) had these particular qualities.