আল-কোৰআনুল কাৰীমৰ অৰ্থানুবাদ - ইংৰাজী অনুবাদ- ড. অলীদ ব্লেহেশ্ব ওমৰী- কাম চলি আছে
At-Tawbah
بَرَآءَةٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ
[2014] It is notable that this sura, of all the suras of the Qur’an, is not preceded by the usual opening statement, known as al-basmalah: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”. Scholars are of different opinions about the reason behind this. Ibn Kathīr says: “One is not to recite the al-basmalah at the beginning of it ˹al-Tawbah˺ because the ˹honourable˺ Companions did not write it down at the beginning of this sura in the canonical codex on the behest of the leader of the Believers, ʿUthmān Ibn ʿAffān (رضي الله عنه)” (cf. also Ibn Ḥajar, Fatḥ al-Bārī, 4/101). It is reported that ʿUthmān Ibn ʿAffān (رضي الله عنه) said: “Both al-Anfāl and Barā’ah were called at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), al-qarīnatayn (lit. the two conjoined suras). This is why I included them both in the seven lengthy suras ˹in the Uthmanic codex˺ and did not write: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” ˹at the beginning of al-Tawbah˺” (al-Naḥḥās, al-Nāsikh wa al-Mansūkh, 3/208, also al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, 7/327; other opinions also exist).
The sura begins with this unqualified declaration of non-responsibility for the pacts that the Muslims, under the leadership of the Messenger (ﷺ), had with the Associators of Arabia (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn al-ʿArabī, Aḥkām al-Qur’ān), announcing thus that the upper hand in the land was now with the Believers (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar, Ibn ʿĀshūr). Among the reasons behind this unequivocal declaration and the four months reprieve are: 1) so that the Associators would think deeply about their state of affairs and be ready for what was to come; 2) acquitting the Believers from any responsibility incumbent on the severance of any agreement, and 3) the Messenger (ﷺ) intended to perform pilgrimage (later known as the Farewell Pilgrimage) the next year and he did not want to witness the custom, outright vice (cf. 7: 28), of people circumambulating around the Kaʿbah naked (cf. al-Rāzī, Tafsīr al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah).
فَسِيحُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَرۡبَعَةَ أَشۡهُرٖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّكُمۡ غَيۡرُ مُعۡجِزِي ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡزِي ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
[2015] They were afforded unrestricted freedom of movement for four months (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Saʿdī). This, so that they could find themselves a safe place to depart to (cf. Ibn Kathīr).
[2016] This is a warning that should they choose to stick to their ways, even if the Believers are not to touch them, God’s punishment is ever-close. That is, they are encouraged to repent (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Saʿdī).
وَأَذَٰنٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحَجِّ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَرِيٓءٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُۥۚ فَإِن تُبۡتُمۡ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ فَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّكُمۡ غَيۡرُ مُعۡجِزِي ٱللَّهِۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
[2017] This proclamation (adhān) was to be delivered to all people, both the Believers and Deniers, when they are gathered from all parts of Arabia on the great day of Pilgrimage, the day on which people slaughter their sacrifices (yawm al-naḥr) (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “Whenever you ˹Muhammad˺ fear treachery from certain people, then cast ˹their pact˺ to them ˹so that all are˺ on level ground—indeed Allah Loves not the treacherous” (8: 58). Ḥumayd Ibn ʿAbdulraḥmān Ibn ʿAwf narrated that Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said: “Abū Bakr sent me on that day along with other announcers to announce to people in Mina on yawm al-naḥr that: no Associator shall perform pilgrimage after this year and no naked person shall ˹hereafter˺ circumambulate around the Kaʿbah…” (al-Bukhārī: 4655, Muslim: 1347).
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَنقُصُوكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَمۡ يُظَٰهِرُواْ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَحَدٗا فَأَتِمُّوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡ عَهۡدَهُمۡ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ
[2018] Those of the Deniers who upheld the terms of agreement in whole and did not lend support to the warring enemies of the Believers were to be allowed until the agreed date of the agreement had come to pass. This is an exception from the four months reprieve that was announced (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, al-Shinqīṭī, al-ʿAdhb al-Namīr).
فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡهُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ كُلَّ مَرۡصَدٖۚ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
[2019] This is what needed to take place after the given four months period had elapsed. Now that fighting between the two camps had resumed, Believers were to take any (cf. al-Suyūṭī, al-Iklīl, p. 138, Ibn ʿĀshūr) of the necessary measures needed to ensure that their campaign paid dividends to:: 1) to kill them wherever they were found; 2) take them captive; 3) tightly enclose them in their strongholds, and 4) keep a vigilant eye out for them in every watch post (cf. Tafsīr al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah).
Some prominent scholars of Islam are of the opinion that this applies especially to combatant Associators who pose a threat to Muslims (cf. Ibn al-Qayyim, Zād al-Maʿād, Ibn al-ʿArabī, Aḥkām al-Qur’ān, al-Baiḍāwī, Anwār al-Tanzīl, al-Alūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, al-Nasafī, Madārik al-Tanzīl, Tafsīr al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah): “They ask you about the sacrosanct month ˹whether there is˺ fighting during it! Say: “Fighting in it is grave”; ˹but˺ turning ˹people˺ away from the path of Allah, Denying Him and ˹preventing access to˺ the Sanctified Mosque, and driving its people away from it are graver before Allah—surely trial is more grievous than killing. They will keep on fighting you until they turn you back from your religion, if they could…” (2: 217). The next few ayas reveal who these really are and what they did to deserve such retaliatory measures.
[2020] That is, abandon Association and become Believers themselves (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī, al-Shinqīṭī, al-ʿAdhb al-Namīr), so that the cause of their belligerence is eliminated (cf. Tafsīr al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah).
وَإِنۡ أَحَدٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٱسۡتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرۡهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسۡمَعَ كَلَٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبۡلِغۡهُ مَأۡمَنَهُۥۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمٞ لَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ
[2021] Even if any of the combatant enemies sought asylum (istijārah), he would be granted it; the person would be delivered the Message of the Qur’an but not coerced into accepting it. Thereafter, if he chose not to accept it, he would be set free under a cover of security to reach the land where he felt safe (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[2022] Their belligerence and animosity stem from the fact they know nothing about the religion of God (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, Ibn Kathīr, al-Shinqīṭī, al-ʿAdhb al-Namīr); people are enemies to what they do not know!
