Muhammad

ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ 1

{ الذين كفروا } من أهل مكة { وصدوا } غيرهم { عن سبيل الله } أي الإيمان { أضل } أحبط { أعملهم } كإطعام الطعام وصلة الأرحام، فلا يرون لها في الآخرة ثوابا ويجزون بها في الدنيا من فضله تعالى.

Those who disbelieve, from among the people of Mecca, and bar, others, from the way of God, that is to say, [from] faith, He will leave their works to waste, such as giving food [to the poor] or being kind to kin, and so they will find no reward for these [works of theirs] in the Hereafter; [but] they are requited for them in this world [purely] out of His bounty, exalted be He.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ 2

{ والذين ءامنوا } أي الأنصار وغيرهم { وعملوا الصلحت وءامنوا بما نزل على محمد } أي القرآن { وهو الحق من ربهم كفر عنهم } غفر لهم { سيئاتهم وأصلح بالهم } أي حالهم فلا يعصونه.

But those who believe, namely, the Helpers (al-Ansār) and others [like them], and perform righteous deeds and believe in what has been revealed to Muhammad, namely, the Qur’ān — and it is the truth from their Lord — He will absolve them of, He will forgive them, their misdeeds and rightly dispose their mind, their state, so that they do not disobey Him.

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ وَأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلْحَقَّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ أَمْثَـٰلَهُمْ 3

{ ذلك } أي إضلال الأعمال وتكفير السيئات { بأن } بسبب أن { الذين كفروا اتبعوا البطل } الشيطان { وأن الذين ءامنوا اتبعوا الحق } القرآن { من ربهم كذلك } أي مثل ذلك البيان { يضرب الله للناس أمثلهم } يبين أحوالهم أي فالكافر يحبط عمله، والمؤمن يغفر له.

That, rendering void of their works and the absolution of evil deeds, is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood, Satan, and because those who believe follow the truth, the Qur’ān, from their Lord. Thus, in the same manner of clarification, does God strike for mankind similitudes of themselves, [that is how] He clarifies for them their states, in other words, the disbeliever has his work rendered void while the believer is forgiven.

فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّۢا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا۟ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ 4

{ فإذا لقيتم الذين كفروا فضرب الرقاب } مصدر بدل من اللفظ بفعله، أي فاضربوا رقابهم: أي اقتلوهم وعبر بضرب الرقاب أن الغالب في القتل أن يكون بضرب الرقبة { حتى إذا أثخنتموهم } أكثرتم فيهم القتل { فشدوا } أي فأمسكوا عنهم وأسروهم وشدوا { الوثاق } ما يوثق به الأسرى { فإما منا بعد } مصدر بدل من اللفظ بفعله،أي تمنون عليهم بإطلاقهم من غير شيء { وإما فداء } أي تفادونهم بمال أو أسرى مسلمين { حتى تضع الحرب } أي أهلها { أوزارها } أثقالها من السلاح وغيره بأن يسلم الكفار أو يدخلوا في العهد وهذه غاية للقتل والأسر { ذلك } خبر مبتدأ مقدر، أي الأمر فيهم ما ذكر { ولو يشاء الله لانتصر منهم } بغير قتال { ولكن } أمركم به { ليبلوا بعضكم ببعض } منهم في القتال فيصير من قتل منكم إلى الجنة ومنهم إلى النار { والذين قتلوا } وفي قراءة «قاتلوا» الآية نزلت يوم أحد وقد فشا في المسلمين القتل والجراحات { فى سبيل الله فلن يضل } يحبط { أعملهم }.

So when you encounter [in battle] those who disbelieve, then [attack them with] a striking of the necks (fa-darba’l-riqābi is a verbal noun in place of the [full] verbal construction, that is to say, fa’dribū riqābahum, ‘then strike their necks’), in other words, slay them — reference is made to the ‘striking of the necks’ because the predominant cause of being slayed is to be struck in the neck. Then, when you have made thoroughly decimated them, bind, spare them, take them captive and bind firmly, the bonds (al-wathāq is what is used to bind [yūthaqu] a captive). Thereafter either [set them free] by grace (mannan is a verbal noun in place of the [full] verbal construction), that is to say, either show them grace by setting them free unconditionally; or by ransom, ransoming them with payment or with Muslim captives, until the war, that is to say, its participants, lay down its burdens, its heavy loads of weaponry and other things, so that either the disbelievers surrender or enter into a treaty. This [last clause] constitutes the ‘purpose’ of [enjoining the Muslims to] slaying and taking captive. So [shall it be] (dhālika is the predicate of an implied subject, [such as] al-amr, ‘the ordinance’, in other words, ‘the ordinance [of God] regarding them is as mentioned’). And had God willed, He could have [Himself] taken vengeance on them, without any fighting, but, He has commanded you to [do] it, that He may test some of you by means of others, from among them, by way of battle, so that the slain among you will end up in Paradise, while those [slain] among them [will end up] in the Fire. And those who are slain (qutilū: a variant reading has qātalū, ‘those who fight’) — this verse was revealed on the day of [the battle of] Uhud, after the dead and the wounded had become numerous among the Muslims — in the way of God, He will not let their works go to waste, He will [not] render [them] void.

سَيَهْدِيهِمْ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ 5

{ سيهديهم } في الدنيا والآخرة إلى ما ينفعهم { ويصلح بالهم } حالهم فيهما وما في الدنيا لمن لم يقتل وأدرجوا في «قتلوا» تغليبا.

He will guide them, in this world and in the Hereafter to what benefits them, and rightly dispose their minds, their condition in both, with that [guidance and disposal] in this world being for those who were not slain, but who have been included in [the statement] ‘and those who were slain’ (qutilū) because of [the] predominance therein [of those who were slain].

وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ عَرَّفَهَا لَهُمْ 6

{ ويدخلهم الجنة عرفها } بينها { لهم } فيهتدون إلى مساكنهم منها وأزواجهم وخدمهم من غير استدلال.

And He will admit them into Paradise, which He has made known, [which] He has pointed out, to them, so that they are guided to their dwellings in it, and to their spouses and servants without asking to be shown the way.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَنصُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ 7

{ يأيها الذين ءامنوا إن تنصروا الله } أي دينه ورسوله { ينصركم } على عدوكم { ويثبت أقدامكم } يثبتكم في المعترك.

O you who believe! If you help God, that is to say, His religion and His Messenger, He will help you, against your enemy, and make your foothold firm, He will make you stand firm [while you fight] on the battleground.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَعْسًا لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ 8

{ والذين كفروا } من أهل مكة مبتدأ خبره تعسوا يدل عليه { فتعسا لهم } أي هلاكا وخيبة من الله { وأضل أعملهم } عطف علىتعسوا.

And as for those who disbelieve, from among the people of Mecca (wa’lladhīna kafarū is the subject, the predicate of which is [an implicit] ta‘isū, ‘they shall be wretched’, as indicated [by what follows]) wretchedness shall be their lot, that is, destruction and defeat from God. And He will make their works go to waste (wa-adalla a‘mālahum is a supplement to [the implied] ta‘isū, ‘they shall be wretched’).

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ 9

{ ذلك } أي التعس والإضلال { بأنهم كرهوا ما أنزل الله } من القرآن المشتمل على التكاليف { فأحبط أعملهم }.

That, wretchedness and wasting [of their works], is because they are averse to what God has revealed, of the Qur’ān with all that it includes of religious obligations (takālīf), so He has made their works fail.

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ دَمَّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَلِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَمْثَـٰلُهَا 10

{ أفلم يسيروا فى الأرض فينظروا كيف كان عقبة الذين من قبلهم دمر الله عليهم } أهلك أنفسهم أولادهم وأموالهم { وللكفرين أمثلها } أي أمثال عاقبة ما قبلهم.

Have they not travelled in the land to see the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? God destroyed them — He destroyed them, their children and their possessions; and [a fate] the like thereof will be for the disbelievers, that is to say, the like of the fate of those before them.

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَوْلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَأَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ 11

{ ذلك } أي نصر المؤمنين وقهر الكافرين { بأن الله مولى } ولي وناصر { الذين ءامنوا وأن الكفرين لا مولى لهم }.

That, granting of victory to the believers and the vanquishing of the disbelievers, is because God is Patron, Ally and Helper, of those who believe and because the disbelievers have no patron.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ 12

{ إن الله يدخل الذين ءامنوا وعملوا الصلحت جنت تجرى من تحتها الأنهر والذين كفروا يتمتعون } في الدنيا { ويأكلون كما تأكل الأنعم } أي ليس لهم هم إلا بطونهم وفروجهم ولا يلتفتون إلى الآخرة { والنار مثوى لهم } أي منزل ومقام ومصير.

God will surely admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens underneath which rivers flow. As for those who disbelieve, they take their enjoyment, in this world, and eat as the cattle eat, that is to say, they are only concerned with [filling] their bellies and [satisfying] their private parts, without giving any thought to the Hereafter; and the Fire will be their habitation, their home, their station and their [final] destination.