The Divine Transaction: Sacrifice for Jannah, Characteristics of True Believers, and the Limits of Intercession

At-Tawbah — Verses 111–116 | Explore this Quran theme on Muallim

۞ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ ۚ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ ۚ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ فَاسْتَبْشِرُوا بِبَيْعِكُمُ الَّذِي بَايَعْتُم بِهِ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ١١١

Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be the Paradise. They fight in Allah's Cause, so they kill (others) and are killed. It is a promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Quran. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded. That is the supreme success.

۞ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم
Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties;
بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ ۚ
for the price that theirs shall be the Paradise.
يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
They fight in Allah's Cause,
فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ
so they kill (others) and are killed.
وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا
It is a promise in truth which is binding on Him
فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ ۚ
in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Quran.
وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ
And who is truer to his covenant than Allah?
فَاسْتَبْشِرُوا بِبَيْعِكُمُ الَّذِي بَايَعْتُم بِهِ ۚ
Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded.
وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
That is the supreme success.

التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ١١٢

(The believers whose lives Allah has purchased are) those who repent to Allah (from polytheism and hypocrisy, etc.), who worship Him, who praise Him, who fast (or go out in Allah's Cause), who bow down (in prayer), who prostrate themselves (in prayer), who enjoin (people) for Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all what Islam has ordained) and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds and all that Islam has forbidden), and who observe the limits set by Allah (do all that Allah has ordained and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden). And give glad tidings to the believers.

التَّائِبُونَ
those who repent to Allah
الْعَابِدُونَ
who worship Him
الْحَامِدُونَ
who praise Him
السَّائِحُونَ
who fast (or go out in Allah's Cause)
الرَّاكِعُونَ
who bow down (in prayer)
السَّاجِدُونَ
who prostrate themselves (in prayer)
الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
who enjoin (people) for Al-Ma'ruf
وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ
and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar
وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ ۗ
and who observe the limits set by Allah
وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And give glad tidings to the believers

مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ١١٣

It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's Forgiveness for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief).

مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe
أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ
to ask Allah's Forgiveness for the Mushrikun
وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَىٰ
even though they be of kin
مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ
after it has become clear to them
أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief)

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ ١١٤

And [Ibrahim's (Abraham)] invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness was only because of a promise he [Ibrahim (Abraham)] had made to him (his father). But when it became clear to him [Ibrahim (Abraham)] that he (his father) is an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Verily Ibrahim (Abraham) was Al-Awwah (has fifteen different meanings but the correct one seems to be that he used to invoke Allah with humility, glorify Him and remember Him much), and was forbearing. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi).

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ
And [Ibrahim's (Abraham)] invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness
إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ
was only because of a promise he [Ibrahim (Abraham)] had made to him (his father)
فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ
But when it became clear to him [Ibrahim (Abraham)]
أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ
that he (his father) is an enemy to Allah
تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ
he dissociated himself from him
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ
Verily Ibrahim (Abraham) was Al-Awwah (has fifteen different meanings but the correct one seems to be that he used to invoke Allah with humility, glorify Him and remember Him much), and was forbearing.

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ١١٥

And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا
And Allah will never lead a people astray
بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ
after He has guided them
حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ ۚ
until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۚ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ١١٦

Verily, Allah! Unto Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, He gives life and He causes death. And besides Allah you have neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ
Verily, Allah! Unto Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth,
يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۚ
He gives life and He causes death.
وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
And besides Allah you have neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.