9:68 At-Tawba (The Repentance)

‏{‏وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ‏}‏ جمع المنافقين والكفار في النار، واللعنة والخلود في ذلك، لاجتماعهم في الدنيا على الكفر، والمعاداة للّه ورسوله، والكفر بآياته‏.‏

وقوله وعد الله المنافقين والمنافقات والكفار نار جهنم أي على هذا الصنيع الذي ذكر عنهم خادين فيها أي ماكثين فيها مخلدين هم الكفار هي حسبهم أي كفايتهم في العذاب ولعنهم الله أي طردهم أو بعدهم ولهم عذاب مقيم.

Other Characteristics of Hypocrites

Allah admonishes the hypocrites who, unlike the believers, who enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,

يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمُنكَرِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ

(they enjoin evil, and forbid the good, and they close their hands), from spending in Allah's cause,

نَسُواْ اللَّهَ

(They have forgotten Allah), they have forgotten the remembrance of Allah,

فَنَسِيَهُمْ

(so He has forgotten them.), by treating them as if He has forgotten them. Allah also,

وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا

(And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours) 45:34. Allah said,

إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ

(Verily, the hypocrites are the rebellious) the rebellious from the way of truth who embrace the wicked way,

وَعَدَ الله الْمُنَـفِقِينَ وَالْمُنَـفِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ

(Allah has promised the hypocrites -- men and women -- and the disbelievers, the fire of Hell), on account of their evildoing mentioned here,

خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ

(therein shall they abide.), for eternity, they and the disbelievers,

هِىَ حَسْبُهُمْ

(It will suffice them.), as a torment,

وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(Allah has cursed them), He expelled and banished them from His mercy,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ

(and for them is the lasting torment.)

God has promised the hypocrites both men and women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell to abide therein it will suffice them as a requital and a punishment. And God has cursed them He has removed them from His mercy and theirs will be a lasting perpetual chastisement.

Commentary

The first verse begins with a profile of the hypocrites. One of the expressions used there: يَقْبِضُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ (and they withhold their hands) has been explained in Tafsir al-Qurtubi as abandonment of Jihad and non-compliance of obligatory rights and duties. Then, the sentence that follows: نَسُوا اللَّـهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ literally means ` they forgot Allah, so He forgot them.' But, Allah Ta` ala is free of forgetfulness. So, the sense at this place is: ` those people had abandoned the commandments of Allah, as if they had forgotten it, therefore, Allah too abandoned their prospects of better life in the Hereafter, to the extent that there remained just no trace of any good, or reward, in their name.'