1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

2
00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,299
A Gentle Commentary

3
00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,179
on the book *Profile Cards

4
00:00:35,179 --> 00:00:37,500
of the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*

5
00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:42,179
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,

6
00:00:42,179 --> 00:00:44,530
may Allah preserve him.

7
00:00:44,530 --> 00:00:46,530
Surah al-Tawbah.

8
00:00:46,530 --> 00:00:48,530
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

9
00:00:48,530 --> 00:00:50,530
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings

10
00:00:50,530 --> 00:00:52,530
be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions,

11
00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:54,820
and whoever follows his guidance.

12
00:00:55,460 --> 00:00:57,460
A gentle commentary

13
00:00:57,460 --> 00:00:59,460
on the profile cards,

14
00:00:59,460 --> 00:01:01,520
and now we turn to Surah al-Tawbah.

15
00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,679
I have three reflections regarding it.

16
00:01:03,679 --> 00:01:05,680
The first reflection concerns the occasions of revelation

17
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,939
of the surah.

18
00:01:07,939 --> 00:01:09,939
I had mentioned that *Al-Sahih min Asbab al-Nuzul*

19
00:01:09,939 --> 00:01:11,939
by 'Isam al-Humaydan

20
00:01:11,939 --> 00:01:14,640
serves as the primary reference

21
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,640
as a starting point, along with refining certain

22
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,640
issues from the book *Al-Muharrar

23
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,090
fi Asbab al-Nuzul*.

24
00:01:21,090 --> 00:01:23,090
I also attempted to examine

25
00:01:23,090 --> 00:01:25,790
the texts themselves

26
00:01:26,430 --> 00:01:28,430
to determine certain matters,

27
00:01:28,430 --> 00:01:30,430
most importantly the chronology of the surah's revelation.

28
00:01:30,430 --> 00:01:33,359
Here I will pause

29
00:01:33,359 --> 00:01:35,359
to reflect on an aspect of that

30
00:01:35,359 --> 00:01:37,359
in Surah al-Tawbah.

31
00:01:37,359 --> 00:01:39,359
I noted concerning it that

32
00:01:39,359 --> 00:01:41,359
fifteen occasions of revelation have been recorded,

33
00:01:41,359 --> 00:01:43,359
up until I mentioned one regarding the Jews

34
00:01:43,359 --> 00:01:45,459
that seems to have been revealed early on.

35
00:01:45,459 --> 00:01:47,459
It is well known that Surah al-Tawbah

36
00:01:47,459 --> 00:01:49,810
was revealed late,

37
00:01:49,810 --> 00:01:51,810
in fact, it was among the very last to be revealed,

38
00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:53,810
and this is explicitly stated

39
00:01:53,810 --> 00:01:56,129
in the book as well.

40
00:01:56,769 --> 00:01:58,769
One of the occasions, when we read through them—

41
00:01:58,769 --> 00:02:00,769
and this is what I hope everyone listening to me will do:

42
00:02:00,769 --> 00:02:02,769
to obtain

43
00:02:02,769 --> 00:02:04,769
a copy of this book,

44
00:02:04,769 --> 00:02:06,769
begin reading the occasions of revelation,

45
00:02:06,769 --> 00:02:08,900
and reflect upon them—

46
00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:10,900
you will find that the occasion connected

47
00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:12,900
to verse thirty: ﴾The Jews say,

48
00:02:12,900 --> 00:02:14,900
"'Uzayr is the son of Allah"﴿—even though the surah

49
00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:16,930
was revealed late—

50
00:02:16,930 --> 00:02:18,930
gives the impression that the Jews were still

51
00:02:18,930 --> 00:02:20,930
in dialogue with the Muslims.

52
00:02:20,930 --> 00:02:22,930
This typically

53
00:02:22,930 --> 00:02:24,930
belongs to a period relatively earlier than the Expedition of Tabuk.

54
00:02:25,569 --> 00:02:27,569
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him),

55
00:02:27,569 --> 00:02:29,569
he said that there came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

56
00:02:29,569 --> 00:02:31,569
Sallam ibn Mishkam, Nu'man ibn Awfa,

57
00:02:31,569 --> 00:02:33,569
Shas ibn Qays, and Malik ibn al-Sayf,

58
00:02:33,569 --> 00:02:35,569
and they said, "How can we follow you when you have abandoned our Qiblah

59
00:02:35,569 --> 00:02:37,569
and you do not claim that 'Uzayr is the son of Allah?"

60
00:02:37,569 --> 00:02:39,729
So Allah revealed the verse.

61
00:02:39,729 --> 00:02:41,729
Here is another observation:

62
00:02:41,729 --> 00:02:43,729
many of these occasions—

63
00:02:43,729 --> 00:02:45,729
that is, this chain of transmission which

64
00:02:45,729 --> 00:02:47,729
is cited for this occasion resembles

65
00:02:47,729 --> 00:02:49,729
the chains that frequently recur

66
00:02:49,729 --> 00:02:51,729
regarding the occasions of revelation in Surah Al 'Imran,

67
00:02:51,729 --> 00:02:53,729
as cited by Ibn Ishaq

68
00:02:54,370 --> 00:02:56,370
and, naturally following him in this, Ibn Hisham.

69
00:02:56,370 --> 00:02:58,370
It is from the narration of Muhammad ibn Abi

70
00:02:58,370 --> 00:03:00,370
Muhammad, a report

71
00:03:00,370 --> 00:03:02,370
accepted by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar

72
00:03:02,370 --> 00:03:04,370
in *Al-'Ujab fi Bayan al-Asbab*.

73
00:03:04,370 --> 00:03:06,370
I recall that this book

74
00:03:06,370 --> 00:03:08,370
is the one where he explicitly stated this,

75
00:03:08,370 --> 00:03:10,370
and it was relied upon by those who took a moderate stance

76
00:03:10,370 --> 00:03:12,370
in examining the occasions of revelation,

77
00:03:12,370 --> 00:03:14,370
not treating them

78
00:03:14,370 --> 00:03:16,370
strictly as hadiths of legal rulings are treated.

79
00:03:16,370 --> 00:03:18,370
This is what I indicated at the very beginning

80
00:03:18,370 --> 00:03:20,780
regarding the reason for choosing this book.

81
00:03:20,780 --> 00:03:22,879
Thus, this narration,

82
00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,520
when joined with many narrations mentioned concerning Al 'Imran,

83
00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,580
gives the sense that these

84
00:03:27,580 --> 00:03:29,580
interactions that took place between the Jews—

85
00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:31,580
and sometimes between the Jews, the Christians,

86
00:03:31,580 --> 00:03:33,580
and the Prophet (peace be upon him)—

87
00:03:33,580 --> 00:03:35,580
occurred early on;

88
00:03:35,580 --> 00:03:37,580
they are not

89
00:03:37,580 --> 00:03:39,580
like many verses of Surah

90
00:03:39,580 --> 00:03:41,580
al-Tawbah

91
00:03:41,580 --> 00:03:43,580
that pertain to the Expedition of

92
00:03:43,580 --> 00:03:45,580
Tabuk and were revealed late

93
00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:48,219
in the timeline of revelation.

94
00:03:48,219 --> 00:03:50,219
This is an example of examining

95
00:03:50,219 --> 00:03:52,219
the occasions of revelation to see

96
00:03:52,860 --> 00:03:54,860
whether they consistently align

97
00:03:54,860 --> 00:03:56,860
with the overall chronology of the surah's revelation, or whether

98
00:03:56,860 --> 00:03:58,860
some verses were revealed earlier.

99
00:03:58,860 --> 00:04:00,860
This implies that Surah al-Tawbah

100
00:04:00,860 --> 00:04:02,860
was revealed in installments, some of which were sent down

101
00:04:02,860 --> 00:04:04,860
early on, as is apparent from

102
00:04:04,860 --> 00:04:06,860
this text; and true knowledge belongs to Allah Almighty.

103
00:04:06,860 --> 00:04:08,860
One of my goals in this book

104
00:04:08,860 --> 00:04:10,860
is to open avenues of research,

105
00:04:10,860 --> 00:04:12,860
so that a researcher can

106
00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:14,860
take a surah and begin

107
00:04:14,860 --> 00:04:16,959
reflecting upon its occasions of revelation.

108
00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:18,959
Most of the studies I have seen—

109
00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:20,959
indeed, all the studies I have seen—focus merely

110
00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,600
on whether the occasion is authentically established

111
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,629
and on explaining unfamiliar vocabulary and the like.

112
00:04:25,629 --> 00:04:27,629
However, we want to look

113
00:04:27,629 --> 00:04:29,629
from another perspective at the occasions of revelation:

114
00:04:29,629 --> 00:04:31,629
a thematic overview across the entire surah,

115
00:04:31,629 --> 00:04:33,629
in order to derive insights that help

116
00:04:33,629 --> 00:04:35,629
establish the chronology of the surah's revelation

117
00:04:35,629 --> 00:04:37,629
and date the revelation of

118
00:04:37,629 --> 00:04:39,629
its individual verses, which may have been

119
00:04:39,629 --> 00:04:41,629
revealed over scattered years.

120
00:04:41,629 --> 00:04:43,790
The second reflection

121
00:04:43,790 --> 00:04:45,889
is connected to the late

122
00:04:45,889 --> 00:04:47,889
revelation of the surah, which I pointed out in the first reflection.

123
00:04:47,889 --> 00:04:49,889
The majority of the surah was revealed late,

124
00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:52,660
and this

125
00:04:52,660 --> 00:04:54,879
draws attention

126
00:04:54,879 --> 00:04:56,879
to an important matter: namely, that

127
00:04:56,879 --> 00:04:58,879
Surah al-Anfal and Surah al-Tawbah

128
00:04:58,879 --> 00:05:00,879
share thematic content

129
00:05:00,879 --> 00:05:02,879
to a great extent, as both are

130
00:05:02,879 --> 00:05:04,879
about jihad in the cause of Allah.

131
00:05:04,879 --> 00:05:06,879
However, the style of the two surahs

132
00:05:06,879 --> 00:05:08,939
differs considerably,

133
00:05:08,939 --> 00:05:10,939
and this is due to differences

134
00:05:10,939 --> 00:05:12,939
in the era

135
00:05:12,939 --> 00:05:14,939
and circumstances.

136
00:05:14,939 --> 00:05:16,939
Surah al-Tawbah was revealed

137
00:05:16,939 --> 00:05:18,939
at a time when the Muslims had grown powerful,

138
00:05:19,579 --> 00:05:22,060
and in it came the command:

139
00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:24,060
﴾Fight those who do not believe in Allah﴿,

140
00:05:24,060 --> 00:05:26,060
“Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.” (9:29)

141
00:05:26,060 --> 00:05:28,060
﴾nor forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden﴿,

142
00:05:28,060 --> 00:05:30,060
“Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.” (9:29)

143
00:05:30,060 --> 00:05:32,060
﴾until they pay the jizyah willingly﴿

144
00:05:32,060 --> 00:05:34,060
﴾while they are humbled.﴿

145
00:05:34,060 --> 00:05:36,189
This is far firmer

146
00:05:36,189 --> 00:05:38,189
than what was revealed in

147
00:05:38,189 --> 00:05:40,189
Surah al-Anfal.

148
00:05:40,189 --> 00:05:42,189
Likewise, His saying at the end of the surah:

149
00:05:42,189 --> 00:05:44,189
“O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).” (9:123)

150
00:05:44,189 --> 00:05:46,189
﴾and let them find harshness in you.﴿

151
00:05:46,189 --> 00:05:48,189
I advise you to refer to

152
00:05:48,829 --> 00:05:50,829
Ibn 'Ashur in his Tafsir of this verse,

153
00:05:50,829 --> 00:05:52,829
for his words are vital in dispelling certain misconceptions

154
00:05:52,829 --> 00:05:54,829
that are raised

155
00:05:54,829 --> 00:05:56,829
from time to time

156
00:05:56,829 --> 00:05:58,829
regarding the legitimacy of the conquests

157
00:05:58,829 --> 00:06:00,860
carried out by the Companions.

158
00:06:00,860 --> 00:06:02,860
In summary, one must not

159
00:06:02,860 --> 00:06:04,860
understand any verse

160
00:06:04,860 --> 00:06:06,860
in either of the two surahs in isolation

161
00:06:06,860 --> 00:06:08,860
from the chronology of the surah's revelation

162
00:06:08,860 --> 00:06:10,860
and the circumstances under which it was revealed;

163
00:06:10,860 --> 00:06:12,860
otherwise, confusion

164
00:06:12,860 --> 00:06:14,860
will inevitably arise.

165
00:06:14,860 --> 00:06:16,860
﴾If it had been from other than Allah,﴿

166
00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:19,500
﴾they would surely have found within it much contradiction.﴿

167
00:06:19,500 --> 00:06:21,980
As for the third

168
00:06:21,980 --> 00:06:23,980
and final reflection, it concerns the names of the surah,

169
00:06:23,980 --> 00:06:25,980
in that it is among the surahs

170
00:06:25,980 --> 00:06:27,980
that have numerous names.

171
00:06:27,980 --> 00:06:29,980
In the book, regarding the surahs with many names, I restricted myself

172
00:06:29,980 --> 00:06:32,399
to

173
00:06:32,399 --> 00:06:34,399
three names;

174
00:06:34,399 --> 00:06:36,399
so I mentioned al-Tawbah and Bara'ah,

175
00:06:36,399 --> 00:06:38,399
both of which are well-known, and al-Fadihah (the Exposer).

176
00:06:38,399 --> 00:06:40,399
The truth is that contemplating

177
00:06:40,399 --> 00:06:42,399
or keeping in mind one of the surah's names

178
00:06:42,399 --> 00:06:44,399
reveals to a person many profound

179
00:06:44,399 --> 00:06:46,399
meanings;

180
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,040
and when one recites the surah while keeping in mind

181
00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,040
another name, yet other meanings

182
00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,040
become apparent.

183
00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,040
Surah al-Tawbah is

184
00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,040
among the surahs of the Qur'an

185
00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,230
with the greatest number of names,

186
00:06:59,230 --> 00:07:01,230
and I do not recall

187
00:07:01,230 --> 00:07:03,230
any surah exceeding it in this regard

188
00:07:03,230 --> 00:07:05,230
except Surah al-Fatihah,

189
00:07:05,230 --> 00:07:07,230
the Mother of the Book.

190
00:07:07,230 --> 00:07:09,230
I will suffice with this much.

191
00:07:09,230 --> 00:07:11,230
May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

192
00:07:11,230 --> 00:07:13,230
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.