Surah 48

Surah 48:12

"No! You thought that the messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made to appear enticing in your hearts, and you thought evil thoughts, and became a ruined people.’"
The Fabricated Excuse offered by Those Who lagged behind and did not participate in Al-Hudaybiyyah; Allah’s Warning for Them Verses 48:11-14
Show Full Scripture Context (48:11-14) — 4 Verses
Verse 11

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ شَغَلَتۡنَآ أَمۡوَٰلُنَا وَأَهۡلُونَا فَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَنَاۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَلۡسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيۡسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ قُلۡ فَمَن يَمۡلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـًٔا إِنۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ ضَرًّا أَوۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ نَفۡعَۢاۚ بَلۡ كَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرَۢا

Those of the Arabs who stayed behind will say to you, ‘Our wealth and our families kept us busy, so ask forgiveness for us.’ They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: ‘Who has any power for you against God, whether He intends harm for you or intends benefit for you? No! God is aware of what you do.

Verse 12

بَلۡ ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِيهِمۡ أَبَدٗا وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَظَنَنتُمۡ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوۡءِ وَكُنتُمۡ قَوۡمَۢا بُورٗا

No! You thought that the messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made to appear enticing in your hearts, and you thought evil thoughts, and became a ruined people.’

Verse 13

وَمَن لَّمۡ يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ فَإِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ سَعِيرٗا

Whoever does not believe in God and His messenger – surely We have prepared for the disbelievers a blazing (Fire).

Verse 14

وَلِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ يَغۡفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا

To God (belongs) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whomever he pleases and punishes whomever He pleases. God is forgiving, compassionate.

Allah informs His Messenger of the excuses that the bedouins who lagged behind would offer him, those bedouins who preferred to remain in their homes and possessions and did not join the Messenger of Allah. They offered an excuse for lagging behind, as that of being busy - in their homes and with their wealth! They asked the Messenger of Allah to invoke Allah to forgive them, not because they had faith in the Prophet and his invocation, but to show off and pretend. This is why Allah the Exalted said about them. {They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: "Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit?"} Allah says, none can resist what Allah has decided in your case, all praise and honor belong to Him. Allah is the Knower of your secrets and what your hearts conceal, even if you pretend and choose to be hypocritical with us. This is why Allah the Exalted said, {Nay, but Allah is Ever All-Aware of what you do.} then He said, {Nay, but you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families,} “for your lagging behind was not sin excusable act or just a sin. Rather, your lagging behind was because of hypocrisy and because you thought that the Muslims would be killed to the extent of extermination, their lives would be extinguished and none of them will ever come back,’ {and you did think an evil thought and you became a people Bur} going for destruction, according to ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, Mujahid and several others. Qatadah explained Bur to mean, corrupt and some said that it is a word used in the Arabic dialect of the area of Oman. Allah the Exalted then said, {And whosoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger,} Allah states here that whoever does not purify his actions outwardly and inwardly for Allah’s sake, then Allah the Exalted will punish him in the Blazing Fire, even if he pretends to show people that he follows the faith, contradicting his true creed. Allah the Exalted then states that He is the Only Authority, King and Owner Who has full control over the residents of the heavens and earth. {He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful.} with those who repent, return and submit to Him with humiliation.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (batch_049)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.