Draft:Verse 52 of Sura al-Tawba
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| Verse's Information | |
|---|---|
| Sura | al-Tawba (Qur'an 9) |
| Verse | 52 |
| Juz' | 10 |
| Content Information | |
| Place of Revelation | Medina |
| About | Considering being killed in the way of God as good |
| Related Verses | Qur'an 9:50 and Qur'an 9:51 |
Qur'an 9:52, known as the verse of Iḥday al-Ḥusnayayn, characterizes both Martyrdom and victory over the enemy as benevolent outcomes, presenting them as sources of honor and dignity.[1] Revealed in Medina,[2] this verse serves as a rejoinder to the hypocrites who, as described in Qur'an 9:50, rejoiced at the defeat of the Muslims.[3] Furthermore, the text continues the theme of the previous verse, which identifies God as the master of the believers—a Guardian who desires only good for His believing servants, even if that entails martyrdom in the path of Truth.[4]
| “ | قُلْ هَلْ تَرَبَّصُونَ بِنَا إِلَّا إِحْدَى الْحُسْنَيَيْنِ ۖ وَنَحْنُ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمْ أَن يُصِيبَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِ أَوْ بِأَيْدِينَا ۖ فَتَرَبَّصُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّتَرَبِّصُونَ
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| “ | Say, ‘Do you await anything to befall us except one of the two best things? But we await that Allah shall visit you with a punishment, from Him or at our hands. So wait! We too are waiting along with you.’
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| — Qur'an 9:52 | ||
According to Tafsir-i namuna, Qur'an 9:52 elucidates the primary secret behind the progress and victories of Muslims during the era of the Prophet (s). It instills the belief that Muslims are victorious in either scenario: whether they defeat the enemy or are slain themselves. Consequently, a warrior entering the battlefield with such a disposition possesses no fear of the adversary.[5]
The phrase "Iḥday al-Ḥusnayayn" (one of the two good things) signifies either martyrdom in the way of God or victory over the unbelievers.[6] Citing Qur'an 9:50, Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i argues that even apparent adversity qualifies as a ḥasana (good). This is because both outcomes—whether the victory or defeat of Muslims—occur in the pursuit of Divine Satisfaction and result in otherworldly reward.[7]
In a narration attributed to Imam 'Ali (a), the concept of "Iḥday al-Ḥusnayayn" is applied to non-military contexts as well. The Imam posits that a Muslim untainted by treachery faces one of two excellent outcomes: meeting the Lord to benefit from His blessings, or enjoying the expansion of sustenance and blessing in this worldly life.[8] According to Sayyid 'Ali Khamene'i, Imam Khomeini's interpretation of "Iḥday al-Ḥusnayayn" also extended beyond the battlefield. He maintained that any endeavor undertaken for the satisfaction of God is immune to loss; an individual either succeeds in the action or, failing that, fulfills their duty and stands dignified in the presence of the Lord.[9]
Notes
- ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 4, p. 53.
- ↑ Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Tarjuma-yi tafsīr-i al-mīzān, 1378 Sh, vol. 9, p. 193.
- ↑ Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Tarjuma-yi tafsīr-i al-mīzān, 1378 Sh, vol. 9, p. 412; Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 442.
- ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 5, p. 77.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, vol. 7, p. 444.
- ↑ Mughniyya, Al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 4, p. 53; Al-Mudarrisī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 4, p. 194.
- ↑ Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1352 Sh, vol. 9, p. 307.
- ↑ Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 5, p. 57.
- ↑ Khāminiʾī, Shakhṣīyat-i Imām Khumaynī "quddisa sirruh", 1398 Sh, p. 154.
References
- Al-Kulaynī, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb, Al-Kāfī, researcher and corrector: Ghaffārī, ʿAlī Akbar, Ākhūndī, Muḥammad, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 4th ed., 1407 AH.
- Al-Mudarrisī, Sayyid Muḥammad Taqī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, Tehran, Dār Muḥibbī l-Ḥusayn, 1st ed., 1419 AH.
- Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 3rd ed., 1352 Sh.
- Al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, Tarjuma-yi tafsīr-i al-mīzān, trans. Mūsawī, Muḥammad Bāqir, Jāmiʿa-yi Mudarrisīn-i Ḥawza-yi ʿIlmīyya-yi Qom, 11th ed., 1378 Sh.
- Furāt al-Kūfī, Furāt b. Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī, Tehran, Muʾassasat Ṭabʿ wa Nashr, 1st ed., 1410 AH.
- Ibn Aʿtham, Aḥmad b. Aʿtham, Kitāb al-futūḥ, research by ʿAlī Shīrī, Beirut, Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, 1411 AH.
- Ibn Ṭāwūs, ʿAlī b. Mūsā, Al-Luhūf ʿalā qatlā l-ṭufūf, trans. Sayyid Aḥmad Fihrī Zanjānī, Tehran, Nashr-i Jahān, 1348 Sh.
- Khāminiʾī, Sayyid ʿAlī, Shakhṣīyat-i Imām Khumaynī "quddisa sirruh", Tehran, Daftar-i Ḥifẓ wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Ḥaḍrat-i Āyatullāh Khāminiʾī, Intishārāt-i Inqilāb-i Islāmī, 1398 Sh.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i namūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1st ed., 1374 Sh.
- Mughniyya, Muḥammad Jawād, Tafsīr al-kāshif, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1st ed., 1424 AH.
- Qarāʾatī, Muḥsin, Tafsīr-i nūr, Tehran, Markaz-i Farhangī-yi Dars-hāyī az Qurʾān, 1388 Sh.
- Ṣādiqī Arzganī, Muḥammad Amīn, "Mā raʾaytu illā jamīlā" Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab (s) bargirifta az "iḥday al-ḥusnayayn" Qurʾān ast, IQNA News Agency, Date of publication: 25 Mehr 1396 Sh, Date of access: 2 Mordad 1404 Sh.