وَءَاخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ 106
Translations
And [there are] others deferred until the command of Allāh - whether He will punish them or whether He will forgive them. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
Transliteration
Wa-akhiruna murjawna li-amri-llahi imma yu'aththibuhum wa-imma yatub alayhi wa-llahu alimun hakimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to those whose case is deferred to Allah's judgment—they may either be punished for their hypocrisy and sins, or Allah may grant them repentance and acceptance. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the hypocrites (munafiqun) mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah whose final outcome remains with Allah alone, emphasizing divine wisdom and justice in determining their fate based on their true intentions and future actions.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the context of Surah At-Tawbah, which was revealed regarding the hypocrites who remained behind during the Tabuk expedition. The surah addresses those whose faith is questionable and whose true hearts only Allah knows, setting the stage for distinguishing between sincere believers and those with concealed disbelief or wavering commitment.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim contains hadiths about the hypocrites' ambiguous status, including the Prophet's (ﷺ) statement that 'the hypocrite is like a sheep between two flocks—it does not know which to follow.' Additionally, hadiths about tawbah (repentance) emphasize that Allah's mercy extends to all who genuinely repent, as in the hadith of the 70 times repentance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that only Allah has true knowledge of human hearts and intentions, and reminds us that sincere repentance remains an open door for anyone seeking Allah's forgiveness, while also affirming that divine justice will ultimately prevail. For modern readers, it encourages genuine introspection about one's faith and immediate repentance rather than delaying or deceiving oneself about spiritual commitment.