يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ 73
Translations
O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha an-nabiyyu jahid al-kuffara wa-al-munafiqin wa-aghlutz alayihim wa-ma'wahum jahannamu wa-bi'sa al-masir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to strive against both the disbelievers and the hypocrites, adopting a firm and stern approach toward them. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this encompasses both spiritual and physical jihad—spiritual struggle against their falsehoods and, when necessary, military struggle—while making clear that Hell is their ultimate destination for their rejection of truth. The severity of the command reflects the particular danger hypocrites posed to the Muslim community, as they outwardly professed Islam while secretly harboring disbelief.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tawbah was revealed in the 9th year of Hijrah during a period of intense consolidation of Islamic authority in the Arabian Peninsula. This ayah specifically addresses the internal and external threats the Muslim community faced: external enemies (disbelievers) and internal undermining elements (hypocrites of Madinah). The Medinan context makes this directive particularly relevant to establishing a cohesive and protected Muslim state.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best jihad is a word of truth spoken before a tyrannical ruler' (Sunan Ibn Majah and others), reflecting that jihad against falsehood takes many forms. Additionally, the Prophet emphasized firm but just treatment, as seen in his instruction: 'Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that confronting falsehood and corruption—whether external or internal—is a responsibility of Islamic leadership, and that such confrontation must be conducted with clarity and moral certainty, knowing that ultimate judgment belongs to Allah alone. For believers today, it emphasizes the importance of both internal vigilance against compromised faith and principled opposition to ideologies that contradict Islamic truth.
Related Ayahs
قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ ٱلْحَقِّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُوا۟ ٱلْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَـٰغِرُونَ
Fight against those who do not believe in Allāh or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allāh and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth [i.e., Islām] from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا۟ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْـًٔا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allāh is over all things competent.
يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِـُٔوا۟ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى ٱللَّهُ إِلَّآ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُۥ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
They want to extinguish the light of Allāh with their mouths, but Allāh refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
But if they turn away, [O Muḥammad], say, "Sufficient for me is Allāh; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne."