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.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌ
And the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to him [i.e., Abraham] that he [i.e., the father] was an enemy to Allāh, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَـْٔذِنُونَكَ وَهُمْ أَغْنِيَآءُ ۚ رَضُوا۟ بِأَن يَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
The cause [for blame] is only upon those who ask permission of you while they are rich. They are satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and Allāh has sealed over their hearts, so they do not know.
وَلَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لَآ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ تَوَلَّوا۟ وَّأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُوا۟ مَا يُنفِقُونَ
Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you for you to take them along, you said, "I can find nothing upon which to carry you." They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allāh].
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ ٱئْذَن لِّى وَلَا تَفْتِنِّىٓ ۚ أَلَا فِى ٱلْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا۟ ۗ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And among them is he who says, "Permit me [to remain at home] and do not put me to trial." Unquestionably, into trial they have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.