وَأَذَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَوْمَ ٱلْحَجِّ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَرِىٓءٌ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ۙ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ 3
Translations
And [it is] an announcement from Allāh and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allāh is disassociated from the disbelievers, and [so is] His Messenger. So if you repent, that is best for you; but if you turn away - then know that you will not cause failure to Allāh. And give tidings to those who disbelieve of a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Wa adhānun min-Allāhi wa rasūlihī ilā an-nāsi yawm al-hajji al-akbar anna Allāha barī'un min al-mushrikīn wa rasūluh, fa-in tubtum fa-huwa khayrun lakum wa-in tawallītum fa-'lamū anna-kum ghayru mu'jizī Allāh, wa bashshir alladhīn kafarū bi-'adhābin alīm.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah conveys an announcement (adhān) from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the Day of the Greatest Pilgrimage (Day of Arafah during Hajj) that Allah disassociates Himself from the polytheists, and His Messenger does likewise. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the proclamation made by Ali ibn Abi Talib on behalf of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during the Hajj of 9 AH, formally breaking the treaty with polytheists and announcing they could no longer perform Hajj alongside Muslims. The ayah then offers repentance as a path to salvation while warning that those who persist in disbelief cannot escape Allah's punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah At-Tawbah, which deals with the breaking of treaties and a shift in Allah's command regarding polytheists. It specifically relates to the ninth year of Hijrah when the Prophet sent Ali ibn Abi Talib to announce at the Ka'bah that polytheists could no longer perform Hajj and that treaty obligations with them were voided, marking a decisive turn in the Islamic state's policy toward idolaters.
Related Hadiths
Imam At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir report that Ali ibn Abi Talib was sent to announce Surah At-Tawbah on the Day of Arafah during the Hajj. Another relevant hadith in Sahih Bukhari describes how the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared at the Farewell Pilgrimage that polytheists would no longer be permitted near the Sacred Mosque.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that while Allah's judgment against those who reject His oneness is severe, the door of repentance remains open until the final hour; believers should recognize the seriousness of shirk (polytheism) and understand that avoiding divine punishment ultimately depends on turning back to Allah in sincere repentance and obedience.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَـٰتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِۦ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كُسَالَىٰ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ كَـٰرِهُونَ
And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allāh and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling.
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].
وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ مُنَـٰفِقُونَ ۖ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ۖ مَرَدُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ ۖ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ
And among those around you of the bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madīnah. They have persisted in hypocrisy. You, [O Muḥammad], do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice [in this world]; then they will be returned to a great punishment.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allāh and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allāh testifies that indeed they are liars.