Surah At-Tawbah — Verse 118
The Repentance · 9:118 · 118/129
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
WaAAala aththalathatiallatheena khullifoo hatta itha daqatAAalayhimu al-ardu bima rahubat wadaqatAAalayhim anfusuhum wathannoo an la maljaamina Allahi illa ilayhi thumma tabaAAalayhim liyatooboo inna Allaha huwa attawwabuarraheem
Translations of this verse 11
Saheeh International
And [He also forgave] the three who were left alone [i.e., boycotted, regretting their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined [i.e., anguished] them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allāh except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allāh is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
And to the three men who stayed behind: when the earth, for all its spaciousness, closed in around them, when their very souls closed in around them, when they realized that the only refuge from God was with Him, He turned to them in mercy in order for them to return [to Him]. God is the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful.
Marmaduke Pickthall
And to the three also (did He turn in mercy) who were left behind, when the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them till they bethought them that there is no refuge from Allah save toward Him. Then turned He unto them in mercy that they (too) might turn (repentant unto Him). Lo! Allah! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
(He turned in mercy also) to the three who were left behind; (they felt guilty) to such a degree that the earth seemed constrained to them, for all its spaciousness, and their (very) souls seemed straitened to them,- and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah (and no refuge) but to Himself. Then He turned to them, that they might repent: for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
Mufti Taqi Usmani
And (He relented) towards the three whose matter was deferred until when the earth was straitened for them despite all its vastness, and even their own souls were straitened for them, and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah, except in Him, then He turned towards them, so that they may repent. Surely, Allah is the Most-Relenting, the Very Merciful.
Al-Hilali & Khan
And (He did forgive also) the three [who did not join the Tabûk expedition whose case was deferred (by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم)] (for Allâh’s Decision) till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allâh, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that they might beg for His pardon [repent (unto Him)] Verily, Allâh is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.
Abul A'la Maududi (Tafhim)
[9:118] And He also relented towards the three whose cases had been deferred. When the earth, for all its spaciousness, became constrained to them, and their own beings became a burden to them, and they realized that there was no refuge for them from Allah except in Him; He relented towards them that they may turn back to Him. Surely, it is Allah Who is Much Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
Muhammad Asad — The Message of the Qur’an
And [He turned in His mercy, too,] towards the three [groups of believers] who had fallen prey to corruption, until in the end-after the earth, despite all its vastness, had become [too] narrow for them and their souls had become [utterly] constricted they came to know with certainty that there is no refuge from God other than [a return] unto Him; and thereupon He turned again unto them in His mercy, so that they might repent: for, verily, God alone is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace.
Rowwad · source edition
[And Allah also turned in mercy to] the three who stayed behind[86], until the earth became constrained to them, despite its vastness, and their souls became a burden to them, and they realized that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in mercy, so that they might repent, for Allah is the Accepter of Repentance, the Most Merciful.
Notes
[86] Or whose cases were deferred. They were: Ka‘b ibn Mālik, Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah and Murārah ibn al-Rabī‘, who were sincere Companions but failed to join the Messenger’s (ﷺ) campaign in Tabūk Expedition. When he came back, unlike the hypocrites, they told the truth that they had no excuse. So, the Messenger (ﷺ) imposed a ban on them and forbade people to talk to them. This lasted for fifty nights until this verse was revealed. During this time, they endured huge mental anguish for being ostracized by the whole society. [For further details see: Al-Bukhārī: 4418, and Muslim: 2769]
Noor International · source edition
(118) And [He also forgave] the three who were left alone [i.e., boycotted, regretting their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness[505] and their souls confined [i.e., anguished] them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allāh except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allāh is the Accepting of Repentance,[506] the Merciful.
Notes
[505]- Thus it seemed to them in their extreme distress. [506]- Refer to footnote in 2:37.
Hilali and Khan · source edition
118. And (He did forgive also) the three [who did not join the Tabûk expedition whose case was deferred (by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم)] (for Allâh’s Decision) till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allâh, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that they might beg for His pardon [repent (unto Him)] Verily, Allâh is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.