Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 1

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Here is a disavowal (proclaimed) by Allah and His Messenger against the Mushriks (polytheists) with whom you have a treaty.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹This is˺ a discharge from all obligations,[[ This sûrah, which is perceived as a continuation of the previous sûrah, begins by openly terminating the peace treaties constantly violated by the pagans. The believers are urged to march forth with the Prophet (ﷺ) for the Battle of Tabûk in the summer of 9 A.H./631 C.E. Hypocrites are exposed and their false excuses are refuted. Muslims are reminded of how Allah turned the believers’ initial defeat into sweeping victory at the Battle of Ḥunain and how Allah saved His Messenger (ﷺ) from the pagans during his migration to Medina. Allah’s acceptance of repentance is echoed throughout the sûrah, hence its title.]] by Allah and His Messenger, to the polytheists you ˹believers˺ have entered into treaties with:

Ruwwad Translation Center

A declaration of disassociation by Allah and His Messenger to those polytheists with whom you have made a treaty.

A. J. Arberry

An acquittal, from God and His Messenger, unto the idolaters with whom you made covenant:

Abdul Haleem

A release by God and His Messenger from the treaty you [believers] made with the idolaters [is announced]––

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Quittance is this from Allah and His aposle unto the associators with whom ye had covenanted.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger, to those of the Pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances;-

Abul Ala Maududi

This is a declaration of disavowal by Allah and His Messenger to those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity and with whom you have made treaties:

Ahmed Ali

IMMUNITY is granted those idolaters by God and his Apostle with whom you have a treaty.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Severance of ties is proclaimed by Allah and on behalf of His Noble Messenger, towards the polytheists with whom you had a treaty.

Ali Quli Qarai

[This is] a [declaration of] repudiation by Allah and His Apostle [addressed] to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty:

Ali Ünal

This is an ultimatum from God and His Messenger to those who associate partners with God with whom you have made a treaty.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(This is) a declaration of complete absolution on the part of Allâh and His Messenger (from all obligations) to those of the polytheists with whom you had entered into a treaty (but they broke it repeatedly).

English Literal

Innocence/denouncement from God and His messenger to those who you promised/made a contract (with) them from the sharers/takers of partners (with God).

Faridul Haque

Severance of ties is proclaimed by Allah and on behalf of His Noble Messenger, towards the polytheists with whom you had a treaty.

Hamid S. Aziz

An immunity from Allah and His Messenger to those idolaters with whom you have made a treaty (or alliance).

Hilali & Khan

Freedom from (all) obligations (is declared) from Allah and His Messenger (SAW) to those of the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), with whom you made a treaty.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And those who believed afterwards and fled and struggled hard along with you, they are of you. And the relatives are nearer one to another in ordinance of Allah. Surely Allah is Knower of all things

Mohammad Habib Shakir

(This is a declaration of) immunity by Allah and His Apostle towards those of the idolaters with whom you made an agreement.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Freedom from obligation (is proclaimed) from Allah and His messenger toward those of the idolaters with whom ye made a treaty.

Muhammad Sarwar

God and His Messenger declare the abrogation of the peace treaty that existed between them and the pagans.

Qaribullah & Darwish

An acquittal from Allah and His Messenger to the idolaters with whom you have made agreements;

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Freedom from (all) obligations (is declared) from Allah and His Messenger () to those of the Mushrikin (idolaters), with whom you made a treaty.

Wahiduddin Khan

This is a declaration of immunity from God and His Messenger to the polytheists, with whom you had made agreements.

Talal Itani

A declaration of immunity from God and His Messenger to the polytheists with whom you had made a treaty.

Tafsir jalalayn

This is; A declaration of immunity from God and His Messenger to, reach, the idolaters with whom you made a pact, a pact for an indefinite period of time, or one for [a period of] less than, or more than, four months; the annulment of the pact shall be as God mentions in His saying;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Why there is no Basmalah in the Beginning of This Surah

This honorable Surah was one of the last Surahs to be revealed to the Messenger of Allah.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said,

"The last Ayah to be revealed was,
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى الْكَلَـلَةِ
(They ask you for a legal verdict. Say;"Allah directs (thus) about Al-Kalalah." (4;176), while the last Surah to be revealed was Bara'ah."
The Basmalah was not mentioned in the beginning of this Surah because the Companions did not write it in the complete copy of the Qur'an (Mushaf) they collected, following the Commander of the faithful, Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.

The first part of this honorable Surah was revealed to the Messenger of Allah when he returned from the battle of Tabuk, during the Hajj season, which the Prophet thought about attending. But he remembered that the idolators would still attend that Hajj, as was usual in past years, and that they perform Tawaf around the House while naked. He disliked to associate with them and sent Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead Hajj that year and show the people their rituals, commanding him to inform the idolators that they would not be allowed to participate in Hajj after that season. He commanded him to proclaim,
بَرَاءةٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِه
(Freedom from (all) obligations (is declared) from Allah and His Messenger...), to the people.

When Abu Bakr had left, the Messenger sent Ali bin Abu Talib to be the one to deliver this news to the idolators on behalf of the Messenger, for he was the Messenger's cousin. We will mention this story later.
Publicizing the Disavowal of the Idolators

Allah said,

بَرَاءةٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ


Freedom from obligations from Allah and His Messenger,

is a declaration of freedom from all obligations from Allah and His Messenger,

إِلَى الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ