Accursed, They Will Be Seized Wherever Found And Slain…” – Surah 33:61
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
Background
These verses speak about the hypocrites who resided in Madinah. The hypocrites were never touched, they were only retaliated against as a result of the ongoing opposition, aggression, and treachery (Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn ‘Abbas) and back-stabbing the Muslims. They proclaimed to be Muslims but in reality they were closer to the disbelievers.
Furthermore, ‘retaliation’ of the Muslims against them was most probably done so with words i.e., rebuked. We don’t know of any incident where a hypocrite was killed, unless they openly took up arms and fought against the Muslims (“‘Prophet, Fight Against The Hypocrites…’ – Surah 9:73“).
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Analysing Verses
33:60 Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time:
33:61 Accursed, they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter.
33:62 That was the way of Allah in the case of those who passed away of old; thou wilt not find for the way of Allah aught of power to change.
33:60 – The verse was revealed in connection to those hypocrites who stir up sedition. God is warning them that if they desist not from treachery and sedition, that HE will make the Muslims go up against them , 1400 years ago (Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn ‘Abbas).
33:61 – Because they didn’t ‘desist’ (33:60) from treachery and their hostile actions against the Muslims, here God commanded the believers to deal with the hypocrites.
Commentaries
Dr. Muhammad Asad:
“76 For my above rendering of la’in, see surah 30, note 45. With this passage, the discourse returns to the theme touched upon in verse 1 and more fully dealt with in verses 9-27: namely, the opposition with which the Prophet and his followers were faced in their early years at Yathrib (which by that time had come to be known as Madinat an-Nabi, “the City of the Prophet”).
77 See note 16 above.
78 Thus Zamakhshari, explaining the term al-murjifun in the above context.
79 I.e., “there will be open warfare between thee and them”, which will result in their expulsion from Medina: a prediction which was fulfilled in the course of time.
80 Lit., “slain with [a great] slaying”. See in this connection note 168 on 2:191. For my rendering of mal’unin as “bereft of God’s grace”, see note 73 above.” [1]
Maulana Muhammad Ali:
“61a. This verse and the one that follows relate to hypocrites as well as to certain Jews who spread evil reports concerning the Muslims. Before the Prophet died, Madinah was cleared of these mischievous elements.
63a, see next page.
63a. By the Hour is meant the hour of their doom, as prophesied in the previous verses.” [2]
Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn Abbas:
“(If the hypocrites) ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his host in their SCHEMING AND TREACHERY, (and those in whose hearts is a disease) the desire to fornicate, (and the alarmists) those who follow the faults of the believers; these are the people won over to Islam through gifts and money (al-mu’allafah) (in the city) in Medina (do not cease, We verify shall urge thee on against them)
We shall set you against them, (then they will be your neighbours in it) they will not live in the same city of Medina (but a little while) except for a short period. (Accursed) they will be killed, (they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter.” (Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn Abbas on Surah 33:60 – Online Source)
Shaykh Ashiq Ilahi Madni:
“…Describing them further Allah says, ‘They are accursed. Wherever they go (after being expelled from Madinah), they will be seized and massacred. This was the practice of Allah with those who passed before. You will never find any change in Allah’s practice.’ Allah also ensured that THE REBELLIOUS PEOPLE of previous nations were expelled from their homes because of their mischief.
The author of ‘Ruhul Ma’ani’ writes that the hypocrites slackened in their mischief after the revelation of this verse, whereby they were saved from being banished and killed. Other commentators’ state that the specific hypocrites referred to in the verse did not desist as they were told and were banished from the Masjid. …” [3]
References:
[1] The Message of The Quran translated and explained by Muhammad Asad, page 904
[2] The Holy Quran Arabic Text with English Translation, Commentary and comprehensive Introduction [Year 2002 Edition] by Maulana Muhammad Ali, page 843 – 844
[3] Illuminating Discourses on the Noble Quran – Tafseer Anwarul Bayan – By Shaykh Ashiq Ilahi Madni (r.a), volume 4, page 273 – 274