48:11

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ شَغَلَتۡنَآ أَمۡوَٰلُنَا وَأَهۡلُونَا فَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَنَاۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَلۡسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيۡسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ قُلۡ فَمَن يَمۡلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـًٔا إِنۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ ضَرًّا أَوۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ نَفۡعَۢاۚ بَلۡ كَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرَۢا

Sayaqoolu laka almukhallafoona mina alaAArabi shaghalatna amwaluna waahloona faistaghfir lana yaqooloona bialsinatihim ma laysa fee quloobihim qul faman yamliku lakum mina Allahi shayan in arada bikum darran aw arada bikum nafAAan bal kana Allahu bima taAAmaloona khabeeran

Those who remained behind of the bedouins will say to you, "Our properties and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us." They say with their tongues what is not within their hearts. Say, "Then who could prevent Allah at all if He intended for you harm or intended for you benefit? Rather, ever is Allah, with what you do, Acquainted.

Word by word
  1. سَيَقُولُWill say
  2. لَكَto you
  3. ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَthose who remained behind
  4. مِنَof
  5. ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِthe Bedouins
  6. شَغَلَتۡنَآKept us busy
  7. أَمۡوَٰلُنَاour properties
  8. وَأَهۡلُونَاand our families
  9. فَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡso ask forgiveness
  10. لَنَاۚfor us
  11. يَقُولُونَThey say
  12. بِأَلۡسِنَتِهِمwith their tongues
  13. مَّاwhat
  14. لَيۡسَis not
  15. فِيin
  16. قُلُوبِهِمۡۚtheir hearts
  17. قُلۡSay
  18. فَمَنThen who
  19. يَمۡلِكُhas power
  20. لَكُمfor you
  21. مِّنَagainst
  22. ٱللَّهِAllah
  23. شَيۡـًٔا(in) anything
  24. إِنۡif
  25. أَرَادَHe intends
  26. بِكُمۡfor you
  27. ضَرًّاharm
  28. أَوۡor
  29. أَرَادَHe intends
  30. بِكُمۡfor you
  31. نَفۡعَۢاۚa benefit
  32. بَلۡNay
  33. كَانَis
  34. ٱللَّهُAllah
  35. بِمَاof what
  36. تَعۡمَلُونَyou do
  37. خَبِيرَۢاAll-Aware
Al-Fath · 48:11Madinah

We were busy with family and money, please pray for us.

An excuse the tongue says and the heart does not


Their excuse
the ones who stayedbedouins
we were busywealth and family
pray for usfor show
Tongue and heart
what they saida polite excuse
what Allah knewwhat the heart held

Some bedouins skipped the journey to Hudaybiyyah. Ibn Kathir says they later claimed they were busy with homes and wealth, and asked for prayers not from faith but to show off. They said with their tongues what was not in their hearts. No one could stop what Allah intends.

You skip the family visit, the volunteering, the study circle. Then you say: so sorry, work was crazy. Sometimes true, sometimes not. Allah knows which one it was.

A polite excuse is harmless as long as people accept it.

Allah knows whether my excuse matches my heart, so I can be honest.

Try this

The next time you decline something today, give your real reason, kindly.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Those of the bedouins who lagged behind will say to you: "Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us." They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: "Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit? Nay, but Allah is Aware of what you do (11)Nay, but you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made fair seeming in your hearts, and you did think an evil thought and you became a Bura. (12)And whosoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger, then verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers a blazing Fire (13)And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful (14)

The Fabricated Excuse offered by Those Who lagged behind and did not participate in Al-Hudaybiyyah; Allahs Warning for Them

Allah informs His Messenger ﷺ of the excuses that the bedouins who lagged behind would offer him, those bedouins who preferred to remain in their homes and possessions and did not join the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They offered an excuse for lagging behind, as that of being busy – in their homes and with their wealth! They asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to invoke Allah to forgive them, not because they had faith in the Prophet ﷺ and his invocation, but to show off and pretend. This is why Allah the Exalted said about them,

يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ مَا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَمَنْ يَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًا ۚ

(They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: "Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit?")

Allah says, none can resist what Allah has decided in your case, all praise and honor belong to Him. Allah is the Knower of your secrets and what your hearts conceal, even if you pretend and choose to be hypocritical with us. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

بَلْ كَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

(Nay, but Allah is Ever All-Aware of what you do.) then He said,

بَلْ ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنْ لَنْ يَنْقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا 

(Nay, but you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families,) 'for your lagging behind was not an excusable act or just a sin. Rather, your lagging behind was because of hypocrisy and because you thought that the Muslims would be killed to the extent of extermination, their lives would be extinguished and none of them will ever come back,'

وَظَنَنْتُمْ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ وَكُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا بُورًا

(and you did think an evil thought and you became a people Bur) going for destruction, according to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas, Mujahid and several others. Qatadah explained Bur to mean, corrupt and some said that it is a word used in the Arabic dialect of the area of Oman. Allah the Exalted then said,

وَمَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ 

(And whosoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger,) Allah states here that whoever does not purify his actions outwardly and inwardly for Allah's sake, then Allah the Exalted will punish him in the Blazing Fire, even if he pretends to show people that he follows the faith, contradicting his true creed. Allah the Exalted then states that He is the Only Authority, King and Owner Who has full control over the residents of the heavens and earth,

يَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

(He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful.) with those who repent, return and submit to Him with humiliation.