Those who invest first have the highest returns
Background to Surat at-Tawbah
The name of Surat at-Tawbah comes from the fact that Allah accepted the repentance of three companions who didn’t go to the Battle of Tabuk, despite not having any excuse. These were Murarah ibn Al-Rabi‘, Ka‘b ibn Malik and Hilal ibn Umayyah
Surat at-Tawbah talks the most about hypocrites of any surah in the Quran. Around 60 of its verses are dedicated to the munafiqun – compared to Surat al-Munafiqun, which itself only has 11 ayahs. But there is always balance in the Quran: anywhere Allah talks about Jahannam, he also talks about Jannah; anywhere He talks about goodness, He also talks about evil. Here, where He is talking about hypocrites, He also mentions the people of purity.
Allah talks about two groups: the Munafiqeen, who are impure in their hearts, their intentions, and their actions – inwardly and outwardly.
He also talks about the pure people. Their hearts and actions, inward and outward, are sincere.
فِیهِ رِجَالࣱ یُحِبُّونَ أَن یَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ۚ وَٱللَّهُ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُطَّهِّرِینَ
In it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who always purify themselves. [9:108]
The high status of the forerunners
وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَٰنٖ رَّضِيَ ٱللَّهُ
عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٖ
تَجۡرِي تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدٗاۚ
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ,
As for the foremost—the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers—and those who follow them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. That is the ultimate triumph. [9:100]
The people who embraced Islam right at the beginning are not the same as those who joined later, when it had become mainstream. During the first 13 years of Islam, in Makkah, only around 100-115 people had accepted the message – even though it came from the best of Allah’s creation. These were the Muhajirun, who migrated to Madinah, and their status is far above anyone who converted later.
Similarly, the first of the Ansar who originally came to see the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) in Makkah – seven people in the first year and then another seventy – do not have the same level as those people from Madinah who became Muslim later.
In this ayah Allah describes those forerunners from both groups – they are the people who have Allah’s pleasure. This is what we all want: to be accepted by Allah and to feel that He is pleased with us.
The first to invest have the highest reward
Why did Allah give the forerunners this status? They sacrificed everything for His sake: their wealth, their families, even their own lives. They gave up everything previous and left nothing for themselves, and this is why no one else can reach that level. Even those who came after did not sacrifice to the same extent.
Although the level of risk and reward isn’t comparable – we can think of it like investing in a startup. There is a high risk in buying shares in something that is just starting out, it’s not the same as investing in an established company that is already running and making profit, but the reward is much greater for those who invested early.
Similarly, those who invested early with Allah have the highest reward, but the risk was very high – they went through a lot of struggle and needed to have a lot of sabr. This is also what we are seeing in Palestine today. But the difference between Allah and a startup is that investing in Allah has a 100% guaranteed return – it won’t be easy, but there is no doubt that the return will be beyond your imagination.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشۡتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ أَنفُسَهُمۡ
وَأَمۡوَ ٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلۡجَنَّةَۚ
Surely, Allah has bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, in exchange for (a promise) that Paradise shall be theirs. [9:111]
In the Hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (peace be on him) told us that Allah Almighty said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَعْدَدْتُ لِعِبَادِي الصَّالِحِينَ مَا لاَ عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ، وَلاَ أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ، وَلاَ خَطَرَ عَلَى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ ”.
I have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of. [Bukhari]
Masjid al-Dirar
In between these two verses, Allah talks about the hypocrites who plotted against the Prophet (peace be on him). The Munafiqeen who established a mosque to harm the believers, tried to kill the Prophet (peace be upon him) on his way back from Tabouk.
These ayahs from Surat at-Tawbah were revealed to let the Prophet (peace be on him) know about the hypocrites’ evil intentions, and warn him not to go to that mosque.
وَٱلَّذِینَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مسجداً
ضِرَارࣰا وكُفراً وَتَفۡرِیقَۢا بَیۡنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ
وَإِرۡصَادࣰا لِّمَنۡ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ
مِن قَبۡلُۚ وَلَیَحۡلِفُنَّ إِنۡ أَرَدۡنَاۤ إِلَّا
ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۖ وَٱللَّهُ یَشۡهَدُ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
And (there are) those who have built a mosque to cause harm (to Islam) and to promote infidelity and to create dissention among the believers and and as an outpost for those who waged war against Allah and His Messenger before. They will certainly swear (and say), “We intended to do nothing but good.” Allah testifies that they are liars. [9:107]
لَا يَزَالُ بُنۡيَٰنُهُمُ ٱلَّذِي بَنَوۡاْرِيبَةٗ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِلَّآ أَنتَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌحَكِيمٌ,
The building which they erected will never cease to fuel hypocrisy in their hearts until their hearts are torn apart. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. [9:110]
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) then burned down that mosque and punished the people involved. They would have fought to their last breath to oppose the truth, but Allah protects those who carry the truth. We ask Him to make us among them, and to protect our brothers and sisters everywhere and bring relief for them soon.
Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 20th Ramadan 2025. Transcribed by H Khan.
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