وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم تَعالَوا يَستَغفِر لَكُم رَسولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوا رُءوسَهُم وَرَأَيتَهُم يَصُدّونَ وَهُم مُستَكبِرونَ

When they are told: ‘Come, that Allah’s Apostle may plead for forgiveness for you,’ they twist their heads [around], and you see them turn away while they act haughtily.

EXEGESIS

Taʿālaw is a plural, imperative tense verb which lexically derives from the root verb ʿalā, which means to ascend, to rise, or to be high. Taʿālaw is the form 6 of the verb ʿalā, which means to rise, to be high and exalted (especially of God), or to be above someone or something. However, in the imperative mood it means ‘Come (here)!’ or ‘Let’s go!’^{‎[1]Hans Wehr, under ʿ-l-w and ʿ-l-y.}

Yastaghfir means to ask and request for forgiveness. It has occurred here in the jussive mood (majzūm) as it is the result clause (jawāb) of Come.

Most lexicologists maintain that the root meaning of ghafr is to veil something and to cover it up. Accordingly, maghfirah (forgiveness) means to put a veil on the sins of a person and to overlook them.^{‎[2]Lisan, under gh-f-r.} However, some researchers believe that the actual meaning of ghafr in Arabic is to obliterate the effects and traces of something. Although to veil and to overlook are also used in the case of this word, they are in fact the corollaries of obliteration.^{‎[3]Tahqiq, under gh-f-r.}  

Lawwaw is in the third person, plural, perfect tense, deriving from the root lawā, which lexically means to turn or to twist, especially a rope.^{‎[4]Raghib, under l-w-y.} And since it has appeared in the verse as form 2 of the root verb, it signifies the intensity of the act performed. Thus, lawwaw ruʾūsahum would imply that the hypocrites obstinately turned their heads in rejecting the call to go to the Prophet and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Mustakbirūn is the plural active participle of the verb yastakbirūna which is the form 10 of the root verb kabura, meaning to become big, to become older, or to grow.^{‎[5]Lisan, under k-b-r.} Lexically, istikbār implies the state of a person who, out of vainglory, is prompted to think of himself that which he is not.^{‎[6]Raghib, under k-b-r.} However, in Quranic terms it refers to the state of seeking to attain superiority over others and not submitting oneself to the truth.^{‎[7]Bahrayn, under k-b-r.}

EXPOSITION

Further describing the hypocrites, the verse illustrates the defiant stance of the hypocrites towards the leadership of the Islamic nation under the authority of Prophet Muhammad (s).

The Holy Quran repeatedly calls upon the believers to obey God and His Prophet: And obey Allah and obey the Apostle, and beware (5:92). In the same way that the believers submit to God with total submission, they are likewise required to show the same degree of submission and compliance with the orders of His Messenger, as he has a greater authority over the believers than they have over themselves: The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls (33:6). Failure to do so shall render one’s actions null and void: O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle, and do not render your works void (47:33).

Besides all this, the believers are required to show utmost respect to the sublime personality of the Holy Prophet and to hold him in high esteem, such that they should not allow themselves to precede him in affairs related to the Muslim nation: O you who have faith! Do not venture ahead of Allah and His Apostle, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing (49:1). This is to the extent that they ought not to show disrespect to the Prophet by raising their voices in his presence: O you who have faith! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, and do not speak aloud to him as you shout to one another, lest your works should fail without your being aware (49:2).

One of the very important indicators of one’s submission to, and reverence for, the personality of the Holy Prophet and the leadership of the Muslim ummah, is to humbly apologise before him for the mistakes one has committed against the Muslim community. The repentance of Abū Lubābah mentioned in the books of history is a good example in this regard.^{‎[8]Jaʿfar al-Hādī, Sayyid al-Mursalīn, 2/286-288.}

However, the hypocrites, Ibn Ubayy being the topmost of them, persistently defied this divine code of interaction with the Prophet of God, the head of the Islamic nation. Beside their disobedience of his commands, they haughtily refused to admit their mistakes and apologise to him, thus showing the degree of their disregard for his personality: When they are told: ‘Come, that Allah’s Apostle may plead for forgiveness for you,’ they twist their heads [around].

Despite their pretension in fervently abiding by the rituals of Islam, hence giving a very religious image of themselves, the ironic reality is that they do not acknowledge the legitimacy of the Prophet’s leadership and they lack the spirit of submission to him, a spirit that has been considered by the Holy Quran as one of the necessary criteria of faith: But no, by your Lord! They will not believe until they make you a judge in their disputes, then do not find within their hearts any dissent to your verdict and submit in full submission (4:65).^{‎[9]Mudarrisi, 14/418-419.}

Since the imperative Come (taʿālaw) derives from ʿuluww – elevation and highness – the verse makes a subtle allusion to that fact that the hypocrites are a community who demonstrate obstinacy when invited towards attaining higher stations worthy of human beings.^{‎[10]Qaraati, 10/57.}

Submission to God and His Messenger constitutes the very spirit of Islam. The felicity of man and his salvation in this world and the hereafter entirely depends on the degree of his faith and the extent to which his life is founded on divine guidance. Nonetheless, the element of pride and sense of superiority always hinders the human soul to see truth and bow down before it in submission. Even a sincere call to revert back to the right path and join the ranks of the believers will not have any effect but to turn them further away: and you see them turn away while they act haughtily.

Exhibition of pride and haughtiness when confronted with the truth and lacking the spirit of succumbing to it, is one of the qualities of the hypocrites; rather, it could be considered as one of the causes of hypocrisy in man.^{‎[11]Nemuneh, 24/160.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ibn Kathīr relates from Ibn Abī Ḥātim a report that explains they twist their heads [around] as turning the head towards either side and to look askance at someone.^{‎[12]Ibn Kathir, 8/151.}

The prevalent occasion of revelation for this verse among the exegetes is that after the revelation of the first verses of this surah, Ibn Ubayy was asked to go to the Prophet so that he may pray for his pardon, but he turned his head away and said: ‘You ordered me to believe and I did so; you ordered me pay the zakat of my wealth and I did it; so there remains nothing now but for me to prostrate before Muhammad!’^{‎[13]Tabrisi, 10/444; Ibn Abi Hatim, 10/3357; Zamakhshari, 4/543; Alusi, 14/307; Thaalabi, 4/536; Mizan, 19/285.}

Some exegetes narrate reports that give a slightly different occasion of revelation for this verse. According to these reports, when Ibn Ubayy came to see the Holy Prophet after the revelation of the first verses of this surah and denied having said what was ascribed to him, the Prophet asked him to repent but he started turning his head around. Thus the above verse was revealed.^{‎[14]Ibn Abi Hatim, 10/3357; Shawkani, 5/277.}

Some exegetes cite reports from historical works confirming that this verse refers to Ibn Ubayy, however, in relation to events that transpired before and after the Battle of Uḥud. Ibn Kathīr relates from al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah of Ibn Hishām that on every Friday, before the Holy Prophet would start the Friday sermon, Ibn Ubayy used to stand and invite people to support the Prophet by saying: ‘This is the Messenger of God amidst you. He has honoured you through him, so help him and show your support for him; listen to him and obey him.’ He would do this on every Friday until the day he abandoned the Prophet and returned with a third of his followers to Medina while the Prophet and the Muslims proceeded towards Uḥud. After the battle, when he stood to do the same, a group of Muslims held him by his clothes and said: ‘Sit down, O enemy of God! You do not deserve to say this after what you have done.’ He retorted, saying: ‘By God, I did not intend but to support him.’ As he was coming out of the mosque, a group of Anṣār met with him and asked him to go to the Prophet so that he may pray for his forgiveness. He refused and said: ‘By God, I have no desire for him to pray for my forgiveness.’^{‎[15]Ibn Kathir, 8/151-152.} However, this account is out of the context of the surah and does not fit with its opening verses.

[1] Hans Wehr, under ʿ-l-w and ʿ-l-y.
[2] Lisan, under gh-f-r.
[3] Tahqiq, under gh-f-r.
[4] Raghib, under l-w-y.
[5] Lisan, under k-b-r.
[6] Raghib, under k-b-r.
[7] Bahrayn, under k-b-r.
[8] Jaʿfar al-Hādī, Sayyid al-Mursalīn, 2/286-288.
[9] Mudarrisi, 14/418-419.
[10] Qaraati, 10/57.
[11] Nemuneh, 24/160.
[12] Ibn Kathir, 8/151.
[13] Tabrisi, 10/444; Ibn Abi Hatim, 10/3357; Zamakhshari, 4/543; Alusi, 14/307; Thaalabi, 4/536; Mizan, 19/285.
[14] Ibn Abi Hatim, 10/3357; Shawkani, 5/277.
[15] Ibn Kathir, 8/151-152.