At-Tawbah 95: When you return to them, they will take oaths by Allah so that you will abandon (punishing) them. Now turn away from them because they are filthy. As a return, their destination for what they have been earning (in bad deeds) is hell.

We continue with our lesson.

In verse 95 of Surah At-Tawbah, we read the verse again. When you return to them, so that you turn away from them, from punishing them, they will swear to you by Allah, that is, they will take oaths. So turn away from them, for they are unclean. As punishment for what they earn, for their evil deeds, their abode is hell, it says. So in this world a person will do his work for Allah. He will be a servant to Allah, that as Creator there is no deity other than Allah — and that man, on earth, before Allah Almighty, being His servant or not — to prove himself in that way came into the world: Allah Almighty tells us this with His verses, with each of His verses He tells it. In every verse.

They are unclean, it says. That is, filth. Unclean means one —

there is something lawful. And there is something forbidden. There is something filthy. Well, for example, pork is among them, it says. A filthy animal is among them too. Filth is among them. In this case, they too are a filth, Allah Almighty says. That in the first barzakh they denied Allah Almighty, that their desires and wishes were given to them as destiny, that within those destinies they live far from Allah, with restless and scattered hearts — this, for these people, against their hearing Allah's word, forms a barrier, and they do not want to hear Allah's word. Nor do they want to return to Allah.

Because they denied Allah way back in the first barzakh. With their own whims, their pride, arrogance, fame and glory, (?), feeling a greatness in themselves, because they expected the Lord of their own imagination, they turned their backs on Allah. So they, those who gave such a covenant before Allah Almighty, never again — but toward Allah Almighty there is no turning back for them either. For this reason Allah Almighty informs the Prophet (peace be upon him) about them. They are filth, He says. They are filth. Yes. When he returns from the campaign and comes to these hypocrites, those who fear being punished will swear by Allah with all kinds of lies and declare that they had excuses.

Their excuses.

From now on, neither believe these people's oaths nor deal with them. Turn away from them, for they are unclean. The meaning of unclean: in every person there is a nafs. People honored with the light of Islam, since through the light of faith they break the evil desires of the nafs — grief, (?), suspicion, stirring up strife, that is setting people against each other through backbiting, pride, arrogance, haughtiness, fame, glory, egoism, lying, drinking, gambling and adultery — keeping away from such traits, reforming their own nafs, cleansing themselves of the evils in their nafs, with sound characters they become clean people.

The Muslims, from the light of faith. These are clean. Those deprived of the light of faith, the hypocrites, like a chameleon adapting to their surroundings, appear Muslim beside a Muslim, and beside a non-Muslim they appear non-Muslim. Because they do not observe Allah's prohibitions, they are filth. They are in this. Such people — you will neither believe their words nor be beside them. Nor will you believe their oaths. Because of the evil (?) they committed with these traits, as punishment the place they will reach is hell. What an evil destination it is. May Allah protect us. If we think about it for a moment,

in terms of knowledge, that Allah Almighty's knowledge encompasses the universe, that a thousand years here are like one day of the hereafter, that a thousand years here are like one day of the hereafter, that by creating time within time we see our lifespan as very long, while in fact compared to the hereafter we live a life of an hour, an hour and a half — if we were aware of this, would a person long for this world, to stay here? Would he prefer the world of the hereafter to this world?

While living in the earthly world, although he lives with his mind upon himself as a proof that Allah exists, he could not reform his nafs; though knowing beyond doubt that Allah will call him to account, by his nafs deceiving him he has convinced himself there is no hereafter, and though in his heart there is constant fear and unease — with what kind of covenant did he have this destiny written for himself, the nafs — still doing what the nafs says, he consents to buy eternal torment in the world of the hereafter. May Allah protect us from the hands of such a nafs. Yes.