The short answer
Surah Tawbah, also called At-Tawba and spelt Tawbah, Tawba or Taubah, is the ninth surah of the Quran, with 129 verses, classed as Medinan (from after the move to Madinah) by the Tanzil metadata. This page covers the surah itself, not repentance as a subject: for that, see Tawbah: understanding repentance.
What is Surah Tawbah?
Surah Tawbah is the ninth surah in the Mushaf, the written Quran in its standard order, and it has 129 verses (source 1). The Tanzil metadata gives its transliterated name as At-Tawba and its English name as The Repentance (source 2).
It is also called Bara'ah, a name that rests on one quoted report whose grading this page has not checked. The first word of the opening verse is bara'a, and the English on this site renders the verse's opening as "Freedom from obligation" (At-Tawbah 9:1, meaning surah 9, verse 1).
At-Tawbah 9:1
بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Freedom from obligation (is proclaimed) from Allah and His messenger toward those of the idolaters with whom you made a treaty.
Arabic reads right to left, so the first word is on the right.
- بَرَآءَةٌbara'afreedom from obligationThe first word of the surah.
Ibn Kathir's commentary also uses the name Bara'ah, in a report he quotes in which Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, refers to the surah by that name (source 5).
The Tanzil metadata classes the surah as Medinan (Madinan) (source 3). Ibn Kathir heads his commentary on it "Madinan" as well (source 4).
Why does Surah Tawbah not begin with Bismillah?
The basmala, Bismillah, reads "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful." In the Tanzil text, the basmala is not written at the start of At-Tawbah: its first verse begins with bara'a (Tanzil text).
Ibn Kathir explains that the basmala is not written at the start of this surah because the Companions did not write it there in the master copy of the Quran, following the practice of Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him (source 6). The page reports that explanation and adds no reason of its own. The Bismillah page covers the phrase itself: Bismillah: meaning and when to say it.
What is the context of Surah Tawbah?
The opening verses are a proclamation to the idolaters. Ibn Kathir's account is that they came down after the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, returned from the expedition to Tabuk and intended to make the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah (source 7).
In the same account, the Prophet sent Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, as leader of that year's pilgrimage to proclaim Bara'ah among the people, and Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was sent after him to convey the message from the Prophet.
This is one classical account, from the commentary (tafsir) of Ibn Kathir (source 7). The verses themselves do not name Tabuk, the Hajj, Abu Bakr or Ali, so the page adds no detail beyond the commentary.
What are the main themes of Surah Tawbah?
The surah moves between several subjects. Each part below follows the verses named, and the page does not say how the verses should be applied today.
Treaties with the idolaters
At-Tawbah 9:1 declares freedom from obligation from Allah and His messenger toward the idolaters with whom the believers made a treaty. Verse 4 excepts those who kept their side, and tells the believers to keep the treaty to its term. It closes: "Indeed, Allah loves those who keep their duty" (source 8).
Broken pledges and fighting
Verse 5 gives orders against the idolaters once the sacred months have passed, including to slay them wherever they are found. It then says that if they repent, establish prayer and pay the poor-due, "leave their way free" (source 9).
Verses 12 and 13 speak of people who break their pledges after a treaty and assail the believers' religion. Verse 12 says "fight the heads of disbelief", and verse 13 asks the believers whether they will not fight "a folk who broke their solemn pledges" (source 10).
Verse 5 does not mention broken pledges, and verses 12 and 13 do. How the verses relate to one another is a question for the commentaries and the schools of law, which this page does not cite. The page gives no ruling on it.
The hypocrites
Verse 67 describes the hypocrites, men and women. They "enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right", and they "forget Allah, so He has forgotten them" (source 11).
Verse 73 is addressed to the Prophet. It tells him to strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and to "Be harsh with them". It names hell as their ultimate abode (source 12). This page does not extend that instruction to anyone else.
Repentance as one theme among others
Repentance is one of the surah's themes, and not its only subject. Verse 102 speaks of others who acknowledged their faults and mixed a good action with a bad one: "It may be that Allah will relent toward them". Verse 104 says that Allah "accepts repentance from His bondmen" and takes the alms (source 13). The topic of repentance on its own is covered at Tawbah: understanding repentance.
How should you read Surah Tawbah?
The surah has 129 verses and changes subject often. A first reading can follow five passes:
- Verses 1 to 5: the proclamation on treaties, with its orders and its condition.
- Verses 12 and 13: the people who broke their pledges.
- Verses 67 and 73: the hypocrites.
- Verses 102 to 104: repentance, and the alms.
- Verses 128 and 129: the close, below.
This is an order to read in. It is not a claim about what the verses mean.
What are the last 2 ayat of Surah Taubah (9:128 and 9:129)?
The last two verses of Surah Taubah, At-Tawbah 9:128 and 129, describe a messenger from among you, to whom your hardship is grievous, and who is "full of concern for you". The second verse tells him to say, if they turn away: "Allah suffices me" (source 14).
At-Tawbah 9:128 to 129
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
There has come to you a messenger, (one) of yourselves, to whom anything that you are overburdened is grievous, full of concern for you, for the believers full of pity, merciful. Now, if they turn away (O Muhammad) say: Allah suffices me. There is no God except Him. In Him have I put my trust, and He is Lord of the Tremendous Throne.
This page makes no claim about any reward for reading these verses.
I learned a few surahs young without noticing that Surah At-Tawbah begins without the Bismillah. When I found out, I wanted to know why, and the commentary I read gives a reason, though it is one view. I still reread parts of it slowly, because some verses read harder in translation until you read the verses around them.
Try it: Surah Tawbah in three questions
Three quick questions on the surah. Each answer explains itself.
1How many verses does Surah Tawbah have?
Answer: One hundred and twenty-nine. One hundred and twenty-nine. The Tanzil metadata and the Tanzil text both give 129.
2Which surah is ninth in the Mushaf order?
Answer: Surah At-Tawbah. At-Tawbah is surah 9. Al-Anfal is surah 8, and Yunus is surah 10.
3Which verse says the hypocrites "forget Allah, so He has forgotten them"?
Answer: At-Tawbah 9:67. Verse 67. Verse 4 is about the treaty, and verse 128 about the messenger who is concerned for the believers.
Questions people ask
What is Surah Tawbah about?
Surah Tawbah, also called At-Tawbah, has 129 verses. Its themes include the treaties with idolaters in its opening verses, the people who broke their pledges, the hypocrites, and repentance as one theme among others.
Is Surah Tawba the same as Surah Taubah?
Yes. Tawbah, Tawba and Taubah are three English spellings of the ninth surah of the Quran. The Arabic name is the same.
Why does Surah Tawbah not start with Bismillah?
In the Tanzil copy, At-Tawbah is the surah whose opening line has no basmala written at its start. The reason the commentary gives is set out in the section above, with its source.
What are the last two verses of Surah Taubah?
At-Tawbah 9:128 and 9:129. They describe a messenger from among you, to whom your hardship is grievous, and they end with the words "Allah suffices me. There is no God except Him."
Is Surah Tawbah about repentance?
Repentance is one of its themes, not its only subject. For repentance as a topic, see Tawbah: understanding repentance.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
Surah At-Tawbah, surah 9 and the ninth surah in the Mushaf order, has 129 verses.
- 2
The Tanzil metadata names Surah 9 At-Tawba, which it translates as The Repentance, and gives its Arabic name as al-Tawba.
- 3
The Tanzil metadata classes Surah 9, At-Tawba, as Medinan (Madinan).
- 4
Ibn Kathir heads his commentary on Surah At-Tawbah 'Madinan' (madaniyyah), classing it with the surahs of the Madinah period.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, heading of the commentary on At-Tawbah Electronic copy: no volume or page given.
- 5
Ibn Kathir's commentary heads the surah 'At-Tawbah', and in a report he quotes about the basmala, Ibn Abbas refers to the same surah as Bara'ah, beside Surah Al-Anfal.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, opening of the commentary on At-Tawbah Electronic copy: no volume or page given. The report quoted is not graded here.
- 6
Ibn Kathir explains that the basmala is not written at the start of Surah At-Tawbah because the Companions did not write it there in the master copy of the Quran, following the practice of Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, opening of the commentary on At-Tawbah Electronic copy: no volume or page given.
- 7
Ibn Kathir reports that the opening of Surah At-Tawbah came down when the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, returned from the expedition to Tabuk and intended the Hajj; that he sent Abu Bakr as leader of the pilgrimage that year to proclaim Bara'ah among the people; and that Ali ibn Abi Talib was sent after him to convey the message.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, opening of the commentary on At-Tawbah Electronic copy: no volume or page given.
- 8
At-Tawbah 9:1 to 4 declare freedom from obligation from Allah and His messenger toward the idolaters with whom the believers made a treaty, and tell the believers to keep the treaty to its term with those who have kept their side and have not supported anyone against them.
- 9
At-Tawbah 9:5 gives orders against the idolaters once the sacred months have passed, including to slay them wherever they are found, and states that if they repent, establish prayer and pay the poor-due, their way is to be left free.
- 10
At-Tawbah 9:12 and 9:13 describe people who break their pledges after a treaty and attack the believers' religion, and ask the believers why they would not fight a people who broke their solemn pledges, sought to drive out the Messenger, and attacked first.
- 11
At-Tawbah 9:67 says the hypocrites, men and women, enjoin the wrong and forbid the right, withhold their hands from spending in Allah's cause, forget Allah, and so Allah has forgotten them.
- 12
At-Tawbah 9:73 tells the Prophet to strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, to be harsh with them, and says that their ultimate abode is hell.
- 13
At-Tawbah 9:102 speaks of others who acknowledged their faults and mixed a good action with a bad one, for whom it may be that Allah relents; and 9:104 says that Allah accepts repentance from His bondmen and takes the alms.
- 14
At-Tawbah 9:128 and 9:129 describe a messenger of the believers' own kind, grieved by what burdens them, full of concern for them and merciful to them, and tell the Prophet to say, if they turn away, that Allah suffices him, that there is no god but Him, and that he has put his trust in Him, Lord of the Tremendous Throne.
- Q
Quran Arabic on this page is the Tanzil Uthmani text, and the English is the adapted Pickthall translation (1930).
Tanzil Project English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
Next
- Bismillah: meaning and when to say it
- Tawbah: understanding repentanceTopic page
- Surah Al-Kafirun: meaning and learningQuran lesson
- Surah Ikhlas: meaning, themes and reported virtuesQuran lesson
- Surah Muhammad: meaning, themes and learningQuran lesson
- Surah Fatah (Al-Fath): meaning, themes and contextQuran lesson
- Quran and SurahsThe hub
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