Tafsir Ibn Abbas: At-Tawba, Ayah 37
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
Postponement of the sacred month — that is the deferment of the sacredness of a given month to another as they used to do during paganism such as postponing the sacredness of Muharram if it arrives while they are at war to Safar — is only an excess of unbelief because of their rejection of God’s ruling thereof whereby those who disbelieve are led astray yudallu may also be read yadillu ‘they go astray’ one year they make it the month postponed profane and hallow it another that they may make up by profaning one month and hallowing another in its place the number of months which God has hallowed such that they do not hallow more or less than the four months but without observing the individual months themselves; and so they profane what God has hallowed. Their evil deeds have been adorned for them such that they deem them to be good deeds; and God does not guide the disbelieving folk.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(Postponement (of a sacred month) is only an excess of disbelief) He says: postponement of the month of Muharram to the month of Safar is an excess of disbelief (whereby those who disbelieve are misled) they are wrong to postpone Muharram to Safar, (they allow it) i.e. Muharram (one year) and thus fight in it (and forbid it) i.e. Muharram ((another) year) and thus abstain from fighting during it. And so when they used to do this, Muharram would not be considered sacred while Safar became sacred instead, (that they may make up) that they may match (the number of the months which Allah hath hallowed) four in number, (so that they allow that which Allah hath forbidden) i.e. Muharram. (The evil of their deeds is made fair-seeming unto them. Allah guideth not) leads not to His religion (the disbelieving folk) those who do not deserve it. The one who used to postpone the sacred months was a man called Nu'aym Ibn Tha'labah.