وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿۱۰۰﴾ وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿۱۰۱﴾

﴾100﴿ Was saabiqoonal awwaloona minal Muhaajireena wal Ansaari wallazeenat taba'oo hum bi ihsaanir radiyal laahu 'anhum wa radoo 'anhu wa a'adda lahum jannaatin tajree tahtahal anhaaru khaalideena feehaaa abadaa; zaalikal fawzul 'azeem
﴾101﴿ Wa mimmann hawlakum minal A'raabi munaafiqoona wa min ahlil Madeenati maradoo 'alan nifaaq, laa ta'lamuhum nahnu na'lamuhum; sanu'azzibuhum marrataini summa yuraddoona ilaa 'azaabin 'azeem

﴾100﴿ And those who have preceded in faith, the first of the Muhajirin and the Ansar and those who followed them, following them with good words Allah the Almighty is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow They are, they are always in it eternal, this is great success
﴾101﴿ And some of those around you are hypocrites from the desert dwellers, and some of the people of Medina are more severe in hypocrisy, you do not know them, We know them. We will punish them soon, twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment

[100] From this point to the end of the surah is the fourth section, which describes three categories of the noble Companions (Ṣaḥābah) during the Expedition of Tabuk:
1. The Mujāhidīn – those who participated in jihad.
2. Those who initially stayed behind but repented quickly.
3. Those who stayed behind and delayed their repentance.
This section includes:
Encouragement toward jihad Warnings to the hypocrites for their worthless deeds And finally, a confirmation of the truthfulness of the Messenger (May Allah bless him and give him peace) and the proclamation of Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah).
In this particular verse, it praises the greatness of the Companions and gives them glad tidings of Allah’s pleasure and Paradise.
It includes all the Companions (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين), as well as those who follow them, and also those who praise them.
There are two main opinions on this verse:
1. The first opinion is that (السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ) refers to those Companions who were first in faith, Hijrah (migration), and support of the Prophet. (وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم) refers to the other Companions who embraced Islam later. According to this view, the verse also points to the different ranks among the Companions—some were earlier, and some came afterward.
2. The second opinion, as mentioned by al-Wāḥidī in Tafsīr al-Wajīz, is that (السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ) includes all the Companions, because all of them preceded the rest of the ummah in faith, companionship, and seeing the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace). In this case, (وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم) refers to those who came after them and followed them with sincerity, until the Day of Judgment.
(بِإِحْسَانٍ) – means: those who follow the Companions with goodness, and speak well of them. Thus, this phrase excludes those who criticize the Companions or mention their faults, such as the Shi‘a, Rawāfiḍ, and others like them. Note: The phrase “من تحتها الأنهار” (beneath which rivers flow) is shortened here for emphasis, and its omission indicates extreme nearness to the blessings of Paradise, making the glad tidings even more powerful.
[101] In this verse, the hypocrites are mentioned, along with a threat of punishment directed at them. The verse is connected to the previous one through contrast—in contrast to the honored Ṣaḥābah, here the hypocrites are condemned.
(لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ) – Al-Wāḥidī and Al-Qurṭubī stated that this is clear evidence that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) did not know the unseen (ghayb) until the end of his life.
This is especially important because Surah At-Tawbah was revealed in the 9th or 10th year after Hijrah, which is quite late in the Prophet’s life.
This also proves that no one can pass a definitive judgment about who is going to Paradise or Hell—except in cases where the Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly stated such outcomes for certain individuals.
(سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ) – "We will punish them twice":
1. The first punishment refers to worldly humiliation, such as being exposed or tested with hardship.
2. The second punishment is the punishment in the grave.

(ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ) – refers to the punishment of the Hereafter, i.e., the punishment on the Day of Judgment.
This explanation is mentioned by both Al-Wāḥidī in al-Wajīz and Ibn Kathīr.