009 at Taubah Eng - [PDF Document] (2024)

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SRAH 9 Al-Tawbah

(The Repentance)

Prologue

Revealed in Madinah, this srah is one of the last, if notactually the last1 Qurnic revelation. Hence, it contains finalrulings on relations between the Muslim community and other people.It also includes the classification of the Muslim community itself,establishing its values together with a full description andoutline of the status of each of its groups or classes.2

As such, the srah has a particular importance in clarifying thenature of the Islamic method of action, its different steps andstages. However, we need to review its final rulings in the lightof the provisional ones given in earlier srahs. Such a review willshow this method of action to be at one and the same time bothflexible and firm. Yet without such a holistic reading, rules,pictures and judgements become very confused. This is what happenswhenever verses that outline provisional rulings are taken to befinal, while the verses giving final rulings are read in such a wayas to match provisional ones, particularly in relation to jihd andthe relations between the Muslim community and other groups. Wepray to God to enable us to set the record straight and present afull and clear picture, both in this Prologue and in the discussionof the srah and its passages.

1 According to the weightier opinion, Srah 110, Victory, was thelast to be revealed. 2 The classes we are referring to here are notthe same as the narrow sense of the term social classessuggests.These are classes based on purely Islamic values, as in the case ofthe very early Muslims among the Muhjirn and the Anr, the People ofBadr, and those who pledged their lives to the Prophet, those whofought and donated generously before the al-Hudaybiyyah peacetreaty or after it, and, by contrast, the people who did not joincampaigns of jihd, the hypocrites, etc.

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From an objective study of the text of the srah in the light ofthe reports giving the immediate circ*mstances leading to therevelation of its different parts, as well as the various eventsduring the Prophets lifetime, we can conclude that the srah as awhole was revealed in the ninth year of the Prophets settlement inMadinah. However, we also have to say that it was not revealed inone single instance. Although we cannot give a conclusive judgementof the accurate timings of the revelation of the different passagesof the srah, we can say that its revelation occurred over threetime stages: the first was prior to the expedition to Tabk, whichtook place in Rajab of year 9, while the second stage extended overthe period of preparation for the expedition until it was actuallyin progress. The third stage occurred after the Muslims hadreturned home. However, the first passage, from verse 1 to verse28, was the last of its passages to be revealed, towards the end ofthat year, shortly before the pilgrimage season, i.e. either in themonth of Dhul-Qa`dah or even in Dhul-Hijjah. This is in short whatwe believe to be the case.

In its first section, verses 1-28, the srah defines the finalshape of relations between the Muslim community and the idolatersin the Arabian Peninsula, highlighting the practical, historicaland ideological bases of these relations. All this is given in theinimitable Qurnic style, with its strong rhythm and the powerfulimpressions it creates. (See in particular verses 1-16, 23-24, and28.)

The style employed in these verses, and in the passage as awhole, and the strong emphasis laid on fighting the idolaters inArabia and the encouragement to take part in such fighting make itclear that at least a section of the Muslim community was veryreluctant to take such a decisive step. We will explain here, andin the subsequent commentary, the different factors that came intoplay to cause such reluctance.

The second section defines the final shape of relations betweenthe Muslim community and the people of earlier revelationsgenerally, also outlining their practical, historical andideological bases. The passage also shows the independent nature ofIslam, as well as the deviation of the people of earlierrevelations from the divine faith, both in beliefs and behaviour.Hence, from the Islamic point of view, they are no longer followinga divine faith. (Verses 29-35)

The Qurnic style in this passage shows very clearly that theMuslims were particularly reluctant to adopt the type of relationsdefined in the first verse of this passage towards the people ofearlier revelations generally, or the great majority of them. Thefact is that the confrontation was initially intended with theByzantines and their allies, the Arab Christians in Syria andbeyond. This is clearly intimidating, considering that theByzantine Empire was the main superpower of the day. Yet the textsapply to all the people of earlier revelations who have the samequalities and

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characteristics given in this verse. More of this later.

The third section begins its denunciation of those who have beencalled upon to get ready for the expedition, but who hesitated orwere too lazy to join. Not all of these were hypocrites, as will beseen. This fact explains how hard the whole affair was for theMuslims. When we discuss the passage, we will, God willing, explainthe factors making it so hard. (Verses 38-41)

We note in this passage the repeated reproaches, coupled withthreats and reminders to the believers that God had supported HisMessenger when the idolaters drove him out of his home town. Nohuman being had taken part in providing such support. We also notethe uncompromising order to the believers to join the Prophet andmarch with him, no matter what their position might be. All thisgives us a clear indication of the hardships involved, leading tomuch reluctance, fear and an inclination to stay behind. Hence, therepeated reminders, reproaches and clear orders to the community ofbelievers.

The fourth section, the longest in the srah, is devoted toexposing the hypocrites and their methods in undermining the Muslimcommunity. It describes their psychology, as well as their attitudeat the time of the Tabk Expedition, as well as their previous andlater attitudes. It exposes their true intentions, scheming anddevious methods, as well as their flimsy excuses with which theytry to justify their staying behind and their attempts to weakenthe believers morale.

It also speaks about how they tried to hurt the Prophet anddevoted believers. This exposure of the true nature of thehypocrites is further emphasized by a warning to the believersagainst the hypocrites schemes. The srah defines the nature of therelations between the two camps, which must be set on a clear basisthat distinguishes each group through its own actions. Thissection, taking up more than half of the srah, shows that hypocrisywas more widespread after the fall of Makkah to Islam, while it hadalmost disappeared prior to that. We will explain the reasons forthis later. (Verses 42, 47-50, 56-59, 61-68, 73-77, 79-85)

This sustained attack reveals the extent of the hypocritesscheming to undermine the Muslim community and to divert theattentions of the Muslims from pursuing their goals by means offalse claims. It also shows that there were certain weaknesseswithin the ranks of the Muslim community during that period. Thisis indicated by the statement: There are among you some who wouldhave lent them ear. (Verse 47) Another indication is seen in theemphatic order not to pray for the hypocrites or appeal to God fortheir forgiveness. This situation was a by-product of the fact thatlarge groups declared their acceptance of Islam, when they were notyet committed to the new faith. They had not acquired the properIslamic attitudes. All this will come in for detailed discussionwhen we look at the classification the srah provides

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of the groups living within the Muslim community at the time ofthe Prophet.

We find this classification in the fifth section of the srah. Welearn in this section that in addition to the leading group of theMuhjirn and the Anr, which constituted the solid base of the Muslimcommunity, there were several other groups. There were, forexample, the Bedouin Arabs among whom there were some goodbelievers and others who were either hypocrites or unbelievers.There were also hypocrites among the people of Madinah. Others werethose who mixed good and bad deeds and had not yet fully integratedinto the Muslim community. Another group was of unknown status.This group is left to God to judge on the basis of His knowledge oftheir true nature. There were also some who conspired against theMuslim community under a religious guise. The srah speaks about allthese groups in a brief but adequate way. It defines how theyshould be treated within the Muslim community, directing theProphet and the believers to respond to them in the way sodescribed. (Verses 97-103, 106-108)

That such a multiplicity of groups, classes and standardsexisted within the Muslim community at the time points to theextent of incoherence that existed after Makkah had fallen toIslam. Prior to the conquest of Makkah, the Muslim community inMadinah had almost rid itself of such weaknesses.

The sixth and final section of the srah provides a cleardefinition of the nature of the Islamic pledge the believers giveto God to strive for His cause. It also defines the nature of thisstruggle, or jihd, and the duty of the people of Madinah and theBedouins living close to them. It makes it clear that they cannotstay behind when the Prophet marches forth, seeking their ownsafety. They need to disassociate themselves from unbelievers andhypocrites. Within the context of this section a judgement is givenon the cases of those who did not join the Muslim army, althoughthey were good believers who entertained no hypocrisy. It alsodescribes certain aspects of the attitude of the hypocrites towardsQurnic revelations. (Verses 111, 113-114, 117-118, 120-123,127)

The srah then concludes with a description of Gods Messenger(peace be upon him) and a directive to him to place His trust inGod alone. (Verses 128-129)

We have cited here numerous verses to refer to before discussingthem in detail. This is done deliberately because the srah paints afull picture of the Muslim society in Madinah in the days followingthe conquest of Makkah, describing its organic composition. It isclear from this picture that there was a lack of consistency in theway people approached faith, in addition to structural weaknesses.Certain phenomena are described, such as apathy, unwillingness tosacrifice, hypocritical attitudes, reluctance to do ones Islamicduties, confusion with regard to relations between the Muslimcommunity and others. None of this, however, detracts from the

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fact that the Muhjirn and the Anr constituted a solid base thatshowed no sign of weakness.

We have already mentioned that this state of affairs was due tothe fact that after the conquest of Makkah large and divergentgroups of people declared their acceptance of Islam, but did notreceive the kind of education necessary for full integration withinthe Muslim community. But this general statement cannot be fullyunderstood unless we review the historical situation before andafter the conquest of Makkah, which we will now turn to.

A Historical View

The Islamic movement in Makkah encountered difficulties rightfrom the time when it was born. Jhiliyyah, represented in thisinstance by the Quraysh, soon sensed the danger it was facing fromthe message declaring that `there is no deity other than God, andMuammad is Gods Messenger. It realized that this new message was anoutright revolution against all authority not derived from Godsown. It was a rebellion against all tyranny, seeking Godsprotection. Jhiliyyah also sensed that the new message, led by GodsMessenger, began to form a new organic grouping pledging sole andcomplete allegiance to God and His Messenger. Thus, it rebelledagainst the leadership of the Quraysh and the situation prevailingunder jhiliyyah. No sooner did the Quraysh sense this danger thanit launched a determined attack on the new message, grouping andits leadership. It utilized in this attack all its power to inflictphysical harm and to sow discord through intrigue and wickeddesigns.

In fact this jhiliyyah society sought every means to defenditself against a danger it felt to threaten its very existence.This is the normal state of affairs whenever a movement begins toadvocate Gods Lordship in a community where Lordship is exercisedby some people over others. Whenever such advocacy is undertaken byan organized movement that has its own leadership, it will be indirect confrontation with jhiliyyah society, as the two cannot beaccommodated within the same community.3

At this stage, every individual in the new Islamic grouping wassubjected to oppression and persecution in every way, to the extentthat many were killed. At the time, only a person who had dedicatedhimself and his life to God, and who was willing to endurepersecution, hunger and even a ghastly death would join the newgroup, declaring his belief that there is no deity other than Godand that Muammad is Gods Messenger.

3 For a full discussion of this, refer to the commentary ofVerses 8: 72-75, in Vol. 7, Chapter 4.

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In this way a solid foundation was established for Islam,comprising the most determined individuals in Arabian society.Others who could not endure the hardship succumbed to the pressureand reverted to unbelief. But there were very few of these becausethe issues were clear at the outset. It was only people ofdistinction that were willing to take the decisive step and joinIslam, despite the great danger that such a move involved.

This is how God chose those rare elements to be the earlysupporters of His message and to form the solid foundation of Islamin Makkah, i.e. the Muhjirn, then to join the early Anr to form itscore group in Madinah. Although the Anr were not subjected to thesame pressures and persecution as the Muhjirn, the pledge they gaveto the Prophet at `Aqabah indicated that they were equal to thetask required by Islam. On that night when the pledge was given, asIbn Kathr reports, `Abdullh ibn Rawah said to the Prophet:Stipulate whatever you wish for your Lord and yourself. He said: Asfor my Lord, my condition is that you worship Him alone,associating no partners with Him. And as for myself, my conditionis that you protect me as you would protect yourselves and yourproperty. They asked: `What will be our reward in return? He said:`Paradise. They said: `It is a profitable deal. We accept no goingback and we will not go back on it ourselves.

Those who made this deal with Gods Messenger, seeking no rewardother than Paradise, and declaring that they would accept no goingback, either by themselves or the Prophet, were aware that it wasno easy option they were undertaking. In fact, they were certainthat the Quraysh would fight them determinedly, supported by allthe other Arabs. They realized that they would never again be ableto live in peace with jhiliyyah which had its roots deep in thewhole of Arabia, including the areas adjoining Madinah.

Jbir ibn `Abdullh, a Companion of the Prophet, reports: For tenyears in Makkah, Gods Messenger continued to approach people intheir encampments at `Ukz, al-Majannah and in the pilgrimageseason. He would ask: Who will give me shelter and support until Ihave delivered my Lords message, and he will be in Paradise inreturn? No one would extend to him a hand of support. Indeed, a manwould be about to set out from the Yemen, or from his tribe ofMuar, and his people and relatives would warn him, Beware lest theQurayshi man tempt you. He would go among them and they would pointto the Prophet with their hand. This continued to be the case untilGod sent us to him from Yathrib, when we gathered to him andbelieved in him. A man from among us would go to him and declarehis acceptance of his message. The Prophet would teach him theQurn, and the man would come back to his people and they wouldfollow his suit and embrace Islam. Indeed, every quarter of the Anrhad a number of Muslims

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who declared their faith.

Then we all conferred and said: Until when are we going to leavethe Prophet approaching different people, being chased around andin fear? A group of 70 people from among us went out to meet him inthe pilgrimage season.4 We agreed to meet him at `Aqabah. We wentthere individually or two men at a time, until we all gatheredthere. We asked him: Messenger of God! What pledge do we give you?He said: You pledge to me to obey and comply in situations of easeand hardship, and to donate for Gods cause in times of poverty andplenty, and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, and tostand up for Gods cause fearing no blame from anyone, and tosupport me and protect me when I come to you as you protectyourselves, your wives and children. Your reward will beParadise.

We stood up to give him our pledges, but As`ad ibn Zurrah, whowas one of the youngest among them,5 said: Cool it, people ofYathrib. We have not travelled all this distance to meet himwithout knowing that he is certainly Gods Messenger. However, totake him from his people will be an act of confrontation with allthe Arabs, which could mean that the best among you may be killedand that swords will be put into you. If you accept to take allthat patiently, you take him and seek your reward from God. On theother hand, if you fear that you may slacken, leave off now, andexplain your reasons. This may be better for you in Gods sight.They said: Step aside, As`ad. By God, we will not turn away fromour pledge, and we will not let anyone take it away from us. Westood up and gave him our pledges. He stipulated his conditions,and promised us that we will be rewarded with Paradise.6

The Anr, then, were fully aware of the likely consequences oftheir pledge once they had given it. They were also aware that theywere not promised anything in this world in return for theirefforts. They were not even promised victory over their enemies.The only reward they were promised was admittance into heaven. Yetthey were still keen to offer their pledges. Hence, they weredefinitely with the early Muhjirn in taking the necessarypreparations so that they would constitute the solid foundation ofthe first Islamic society in Madinah.

Early Indications of Weakness 4 The fact is that they were 72,but the Arabs often round their figures. 5 In al-Bayhaq's version,He was the youngest of the 70 apart from me.' 6 Reported by IbnKathr in his book Al-Bidyah wal-Nihyah, Maktabah al-Ma`rif, Beirutand Riyadh, 1996, Vol. 3, p. 159, as related by Imm Ahmad. Thereare several versions of this adth, reported by adth scholars.

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But the Madinah society did not maintain this level of puritydespite the spread of Islam. Many people, especially those who werein positions of influence, felt they had to take a similar stand totheir people in order to maintain their positions. When the Battleof Badr took place, the leading figure among these, `Abdullh ibnUbayy ibn Sall, thought that Islam had established firm roots andcould not be easily dislodged. Hence, he pretended to be a Muslim.It was perhaps inevitable that many accepted Islam in order to keepabreast of their people. They were not hypocrites, but they had notfully understood Islam or moulded themselves according to it. Thismeant that the community in Madinah had different levels ofcommitment to the new faith.

At this point, the unique Islamic method of education began itswork under the Prophets supervision in order to mould these newelements. It aimed to achieve coherence within the Muslim communityat the ideological, moral and behavioural levels.

When we read the srahs revealed in Madinah, in the approximateorder of their revelation, we note the great effort that aimed toabsorb and remould the new elements in the Muslim community,particularly because there were always newcomers. This was the casedespite the determined opposition of the Quraysh and its attemptsto win other Arabian tribes to its side, and despite the wickeddesigns of the Jews and their efforts to marshal hostile forces tothe new faith and its advocates. Hence, the effort to bringnewcomers to the same level as the elite, for this was needed ifthey were to continue with determination.

Nonetheless, weaknesses continued to surface, particularly intimes of difficulty. There were indications of hypocrisy,reluctance, unwillingness to make physical or financial sacrifices,and a general turning away from danger. There were also signs ofconfusion concerning the relationship between a Muslim and hisnon-Muslim relatives. Qurnic texts in different srahs provide aclear idea of these phenomena and the method the Qurn employed todeal with them. Examples of these texts are given below:

Just as your Lord brought you forth from your home for thetruth, even though some of the believers were averse to it. Theywould argue with you about the truth even after it had becomemanifest, just as if they were being driven to certain death andsaw it with their very eyes. God promised you that one of the twohosts would fall to you. It was your wish that the one which wasnot powerful to be yours, but it was Gods will to establish thetruth in accordance with His words and to wipe out the unbelievers.Thus He would certainly establish the truth firmly and showfalsehood to be false, however hateful this might be to theevildoers. (8: 5-8)

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He it is who has sent down to you the Book, containing verseswhich are clear and precise and these are the essence of the Bookand others are allegorical. Those whose hearts have swerved fromthe truth pursue that part of it which is allegorical, seeking tocreate dissension and trying to give it an arbitrary meaning. Nonesave God knows its final meaning. Those who are firmly grounded inknowledge say: We believe in it; it is all from our Lord. But onlythose who are endowed with insight take heed. Our Lord, let not ourhearts swerve from the truth after You have guided us; and bestowon us mercy from Yourself. You are indeed the great giver. OurLord, You will indeed gather mankind together to witness the Day ofwhich there is no doubt. Surely, God never fails to keep Hispromise. (3: 7-9)

Are you not aware of how the hypocrites speak to theirunbeliever brethren from among the people of earlier revelations:If you are driven away, we shall most certainly go forth with you,and shall never pay heed to anyone against you; and if war is wagedagainst you we shall most certainly come to your succour. But Godbears witness that they are most flagrantly lying. Indeed, if thoseare driven away, they will not go forth with them; and if war iswaged against them, they will not come to their succour; and evenif they succour them, they will most certainly turn their back inflight, and in the end will themselves find no succour. You strikemore fear in their hearts than God. This, because they are peoplewho fail to grasp the truth. (59: 11-13)

Believers! Remember the blessings which God bestowed on you when[enemy] hosts came down upon you, whereupon We let loose againstthem a stormwind and hosts that you could not see. Yet God saw allthat you did. They came upon you from above you and from below you,and when your eyes became dim and your hearts came up to yourthroats, and when most conflicting thoughts about God passedthrough your minds. It was there and then that the believers weretried, and severely shaken. The hypocrites and those whose heartsare diseased said, God and His Messenger have promised us nothingbut delusions. A group of them said, People of Yathrib! You cannotwithstand the enemy here. Therefore, go back. A party among themasked leave of the Prophet, saying, Our houses are exposed! Thefact is that they were not really exposed. They simply wantednothing but to flee. Now if their town had been stormed, and theyhad been asked to commit apostasy, they would have done so withoutmuch delay... (33: 9-14)

Believers, be fully prepared against danger, and go to wareither in small groups or all together. There are indeed among yousuch as would lag behind, and then, if a calamity befalls you, say,God has bestowed His favours upon me in that I was not present withthem! But if good fortune comes to you from God, he is sure to sayjust as if there had never been any question of love between youand him Oh,

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would that I had been with them; I would surely have had a[share in a] mighty triumph. (4: 71-73)

Are you not aware of those who have been told, Hold back yourhands [from fighting], and attend regularly to prayer, and pay yourzakt [i.e. the purifying dues]? When, at length, the order forfighting was issued to them, some of them stood in awe of men asone should stand in awe of God or in even greater awe and said, OurLord! Why have you ordered us to fight? If only You had granted usa delay for a little while! Say, Brief is the enjoyment of thisworld, whereas the life to come is the best for all who areGod-fearing. None of you shall be wronged by as much as a hairsbreadth. Wherever you may be death will overtake you, even thoughyou be in towers built up strong and high. Yet, when a good thinghappens to them, some [people] say, This is from God, whereas whenevil befalls them, they say, This is from you! Say, All is from GodWhat is amiss with these people that they are in no wise near tograsping the truth of what they are told? (4: 77-78)

The life of this world is but a play and a passing delight. Butif you believe and are God-fearing, He will grant you your deserts,and will not demand of you to sacrifice your property. If He wereto demand it of you, and urge you, you would nigg*rdly cling to it,and so He would bring out your moral failings. Now, you are calledupon to spend freely in Gods cause; but there are among you thosewho turn out to be nigg*rdly! He who acts nigg*rdly [in Gods cause]is but nigg*rdly towards his own self. For God is indeedself-sufficient, whereas you stand in need of Him. And if you turnaway from Him, He will cause other people to take your place, andthey will not be the likes of you. (47: 36-38)

Are you not aware of those who would be friends with people whomGod has condemned? They are neither of you nor of those others.They knowingly swear to a falsehood. God has readied for themsevere suffering. Evil indeed is what they are wont to do. Theyhave made their oaths a cover, and thus they turn others away fromGods path. Hence, shameful suffering awaits them. Neither theirworldly possessions nor their offspring will be of the least availto them against God. It is they who are destined for the fire,therein to abide. On the Day when God will raise them all from thedead, they will swear before Him as they now swear before you,thinking that they are on firm ground. They are indeed the liars.Satan has gained mastery over them, and has caused them to remainoblivious of the remembrance of God. Such as these are Satanspartisans. Most certainly, the partisans of Satan will truly be thelosers. Those who contend against God and His Messenger shall findthemselves among the most abject. God has ordained: I shall mostcertainly prevail, I and My messengers. God is indeed Powerful,Almighty. You cannot find people who believe in God and the LastDay and [at the same time] love anyone who contends against God andHis Messenger, even

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though they be their fathers, sons, brothers or their kindred.It is they [the believers] in whose hearts He has inscribed faith,and whom He has strengthened with inspiration from Himself and whomHe will admit into gardens through which running waters flow,therein to abide. Well- pleased is God with them, and they withHim. They are Gods partisans. Most certainly, Gods partisans shallbe the ones who are successful. (58: 14-22)

Believers, do not take the Jews and the Christians for yourallies. They are allies of one another. Whoever of you allieshimself with them is indeed one of them. God does not bestow Hisguidance on the wrongdoers. Yet you see those who are sick at heartrush to their defence, saying, We fear lest a change of fortuneshould befall us. God may well bring about victory [for believers]or some other event of His own making, and those [waverers] willterribly regret the thought they had secretly harboured withinthemselves. The believers will say: Are these the self-same peoplewho swore by God their most solemn oaths that they were with you?All their works are in vain and they will lose all. (5: 51-53)

Believers, do not take My enemies, who are your enemies as well,for your allies, showing them affection even though they do notbelieve in the truth that has come to you. They have driven theMessenger and yourselves away, only because you believe in God,your Lord! If you have gone forth from your homes to strive in Mycause, and out of a longing for My goodly acceptance, [do not]incline towards them in secret affection. I am fully aware of allthat you may conceal and all that you do openly. Any of you whodoes this has already strayed from the right path. If they couldbut overcome you, they would remain your foes, and would stretchforth their hands and tongues against you with evil intent; forthey desire that you should be unbelievers. Neither your kinsfolknor your own children will be of any benefit to you on ResurrectionDay when He will decide between you. God sees all that you do.Indeed, you have had a good example in Abraham and those whofollowed him, when they said to their people: We are quit of youand of all that you worship instead of God. We deny whatever youbelieve; and between us and you there has arisen enmity and hatred,to last until such a time as you come to believe in the One God.The only exception was Abrahams saying to his father, I shall prayfor Gods forgiveness for you, although I do not have it in my powerto obtain anything from God on your behalf. Our Lord! In You havewe placed our trust, and to You do we return. To You is alljourneys end. (60: 1-4)

These ten quotations, each drawn from a different srah aresufficient to give us a fair idea of the weaknesses that mightnaturally and inevitably appear in the Muslim community as a resultof the constant influx of new elements. For it takes time andeffort before they are fully integrated with the solid base of thecommunity.

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The Process of Integration

However, the structure of the Muslim community in Madinahremained generally sound, because it essentially relied on itssolid foundation, made up of the elite of the Muhjirn and the Anr.This foundation gave the Muslim community its strong constitutionthat withstood all weakening elements and overcame all hazards thatmight have been brought in by newcomers who had not yet beenintegrated into it.

Gradually, these new elements were integrated into the solidcore, and the numbers of the weak, the hypocrites, and those wholacked the ideological clarity that serves as the basis of allrelations and ties dwindled. Shortly before the conquest of Makkah,the Muslim community in Madinah was very close to completeintegration, providing the closest model of society Islamiceducation seeks to bring into existence.

There undoubtedly remained different levels of participationaccording to the various actions different individuals undertookfor Islam. Some groups were distinguished by the dedication, workand sacrifice they made to serve Gods cause. Examples of these werethe earliest to believe in Islam among the Muhjirn and the Anr, thepeople of Badr, those who were party to the pledge given to theProphet at al-udaybiyyah, and generally those who donated andfought before the conquest of Makkah. Qurnic and adth texts, aswell as the practical situation in the Muslim community confirmedthese distinctions that resulted from action taken for Islam.

As for the first to lead the way, of the Muhjirn and the Anr, aswell as those who follow them in [the way of] righteousness, God iswell pleased with them, and well pleased are they with Him. He hasprepared for them gardens through which running waters flow, wherethey shall abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. (9:100)

It may well be that God has looked at the people of Badr andsaid: `Do as you like, for heaven is indeed your deserved reward.(This occurs in an authentic adth related by al-Bukhr. It comes asthe Prophets reply to `Umar when he requested the Prophetspermission to kill ib ibn Ab Balta`ah who, in a moment of weakness,sent word to the Quraysh telling them of the Prophets intention tomarch to Makkah.)

Well pleased indeed was God with the believers when they pledgedtheir allegiance to you under that tree. He knew what was in theirhearts; and so He bestowed inner peace upon them from on high, andrewarded them with the happy news of a victory soon to come and ofmany war gains which they would achieve. God is indeed Almighty,Wise. (48: 18-19)

Not equal are those of you who spent and fought in Gods causebefore the victory. They are of a higher rank than those who wouldspend and fight after it, although God

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has promised the ultimate good to both. God is aware of all thatyou do. (57: 10)

Take it easy, Khlid! Leave my Companions alone. By God, had youhad Mount Uud in gold and you spent it all for Gods cause, youcould not match a single trip of any one among my Companions, nor areturn trip. (This adth is mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in Zd al-Mad.It is the Prophets reply to Khlid ibn al-Wald when he fell out with`Abd al-Ramn ibn `Awf may God be pleased with them both. There isno doubt that Khlid ibn al-Wald is the man given the title SayfAllh, or Gods Sword, for his great achievements as a commander ofMuslim armies. `Abd al-Ramn, however, was one of the very firstpeople to accept Islam. Hence, the Prophets words in describingsuch a group of special distinction in the Muslim community ofMadinah.)

That there were these different grades on the basis of strengthof faith was no barrier to bridging the gap between them in theMadinah society before the conquest of Makkah. In fact, most of theapparent weaknesses within the ranks of the Muslim community wereremedied, and their symptoms disappeared. Hence the whole ofMadinah society could be considered as forming a solid Islamicbasis.

However, when Makkah fell to Islam in year 8, followed by thesurrender of the Hawzin and the Thaqf tribes, which were the lasttwo large tribes to put up resistance to Islam, this ushered in agreat influx of new Muslims. Needless to say, these were ofdifferent levels with regard to their outlook. Some among them werehypocrites, while others simply adopted Islam, the new overpoweringforce. Others still needed to be won over to Islam. Mostly,however, these were people who had not yet understood thefundamentals of Islam and their souls had not yet interacted withits values and principles.

The stubborn opposition of the Quraysh continued to act as abarrier preventing the advance of Islam into the rest of Arabia.The Quraysh tribe had the ultimate say in all religious matters inArabia, and it exercised a very strong influence over economic,political and social matters. Hence its determined anduncompromising opposition to the new faith ensured that the rest ofArabia turned away from it, or at least adopted a wait and seeattitude until the fight between the Quraysh and one of itschildren had produced a clear winner. When the Quraysh declared itssubmission, followed by the major tribes of Hawzin and Thaqf, andwhen the three main Jewish tribes in Madinah had previously beensubdued, and those of Khaybar had been defeated, people embracedthe new faith in flocks. The whole of Arabia submitted to Islamwithin one year.

Advances and Weaknesses

This rapid expansion in the geographical area of Islam heraldedthe resurgence, on

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an even more intensive scale, of all the symptoms experiencedafter the resounding victory the Muslims achieved in the Battle ofBadr. The Muslim community had almost managed to rid itself ofthose, thanks to the seven-year-long education process it hadenjoyed after that battle. The rapid geographical expansion ofIslam in Arabia could have had some serious negative effects, hadit not been for the fact that Madinah had become, in its entirety,the solid base of Islam. It was God Almighty who looked after thenew faith and charted its course. He had prepared the first core ofbelievers, the Muhjirn and the Anr, to be the first solid base ofIslam after the relatively important expansion that followed thevictory at Badr. He also made the whole of Madinah the solid basewhich would withstand the great expansion brought about by thesplendid triumph achieved when Makkah was won over to Islam. Godcertainly knows what forces to mobilize in support of Hismessage.

The first symptom of the new dangers appeared on the day of theBattle of unayn, mentioned in this srah: God has granted you Hissupport on many a battlefield, and also in the Battle of unayn,when you took pride in your numerical strength, but it availed younothing. For all its vastness, the earth seemed too narrow for you,and you turned back in flight. God then bestowed from on high anair of inner peace on His Messenger and on the believers, and Hesent down forces whom you could not see, and punished those whodisbelieved. Such is the reward for the unbelievers. (Verses25-26)

One of the apparent reasons for the defeat at the beginning ofthe battle was that 2,000 of those the Prophet had pardoned inMakkah, and who embraced Islam after the fall of that city, hadjoined the 10,000-strong army which originally travelled fromMadinah to subdue the Quraysh in Makkah. The presence of those2,000 men alongside the others who came from Madinah was a cause ofimbalance in the Muslim ranks. There was also the fact that theHawzin took the Muslims by surprise. What that meant was that thearmy did not wholly belong to the solid, well-knit base which hadbeen nurtured over the several years separating the Battle of Badrand the conquest of Makkah.

Similarly, the negative symptoms that appeared at the time ofthe Tabk Expedition were a natural result of this rapid expansionand the great influx of new Muslims with varying standards offaith. These symptoms are discussed fully in this srah in a longexposition with varied styles and methods of treatment.

We now go on to review the historical events in the Muslimcommunity within two years of the fall of Makkah. When the Prophetpassed away, most parts of Arabia abandoned Islam. Only the Muslimsociety in Madinah, the solid base of Islam, remained steadfast.Now we can easily explain this phenomenon. Two years were notsufficient to allow the truth of Islam to settle in the hearts ofthe great multitude of people who declared their acceptance ofIslam after the fall of Makkah. With different levels of faith, theProphets death sent a shock wave throughout

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Arabia, leading to uncertainty. The solid base, however,remained firmly committed. Pure, strong and united, it was able toreverse the tide of apostasy and return all Arabia back toIslam.

This fact gives us a clear idea that God allowed the campaign ofpersecution mounted against the Muslims in Makkah to continue formany years for a definite purpose. In His wisdom, God left thetyrants of idolatry to continue their persecution to the extent ofbloodshed, killing some Muslims and torturing many others. God knewthat this was part of the proper education of the first Muslimcommunity to form the solid base for Islam. Without such a longtrial, people do not grow sufficiently solid to withstand greatpressures. It is such a degree of steadfastness, dedication andcommitment in the face of torture, hardship, and killings, withpeople turned away from their homes, suffering hunger and hardship,yet being small in number and without any human support that isneeded by the hard core of the new faith as it makes its firstmarch.

This hard core of the early Muhjirn was subsequently joined bythe early Anr, and both groups formed the solid base in Madinah,before the Battle of Badr. They were the ones who remained stronglycommitted when elements of weakness appeared following the influxof newcomers who accepted Islam after the Badr victory, but who hadnot had time to integrate with the hard core or achieve its levelof commitment.

The solid base itself grew in numbers so as to include, justbefore the fall of Makkah, the whole Madinah society. Again, thissolid base was the one to protect Islam and spare it severalpitfalls after the Makkan victory, and then again at the time ofthe Prophets death, when most parts of Arabia rebelled againstIslam.

While this fact explains the wisdom behind allowing the hardtrial the Muslims endured in Makkah and the great dangers faced bythe Muslim society in Madinah, up to the time of signing theal-udaybiyah peace treaty, it also gives us an insight into themethod of action the Islamic message follows at all times and inall societies.

All efforts should be directed at first to establish the hardcore of true believers, who withstand trials and cannot be shaken.They need further education in their faith so as to grow instrength and awareness. Extreme caution should be exercised inorder to guard against horizontal expansion before this hard corecomes into being: solidly committed and having profound insight.Indeed, shallow horizontal expansion represents grave dangers thatthreaten the very existence of any Islamic movement, because itwould then be following a different way from that of the firstIslamic community and adopting a different method of action.

Yet it is God who ensures that His message follows the rightway. Whenever He wishes to allow a truly Islamic movement toemerge, He exposes its early advocates

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to a long trial. He lets victory be slow coming, and leaves themfew in number, with other people taking a negative attitude towardsthem, until they show their steadfastness and firm commitment.Thus, they prove that they are able to form the hard, enlightenedcore who can be trusted with His message. He will then show themtheir way ahead. God is able to achieve His purpose, but mostpeople do not know this.

Jihd and its Final Rulings

Now we will have a brief look at the main topics addressed inthe srah, particularly the final rulings concerning relationsbetween the Muslim community and other communities. Since therulings given in this srah are the final ones, they represent theultimate line of action.

We need to quote here what we stated in the Prologue to Srah 8(Volume 7) about the nature of the Islamic method of action. We canonly understand the present final rulings in the light of theearlier, provisional ones. Even though this may be repetitive inthis book, a reminder of these is certainly both useful andimportant.

In his priceless book Zd al-Mad, Imm Ibn al-Qayyim includes achapter with the title, `The Progress of the Prophets Guidance onDealing with the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites from the Start ofHis Mission to the End of His Life. This is given below in a highlysummarized form:

The first revelation given to the Prophet by his Lord limitlessis He in His glory was His order to him, Read in the name of yourLord who created man out of a germ-cell. (96: 1-2) This was thestart of his prophethood. The instruction to him was to read withinhimself. At that point, He did not order him to convey anything toanyone. He subsequently revealed to him: You who are enfolded,arise and warn! (74: 1-2) This means that God made him a prophet bytelling him to read, and He gave him his mission by saying, You whoare enfolded, arise and warn! (74: 1-2) God then ordered him towarn his immediate clan. Subsequently, he gave the same warning tohis own people, then to the surrounding Arabian tribes, then to allArabs, then to mankind generally.

For more than a decade after the start of his prophethood,Muammad [peace be upon him] continued to advocate the faith withoutresorting to fighting or the imposition of any loyalty tax, i.e.ji*zyah. Throughout this period he was ordered to stay his hand,forbear patiently and overlook all opposition. Later, God gave himpermission to migrate [from Makkah to Madinah] and permitted him tofight. He then instructed him to fight those who wage war

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against him and to maintain peace with those who refrain fromfighting him. At a later stage, God ordered him to fight theidolaters until all submission is made to God alone.

After the order was given to the Prophet to strive and fight forGods cause [i.e. jihd], unbelievers were in three categories withregard to their relations with him: those with whom he was in peaceand truce, combatants fighting him, and those under his protection[i.e. ahl al-dhimmah]. God ordered him to honour his treaties withthose whom he had a peace treaty, as long as they honoured theircommitments. If he feared treachery on their part, he was to revokethe treaty but would not fight them until he had informed them ofthe termination of their peace treaty. On the other hand, he was tofight those who violated their treaties with him.

When Srah 9, Repentance, was revealed, it outlined the policytowards all these three categories. The Prophet is ordered there tofight his enemies from among the people of earlier faiths untilthey submit to his authority, paying the loyalty tax, ji*zyah, orembrace Islam. He is also ordered in the same srah to strive hardagainst the unbelievers and the idolaters. He strove against theunbelievers with arms, and against the hypocrites with argument andproof.

A further order to the Prophet in Srah 9 was to terminate alltreaties with unbelievers, classifying such people into threegroups. The first group he was ordered to fight, because these werethe ones who violated their treaties with him and who were untrueto their commitments. He fought them and was victorious. The secondgroup consisted of those with whom he had a peace treaty which theyhad honoured fully, and the treaty was to run for a specific term.They had given no support to any person or group who opposed theProphet. With these he was to honour the peace treaty until it hadrun its course. The third group included those with whom theProphet had no treaty and no previous fighting engagements, as wellas those who had an open-ended agreement. The Prophet wasinstructed to give these four months notice, after which he was tofight them. The Prophet acted on these instructions, fought thosewho violated their treaties, and gave four-months notice to thosewho had no treaty or had one without a specific term. Those whohonoured their treaty were to have it honoured by the Prophet untilthe end of its term. All these embraced Islam before the end oftheir term. As for those who pledged loyalty to him, they were topay the loyalty tax, ji*zyah.

Thus, after the revelation of Srah 9, the unbelievers were inthree different categories with regard to the Prophets relationswith them: combatants, or bound by a specified-term treaty, orloyal. The second category embraced Islam shortly thereafter,leaving the other two groups: combatants who

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feared him, and those who were loyal. Thus, all mankind weredivided into three classes: Muslims who believed in the Prophetsmessage; those at peace with him who enjoyed security; and thosewho were hostile and feared him.

As for the hypocrites, he was instructed to accept from themwhat they professed, leaving the final verdict on them to God. Hewas to strive against them with informed argument. He was furtherinstructed to turn away from them and to be hard so that he woulddeliver his message to them in a way that they could not refute. Hewas forbidden to pray for them when they died, or to visit theirgraves. He was informed that if he were to pray for them to beforgiven, God would not forgive them.

Such was the Prophets policy towards his opponents, bothunbelievers and hypocrites.7

This excellent summary of the different stages of thedevelopment of jihd, or striving for Gods cause, reveals a numberof profound features of the Islamic approach which meritdiscussion; but we can only present them here very briefly.

The first of these features is the serious realism of theIslamic approach. Islam is a movement confronting a human situationwith appropriate means. What it confronts is a state of ignorance,or jhiliyyah, which prevails over ideas and beliefs, giving rise topractical systems that are supported by political and materialauthority. Thus, the Islamic approach is to confront all this withvigorous means and suitable resources. It presents its argumentsand proofs to correct concepts and beliefs; and it strives withpower to remove the systems and authorities that prevent peoplefrom adopting the right beliefs, forcing them to follow theirerrant ways and worship deities other than God Almighty. TheIslamic approach does not resort to the use of verbal argument whenconfronting material power. Nor does it ever resort to compulsionand coercion in order to force its beliefs on people. Both areequally alien to the Islamic approach as it seeks to liberatepeople from subjugation so that they may serve God alone.

Secondly, Islam is a practical movement that progresses from onestage to the next, utilizing for each stage practical, effectiveand competent means, while at the same time preparing the groundfor the next stage. It does not confront practical realities withabstract theories, nor does it use the same old means to facechanging realities. Some people ignore this essential feature ofthe Islamic approach and overlook the nature of the differentstages of development it contains. They cite Qurnic statementsstating that they represent the Islamic approach, without relatingthese statements to the stages they addressed. When they do so,they betray

7 Ibn al-Qayyim, Zd al-Ma`d, Mu'assasah al-Rislah, Beirut, 1994,Vol. 3, pp. 158-161.

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their utter confusion and give the Islamic approach a deceptiveappearance. They assign to Qurnic verses insupportable rules andprinciples, treating each verse or statement as outlining finalIslamic rules. Themselves a product of the sorry and desperatestate of contemporary generations who have nothing of Islam otherthan its label, and defeated both rationally and spiritually, theyclaim that Islamic jihd is always defensive. They imagine that theyare doing Islam a service when they cast away its objective ofremoving all tyrannical powers from the face of the earth, so thatpeople are freed from serving anyone other than God. Islam does notforce people to accept its beliefs; rather, it aims to provide anenvironment where people enjoy full freedom of belief. It abolishesoppressive political systems depriving people of this freedom, orforces them into submission so that they allow their peoplescomplete freedom to choose to believe in Islam if they so wish.

Thirdly, such continuous movement and progressive ways and meansdo not divert Islam from its definitive principles and well-definedobjectives. Right from the very first day, when it made its initialaddress to the Prophets immediate clan, then to the Quraysh, andthen the Arabs and finally putting its message to all mankind, itsbasic theme remained the same, making the same requirement. Itwants people to achieve the same objective of worshipping Godalone, submitting themselves to none other than Him. There can beno compromise over this essential rule. It then moves towards thissingle goal according to a well-thought-out plan, with progressivestages, and fitting means.

Finally, we have a clear legal framework governing relationsbetween the Muslim community and other societies, as is evident inthe excellent summary quoted from Zd al-Mad. This legal frameworkis based on the main principle that submission to God alone is auniversal message which all mankind must either accept or be atpeace with. It must not set up any impediment to this message, inthe form of a political system or material power. Every individualmust remain free to make his or her absolutely free choice toaccept or reject it, feeling no pressure or compulsion. Anyone whoputs such impediments in the face of the message of completesubmission to God, must be resisted and fought by Islam.

The Final and Provisional Rulings

In the light of this excellent exposition we can understand thereasoning behind the final rulings outlined in this srah. Theseinclude the termination of treaties with idolaters, except for theones with treaties specifying a term of expiry, provided that theyhad not violated their treaties or collaborated with others againstIslam. Others who had open-ended treaties, or with no treaties, orwho had violated the terms of their treaties are given a period offour months grace, during which they are safe.

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When this grace period was over, they were to be taken andkilled wherever they happened to be found. They could not move insafety. We can also understand the rulings about fighting thepeople of earlier revelations who had deviated from the true divinereligion until they are humbled and agreed to pay the submissiontax. We understand the final rulings concerning jihd against thehypocrites, together with the unbelievers, and being harsh to them,unwilling to pray for their dead or stand over their graves. Allthese rulings amend earlier, provisional ones given before therevelation of the present srah. We believe that this amendment isnow clear.

We cannot speak here in detail about these final rulings, oreven about the provisional ones, or about other topics addressed inthis srah. All this will come in for detailed discussion as wecomment on the Qurnic text.

However, we need to clarify that those provisional rulings havenot been abrogated in the sense that they can no longer beimplemented in any situation the Muslim community finds itself in.The fact is that the practical situation faced by the Muslimcommunity in different circ*mstances, places and times maydetermine, through absolute scholarly effort and discretion, whichruling is most suited to a particular situation, time and place.However, sight must not be lost of the final rulings to which thecommunity should revert whenever it is able to implement them, aswas the case at the time when this srah was revealed. These rulingswere subsequently implemented during the Islamic conquests, in thetreatment of both unbelievers and the people of earlierrevelations.

Some defeatist elements are overwhelmed by the pressuresresulting from the desperate situation of present-day Muslims, whohave nothing of Islam other than its name, and from the wickedattack by the Orientalists on the concept of jihd. Hence they tryto find excuses by relying on provisional rulings and ignoring thetrue basis of the Islamic approach that moves forward to liberatemankind from servitude to other human beings, so that they canworship God alone. Its aim is to destroy tyrannical forces andregimes which force people to submit to a rule different from thatof God, and apply a law other than His own.

Such defeatists quote verses like: If they incline to peace,then incline you to it as well, and place your trust in God. (8:61) As for such [of the unbelievers] who do not fight against youon account of your faith, and neither drive you forth from yourhomelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and tobehave towards them with full equity. (60: 8) Fight for the causeof God those who wage war against you, but do not commitaggression. Indeed, God does not love aggressors. (2: 190) Say:People of earlier revelations! Let us come to an agreement which isequitable between you and us: that we shall worship none but God,that we shall associate no partners with Him, and that we shall nottake one another for lords beside God. And if they turn away, thensay: Bear witness that we have surrendered ourselves to God. (3:64)

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They go on to say that Islam, then, does not fight anyone otherthan those who fight against the people in the land of Islam,within its area, or those who threaten it from outside. Theyfurther cite the fact that the Prophet signed the peace treaty withthe idolaters at al- udaybiyah, and prior to that he had a treatywith the Jews and idolaters in Madinah. This defeatist logic meansthat Islam has nothing to do with the rest of mankind. It does not,or should not, care what deities they worship, or if one group ofpeople are made lords over others, as long as it is safe within itsown territory. This smacks of disrespect for Islam and GodAlmighty, resulting from a feeling of utter defeat.

What is worse, when these people feel unable to change themiserable conditions of todays Muslims, or face up to internationalforces hostile to Islam, they do not see that their weakness is theresult of their moving away from Islam. On the contrary, theypersistently try to attribute their own weakness and defeat toIslam, the noble faith God has laid down for mankind.

The texts to which they resort are provisional ones, addressinga particular situation. The state of affairs they addressed mayhappen again. In such conditions, the provisional rulings may beapplied because the Muslim community lives a similar situation tothe one they addressed the first time. But this does not mean thatthese are the ultimate rulings, and the approach they follow is thefinal one Islam provides. What it means is that the Muslimcommunity needs to persist in trying to improve its situation,removing any impediments standing in its way, until it can applythe final rulings given in this last srah. Needless to say, theseaddressed a situation entirely different from that addressed by theprovisional ones.

In relation to the idolaters, the final statements say:

Disavowal by God and His Messenger [is hereby announced] tothose of the idolaters with whom you have made a treaty. [Announceto them:] You may go freely in the land for four months, but youmust realize that you can never escape Gods judgement, and that Godshall bring disgrace upon the unbelievers. And a proclamation fromGod and His Messenger is hereby made to all mankind on this day ofthe greater pilgrimage: God is free from obligation to theidolaters, and so is His Messenger. If you repent, it shall be foryour own good; and if you turn away, then know that you can neverescape Gods judgement. Give the unbelievers the news of grievoussuffering, except for those idolaters with whom you have made atreaty and who have honoured their obligations [under the treaty]in every detail, and have not aided anyone against you. To thesefulfil your obligations until their treaties have run their term.God loves those who are righteous. When these months of grace areover, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take themcaptive, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at everyconceivable place. Yet if they should repent, take to prayer andpay the zakt,

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let them go their way. For God is Much- forgiving, Merciful. Ifany of the idolaters seeks asylum with you, grant him protection,so that he may hear the word of God, and then convey him to hisplace of safety. That is because the idolaters are people who lackknowledge. (Verses 1-6)

And in relation to the people of earlier revelations, the finalrulings are: Fight against those who despite having been givenscriptures do not truly believe in God and the Last Day, and do nottreat as forbidden that which God and His Messenger have forbidden,and do not follow the religion of truth, till they [agree to] paythe submission tax with a willing hand, after they have beenhumbled. (Verse 29)

If the Muslims today, in their present situation, cannotimplement these final rulings, then they are not, now and for thetime being, required to do so. For God does not charge anyone withmore than he or she can do. They may resort to the provisionalrulings, approaching them gradually, until such a time when theyare able to implement these final rulings. But they may not twistthe final texts in order to show them as consistent with theprovisional ones. They may not impose their own weakness on thedivine faith, which remains firm and strong. Let them fear God andnot attempt to weaken Gods faith under the pretext of showing it tobe a religion of peace. It is certainly the religion of peace, butthis must be based on saving all mankind from submission to anyoneother than God. Islam is the code God has given to mankind so thatthey may elevate themselves to be worthy of it, and to enjoy itsgood fruits. It is not devised by any human being. Hence, itsadvocates must not be ashamed of declaring that their ultimate goalis to destroy all forces that stand in its way of liberatingmankind from any shackle that prevents the free choice of adoptingIslam.

When people follow human codes and apply man-made laws toregulate their lives, every doctrine and code has the right to livein peace within its own area, as long as it does not entailaggression against others. In this case, coexistence of differentcreeds, regimes and social orders should be the norm. But whenthere is a divine code requiring complete submission to God alone,and there are alongside it systems and conditions that areman-made, advocating submission to human beings, the matter isfundamentally different. In this case, it is right that the divinesystem should move across barriers to liberate people fromenslavement by others. They will then be free to choose their faithin a situation where people surrender themselves to God alone.

Those defeatists twist texts in order to save themselves fromtheir imagined embarrassment in trying to explain why Islam movesbeyond its original borders to save mankind from submission toanyone other than God. They forget the great truth of a divinesystem based on submission to God alone facing man-made systems

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under which people submit to one another.

From the Islamic point of view, jihd has its own justification,derived from its own system. Defeatists will be well advised toexamine this justification. Perhaps when they do so, God will givethem added strength and a criterion which He has promised to HisGod-fearing servants.

Special to This Srah

Finally, unlike all other srahs, this one does not have theusual phrase we find at the beginning of each srah in the originalmaster copies written at the time of `Uthmn.

Al-Tirmidh reports that `Abdullh ibn `Abbs, a close and learnedCompanion of the Prophet, said that he had asked `Uthmn ibn `Affn,the third Caliph who is universally recognized as having authorizedthe compilation of the Qurnic text as we have it today, why Srah 8,al-Anfl, consisting of less than 100 verses, was placed before Srah9, al-Tawbah, which comprises over 100 verses, and which, unlikeother srahs, does not contain the usual opening phrase of In thename of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful? He further enquiredof him why Srah 8 was grouped with the seven long srahs [thatappear at the beginning of the Qurn]?

`Uthmn answered, The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to receiveverses or passages from several srahs at the same time. He wouldcall the scribes and instruct them to put specific verses atspecified places in their respective srahs. Al-Anfl was one of theearliest srahs revealed in Madinah while al-Tawbah was one of thelatest, but their subject matter was very similar that I suspectedthey might be one srah. The Prophet passed away without clarifyingthis particular point. Therefore, I placed them one after the otherwithout separation.

This report is the most acceptable explanation for thejuxtaposition of the two srahs without separating them by thenormal line of In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.It also gives us a clear statement that the position of each versein all srahs and the order they were placed in the Qurn was made onthe basis of instructions given by the Prophet himself. More thanone srah might be in the process of revelation at the same time.Hence, when one or more verses were revealed to address aparticular situation or to outline or prepare for a definitiveruling, according to Islams practical approach and method ofaction, the Prophet would order that these verses be placed intheir particular position in the srah in which they should beincluded. Thus, every verse was given its position, and every

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srah was given its proper order.

We have repeatedly said that each srah has its own character andfeatures. Moreover, each has its own ambience, and employsparticular phrases that bring out in full relief its character anddistinctive features. Perhaps the preceding paragraph and the adthquoted before it explain this clear Qurnic phenomenon.

25

1 The Basis of Inter-

Communal Relations

Disavowal by God and His Messenger [is hereby announced] tothose of the idolaters with whom you have made a treaty. (1)

[Announce to them:] You may go freely in the land for fourmonths, but you must realize that you can never escape Godsjudgement, and that God shall bring disgrace upon the unbelievers.(2)

And a proclamation from God and His Messenger is hereby made toall mankind on this day of the greater pilgrimage: God is free fromobligation to the idolaters, and so is His Messenger. If yourepent, it shall be for your own good; and if you turn away, thenknow that you can never escape Gods judgement. Give the unbelieversthe news of grievous suffering, (3)

except for those idolaters with whom you have made a treaty andwho have honoured their obligations [under the treaty] in everydetail, and have not aided anyone against you. To these fulfil yourobligations until their treaties have run their term. God lovesthose who are righteous. (4)

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When these months of grace are over, slay the idolaters whereveryou find them, and take them captive, besiege them, and lie in waitfor them at every conceivable place. Yet if they should repent,take to prayer and pay the zakt, let them go their way. For God isMuch-forgiving, Merciful. (5)

If any of the idolaters seeks asylum with you, grant himprotection, so that he may hear the word of God, and then conveyhim to his place of safety. That is because the idolaters arepeople who lack knowledge. (6)

How can there be a treaty with God and His Messenger for theidolaters, unless it be those of them with whom you have made atreaty at the Sacred Mosque? So long as they are true to you, betrue to them; for God loves those who are God-fearing. (7)

How [else could it be] when, should they prevail over you, theywill respect neither agreement made with you, nor obligation ofhonour towards you? They try to please you with what they say,while at heart they remain adamantly hostile. Most of them aretransgressors. (8)

They barter away Gods revelations for a paltry price and debarothers from His path. Evil indeed is what they do. (9)

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They respect neither agreement nor obligation of honour withregard to any believer. Those indeed are the aggressors. (10)

Yet, if they repent, take to prayers and pay the zakt, they areyour brethren in faith. Clear do We make Our revelations to peopleof knowledge. (11)

But if they break their pledges after having concluded a treatywith you, and revile your religion, then fight these archetypes offaithlessness who have no [respect for a] binding pledge, so thatthey may desist. (12)

Will you not fight against people who have broken their solemnpledges and set out to drive out the Messenger, and who were thefirst to attack you? Do you fear them? It is God alone whom youshould fear, if you are true believers. (13)

Fight them: God will punish them at your hands, and will bringdisgrace upon them; and will grant you victory over them and willgrant heart-felt satisfaction to those who are believers, (14)

removing all angry feelings from their hearts. God will turn inHis mercy to whom He wills. God is All-knowing and

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Wise. (15)

Do you think that you will be left alone, unless God takescognizance of those of you who strive hard for His cause andestablish close association with none other than God, His Messengerand the believers? God is well aware of what you do. (16)

It is not for the idolaters to visit or tend Gods houses ofworship; for they are self-confessed unbelievers. Vain shall betheir actions and they shall abide in the fire. (17)

If Gods houses of worship may be tended only by those whobelieve in God and the Last Day, are constant in prayers, pay zakt(i.e. the obligatory charity) and fear none other than God. It isthose who are likely to be rightly guided. (18)

Do you, perchance, consider that the provision of drinking waterto pilgrims and tending the Sacred Mosque are equal to believing inGod and the Last Day and striving for Gods cause? These are notequal in Gods sight. God does not provide guidance for people whoare wrongdoers. (19)

Those who believe, and leave their homes and strive hard forGods cause with their property and their lives stand higher in

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29

rank with God. It is they who shall triumph. (20)

Their Lord gives them the happy news of bestowing on them Hisgrace, and acceptance, and of the gardens of eternal bliss (21)

where they shall reside for ever. Gods reward is great indeed.(22)

Believers, do not take your fathers and brothers for allies ifthey choose unbelief in preference to faith. Those of you who takethem for allies are indeed wrongdoers. (23)

Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses,your clan, and the property you have acquired, and the business inwhich you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you takepleasure, are dearer to you than God and His Messenger and thestruggle in His cause, then wait until God shall make manifest Hiswill. God does not provide guidance to the evildoers. (24)

God has granted you His support on many a battlefield, and alsoin the Battle of unayn, when you took pride in your numericalstrength, but it availed you nothing. For all its vastness, theearth seemed too narrow for you, and you turned

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Overview

This opening passage was revealed later than the rest of thesrah. We have explained in earlier volumes that the final orderingof the verses in each srah followed instructions given by theProphet himself. This means that such ordering is final and done onthe basis of instructions received by the Prophet from on high.

This passage terminates treaties and agreements that were inforce at the time between the Muslims and the unbelievers. A noticeof four months is given to those who have treaties runningindefinitely, or those who have violated their treaties. Others whohave treaties running for a specified term and have honoured theirobligations under those treaties, without ever backing or aidinganyone against the Muslims, are promised to have their treatieshonoured by the Muslims to the end of their specified terms. Thus,the final outcome is the termination of all treaties with

back in flight. (25)

God then bestowed from on high an air of inner peace on HisMessenger and on the believers, and He sent down forces whom youcould not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is thereward for the unbelievers. (26)

God will then turn in His mercy to whom He wills, for God isMuch-forgiving, Merciful. (27)

Believers, know that the idolaters are certainly impure. So, letthem not come near to the Sacred Mosque after this year is ended.If you fear poverty, then in time God will enrich you with His ownbounty, if He so wills. Truly, God is All-knowing, Wise. (28)

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unbelievers in the Arabian Peninsula, and an end to the veryconcept of having a treaty with idolaters. This takes the form of adisavowal of all obligations towards idolaters and questioning thevery idea of idolaters having a treaty or covenant with God and HisMessenger.

The passage also includes a ban on idolaters from doing the awf,which is the ritual walk around the Ka`bah, or visiting it forworship in any way or form. This abrogates the earlier mutualpledges of security between the Prophet and the idolaters ensuringthe safety of all people in the Ka`bah and during the sacredmonths.

When we review the events that took place during the Prophetslifetime so as to draw an outline of the historical progress andnature of the proactive approach of Islam, its progressive stagesand ultimate goals, we see very clearly that this decisive step wastaken at its most appropriate time. It was now possible toreorganize relations between the Islamic community and other camps,whether idolaters or people of earlier revelations.

Stage after stage and event after event, it was practicallydemonstrated that it was impossible to achieve coexistence betweentwo diametrically opposed ways of life with such deep-rooted andfundamental differences that affect every detail of concepts,beliefs, moral values, social behaviour, as well as social,economic and political structures.

Such fundamental differences were bound to surface as a resultof the differences in beliefs and concepts. We have one way of lifebased entirely on submission of all mankind to God alone who has nopartners, and another that makes people submit to other humanbeings and false deities. The two are bound to be in conflict atevery step and in every aspect of life.

It was not just a coincidence that the Quraysh should take sucha permanently hostile attitude to the Islamic call which raised thebanner that there is no deity other than God, and Muammad is GodsMessenger. Its hostility continued throughout the period when theProphet was in Makkah and sought to crush it in open warfare afterhe migrated to Madinah. Nor was it by coincidence that the Jews inMadinah should stand up in opposition to the Islamic message orthat they should join forces with the idolaters, in spite of theScriptures in which they professed to believe. Both the Quraysh andthe Jews tried to forge an alliance grouping all Arab tribes in anall-out effort to exterminate the whole Muslim community. They feltthat the establishment of the Muslim state in Madinah on the basisof faith and its implementation of the divine way of liferepresented a danger that threatened them and which they felt theyhad to remove.

We will learn presently that the same can be said for theChristians attitude

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towards the Islamic message despite the fact they also haddivine Scriptures. This was the case in Yemen, Syria and beyondboth these areas, and at all times. It is all in the nature ofthings.

Those who adopt other creeds and philosophies know that it is inthe nature of the Islamic approach to insist on the establishmentof a state based on belief in God. It aims to liberate all mankindfrom submission to other creatures so that they may submit to Godalone, and to remove all physical and material impediments thatprevent human beings from exercising their right to freedom ofchoice. It is also natural that those who follow other creeds tryto crush the divine way of life in which they see a real threat totheir very existence, their systems and social set-ups. Such apolarization is, then, inevitable.

Such hostility, inevitable as it certainly is, surfaced in avariety of forms, time after time, and served to emphasize the needfor this final step announced in this srah. The immediate causesmentioned in some reports were only episodes in a long chain ofevents that had been going on ever since the early days of theIslamic message.

When we adopt such a broad perspective and try to delve into theroot causes dictating attitudes and actions, we can properlyunderstand the need for this final step. We must not overlook theimmediate causes because these, in turn, were only episodes in along series of events.

In his commentary on the Qurn, Imm al-Baghaw quotes earliercommentators as saying: When the Prophet set out on his expeditionto Tabk, the hypocrites started to spread rumours while theidolaters began to violate the treaties they had with the Muslims.God then revealed this verse which is applicable to the lattergroup. He gave them four months notice if their treaties were ofshorter duration, and announced the termination of longer-lastingtreaties after four months.

Reviewing the views of other commentators, Imm al-abar says:

As for the notice given by God permitting idolaters with atreaty to go freely in the land for four months, perhaps the moreaccurate view is to say that this notice is given by God to thoseidolaters who, despite having peace treaties, collaborated withothers against the Prophet and the Muslim community violating theirtreaties before they ran out. As for those who fulfilled theirobligations under such treaties and refrained from collaboratingwith others, God limitless is He in His glory ordered His Messengerto honour his treaty with them until their term had been completed.This is clear in the Qurnic statement: Except for those idolaterswith whom you have made a treaty and who have honoured theirobligations [under the treaty] in every detail, and have

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not aided anyone against you. To these fulfil your obligationsuntil their treaties have run their term. God loves those who arerighteous. (Verse 4)8

Al-abar also quotes Mujhid as saying:

In the statement, Disavowal by God and His Messenger [is herebyannounced] to those of the idolaters with whom you have made atreaty, the reference here is made to the tribe of Mudlij and theArabs bound by a treaty with the Muslims and all other peoples withsimilar treaties. It is reported that when the Prophet returnedfrom Tabk, he wanted to go on pilgrimage. He then thought, theKa`bah is visited by idolaters who do the awf naked. I would ratherdelay my pilgrimage until such a practice is stopped. He sent AbBakr and `Al who went to see people at Dhul-Majz and other markets,as well as their encampments in pilgrimage. They gave notice to allpeople who had treaties with the Prophet that they would have fourmonths of peace. When those four consecutive months, beginning withthe twenty days remaining of Dhul-Hijjah to the tenth day of Rab`II, were over, the treaties would come to an end. All people inArabia would then be in a state of war with the Muslims unless theybelieved in God and His Messenger. The whole Arab population ofArabia became Muslims and none continued with their oldreligion.9

A number of immediate causes were naturally a factor in takingthis final and decisive step. Nevertheless they were only links ina long chain which arises from the basic conflict between the twoways of life which cannot coexist except for short periods andwhich are bound to come to an end sooner or later.

Peace or No Peace

The late Shaikh Muammad Rashd Ri, a leading scholar of the latenineteenth and early twentieth centuries, tries to identify theselinks in the chain right from the early days of the Islamicmessage. However, he does not try to outline the basic andpermanent conflict which gives rise to the whole episode, leadingeventually to the natural result outlined in this srah. In hiscommentary, al-Manr, he writes:

An indisputable fact known to all people is that God sent HisMessenger, Muammad, the last of all prophets, with the message ofIslam that provides a complete and final version of the divinefaith. His greatest proof is the Qurn, which defies human beingswith a multifaceted challenge that we

8 Muammad ibn Jarr al-Tabar, Jmi` al-Bayn, Dr al-Fikr, Beirut,1984, Vol. 10, pp. 62-63. 9 Al-Tabar, ibid., pp. 61-62.

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have outlined in our commentary on verse 3 of Srah 2. Theessence of advocacy of the divine message is based on irrefutablerational and scientific evidence.10 He has also established clearlythat compulsion could in no way be adopted as a means of spreadingthe faith. This has been outlined in our commentary on verse 256 ofSrah 2.

The idolaters took an attitude of resistance, subjecting thebelievers to a campaign of persecution and torture to force them toturn away from Islam. They also tried to forcibly prevent theProphet from conveying his message to people. No one who acceptedthe new faith and believed in the Prophets message felt safe orsecure from death and torture unless he enjoyed the protection ofan ally or a relative. Hence they had to migrate time aftertime.

Then they escalated their campaign against the Prophet. Theyconsidered arresting him permanently, and they also thought ofbanishing him, and they also considered killing him openly in theirmeeting place. They finally opted to murder him. God then orderedhim to emigrate, as we have explained when commenting on verse 30of Srah 8.11 The Prophet emigrated with those of his Companions whowere able to do so. They settled in Madinah where they foundsupport by the Anr who were believers in God and His Messenger,showing their love of those who migrated to settle in their land,and extended to them fine hospitality and a most generoustreatment.

The conditions that prevailed between them and the idolaters ofMakkah and other areas in Arabia were naturally war conditions, aswould have been expected at the time. The Prophet entered into apeace treaty with the Jews in Madinah and the surrounding area. Butthey violated their treaty and forged an alliance with theidolaters, supporting them in their campaigns against the Prophetand Islam. We have outlined all this in commenting on Srah 8.

At al-udaybiyah, the Prophet entered into a peace treaty withthe idolaters which provided for peace and security for ten years.He accepted conditions which were most favourable to the idolaters,but this was an act of magnanimity, not weakness. He wanted peaceto prevail so that he could ensure the propagation of his faiththrough clear argument and irrefutable evidence.12 The tribe ofKhuz`ah entered into a treaty with the Prophet,

10 It should be stated here that Shaikh Rashid Riwas a proponentof the same school of Imm Muammad `Abduh, which is clearlyinfluenced by Descartes and his philosophy, which is alien toIslam. This school places very strong emphasis on reason, allowingit great scope in matters of faith. Hence, it is important to addto rational and scientific proofs the simple, instinctive andnatural evidence which appeals to the entire human make up,including mind and feeling. 11 Srah 8 is discussed in Volume 7.Editor's note. 12 This is true if it means that the initial andbasic standpoint is to try to spread the faith by argument andconviction. However, it goes too far if it means to argue that jihdis only a defensive strategy to

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance