255. Ibn Kathir explains: The meaning is, first fight those unbelievers who are nearest to you, then those that come after them, and so on. That is what the Prophet did. He first fought the Makkans. Then he turned to Ta'if, Yemen, Yamamah, Hijr, Khayber, Hadr Mawt respectively. After he had subdued them, he traveled to Tabuk to take on the Romans, who were the closest. He would have extended the struggle but for his death. However, his successors carried on. Abu Bakr sent forces against the Romans and Persians. They fell to Islam during `Umar's reign when Egypt also fell. `Uthman the third caliph also pursued the policy of fighting those closest, extending the Islamic rule to parts of Africa, Asia and other territories. In consequence, the Islamic faith spread all over the globe. All this was following the directive given in this verse: ‘Believers! Fight those of the unbelievers who are nearest to you.’ Then weakness set in, and the Muslims, greedy of this world, busied themselves with themselves. Whenever they did that, and neglected Jihad, they lost territories, and whenever they took up the struggle, in the cause of Allah, they regained territories, in proportion to their obedience to Allah's commands.

Faced with the Judaeo Christian Western hypocrisy, we might reproduce here Yusuf `Ali's comments, (which he wrote under verse 111): “The Jewish wars were ruthless wars of extermination. The Old Testament does not mince matters on this subject. In the New Testament St. Paul, in commending the worthy fruits of Faith, mentions Gideon, Barak, and other warriors of the Old Testament as his ideals, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms ... waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens ..” (Hebrews, xi, 32 34). The monkish morality of the Gospels in their present form has never been followed by any self respecting Christian or other nation in history. Nor is it commonsense to ignore the lust of blood in unregenerate man as a form of evil which has to be combated “within the limits,” set by Allah (Q. ix. 112).

Sayyid Qutb however, has a long commentary here on the importance of conducting Jihad. Here are some important passages:

“We are ordered here to fight those of the unbelievers who are nearest to us. The verse does not say that the fighting should be against those alone who attack us or our homes. From this verse we can deduce that this is the guiding principle that will remain in force: that is, ours has to be an offensive Jihad. It is not defensive, as was the rule in early Islam, when the rules were of provisional nature.

“But those who speak on the Islamic rules related to international relations, or Jihad ordinances, or, comment on verses of Jihad, wish to bind this final, unconditional call and command to the conditional commands sent down for the initial, temporary, phase. They make it conditional to an actual attack or a preemptive attack on the life and property of Muslims. But the Qur'anic text here is unconditional. And it is the last of the texts to be revealed. We also know from the Qur'anic style, that when delivering ordinances, it is very specific, clear and unambiguous. It chooses very specific words, not ignoring the exceptions, conditions and specialities, if there happen to be, in the same text...

“But the problem is, those who speak on international relations as directed by Islam, or on Jihad ordinances, or explanation of verses speaking of Jihad, for them it is hard to swallow that these are Islamic injunctions, and that Allah himself should ask them to fight against the unbelievers nearest to them, and that they should thereafter fight those next to them, that is, every time they find the unbelievers close to them they should fight them. They find this hard to understand. Therefore, they try to make conditional what is unconditional.

“They forget, however, that Jihad in Islam is Jihad in the way of Allah. It is an effort to establish Allah's lordship on the earth and to do away with those who usurp Allah's rights. It is a Jihad to liberate man from the slavery of others of his kind .. from the tribulations of a religion that is not Allah's – “until there is no tribulation and the religion is Allah's, altogether.” It is not a fight for imposing one kind of rules made by humans in place of another kind of rules also made by humans. It is for imposing Allah's rule over the rule of men. It is not conducted for the establishment of a human rule over the earth. It is conducted to establish Allah's rule and sovereignty over the earth. Hence, it is necessary that it should be applied to the whole of the earth, for the liberation of the whole of the mankind, without exception: whether they be within the borders of Islam or outside of it, as long as it is inhabited by the humans who are ruled by those who rebel against Allah...

“But, unfortunately, the Muslim apologists have to face the Western, Christian, cunning, dirty propaganda that says, ‘Islam spread by the sword...'

“If that was the case, then, obviously, it could not have been acceptable. But the affair in truth is far different from how it is presented. Islam is based on a firm principle: ‘There is no coercion in Islam.'

“But, if that is so, why does the Mujahid come out with a sword? And why has Allah purchased from the believers their life and property in return of Paradise? Why do they fight in the way of Allah, kill and get killed? The answer is that Jihad has nothing to do with faith and beliefs. It is not conducted to coerce people into believing. Rather, it is conducted to guarantee freedom of opinion, faith and beliefs. Islam conducts Jihad against those who are opposed to man's total freedom, allowing him to choose his faith and beliefs. But those who have established their own rule on the earth, take away this freedom, in a subtle, unfelt manner. Islam comes in to break up these powers. Jihad liberates the people. After that they are free to embrace Islam or reject it. If they choose to come in, they are brothers unto old Muslims, with the same rights and obligations as others. If they choose not to accept, then, they pay the tribute, a symbol of submission to the rule of Islam, and as a return for the safety provided to them from the oppression of their likes. (Otherwise, they are free to choose their faith).”

256. That is, there need be no compassion. Unbelief must be uprooted. Compassion is reserved for the believers. The Prophet said about himself,

أنا الضحوك القتال

“I am the smiling warrior.” That is, he smiled when among the believers, but fought vigorously with the unbelievers (Ibn Kathir).

The hadith is found in Ibn Faris, but in none of the other collections, whether well-known, or obscure; and is declared weak. It seems to have spread around because of Ibn Taymiyyah who mentioned it in several of his books, Ibn Qayyim who also mentioned in his works, and, of course Ibn Kathir who mentioned it twice in his Tafsir (Au.).

257. Yusuf `Ali comments: “Just as the light, which to healthy eyes gives enlightenment, causes pain to the diseased eye, which emits unclean matter, so to those spiritually diseased. Allah's grace is unwelcome, and they put forth more doubts to cover their diseases. And they die in their disease, and of their disease.

258. To what is the allusion? The answer is, either there happened an expedition or two organized against the pagans every year, which tried the hypocrites and exposed their hypocrisy, or, a false rumor or two circulated which put them into fresh doubts about Islam (Ibn Jarir).

A related hadith is in Ibn Majah. Anas says,

لا يزداد الأمر إلا شدة ولا يزداد الناس إلا شحاً وما من عام إلا والذي بعده شر منه

“Things will get more and more difficult. People will get greedier. And there will not be a year but the one following it would bear greater evil. I heard this from your Prophet (Ibn Kathir).

The hadith is not to be found in any collection; and, although Ibn Kathir traces it to Ibn Jarir, it is not to be found in his Tafsir either (Au.).

The Hanafiyyah (and perhaps also the Hanabilah) have, however, deduced from this verse that an Islamic state should conduct Jihad at least once or twice every year (Au.).

259. It is said that when a man falls sick, regains health subsequently, but does not receive a lesson to correct his ways, then the angels say about him, “We administered him the medicine but the medication did not seem to have cured him” (Alusi).

260. Mawdudi offers the following comment: “Whenever a surah was revealed to the Prophet (peace be on him), he recited it at a public gathering of Muslims. While the Prophet (peace be on him) recited it, the true believers listened to it in rapturous attention. The hypocrites, however, behaved at such gatherings in an altogether different way. They attended those meetings as it was obligatory for every believer to do so and their absence would have exposed their hypocrisy. Nonetheless, they evinced no interest in the Prophet's recitation, and their presence was only half hearted. Their only concern was to register their physical presence at the gathering, and they would depart at the first opportunity. The above Qur'anic verse presents a graphic account of their conduct.”

Yusuf `Ali takes us to a wider horizon of meaning, mixing admonition with illustration: “Even the Unbelievers, in their heart and conscience, feel uncomfortable when they turn away from Faith and Truth, and therefore their turning aside is figured by furtive glances, such as we may suppose literally to have been cast by the Hypocrites in the assemblies of the Holy Prophet. Then they slink away, feeling superior in their minds. And yet, if they only knew it, their contumacy deprives them of Allah's grace and light. They are turning Grace away, when Allah withdraws it altogether, they perish utterly.”

261. The Prophet drew a simile to explain his concern of the Ummah. He said in a hadith preserved by Ahmad, reported by Ibn `Abbas:

أَتَاهُ فِيمَا يَرَى النَّائِمُ مَلَكَانِ فَقَعَدَ أَحَدُهُمَا عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ وَالْآخَرُ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ لِلَّذِي عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ اضْرِبْ مَثَلَ هَذَا وَمَثَلَ أُمَّتِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ مَثَلَهُ وَمَثَلَ أُمَّتِهِ كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ سَفْرٍ انْتَهَوْا إِلَى رَأْسِ مَفَازَةٍ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُمْ مِنْ الزَّادِ مَا يَقْطَعُونَ بِهِ الْمَفَازَةَ وَلَا مَا يَرْجِعُونَ بِهِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَتَاهُمْ رَجُلٌ فِي حُلَّةٍ حِبَرَةٍ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ وَرَدْتُ بِكُمْ رِيَاضًا مُعْشِبَةً وَحِيَاضًا رُوَاءً أَتَتَّبِعُونِي فَقَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِمْ فَأَوْرَدَهُمْ رِيَاضًا مُعْشِبَةً وَحِيَاضًا رُوَاءً فَأَكَلُوا وَشَرِبُوا وَسَمِنُوا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَلَمْ أَلْقَكُمْ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ فَجَعَلْتُمْ لِي إِنْ وَرَدْتُ بِكُمْ رِيَاضًا مُعْشِبَةً وَحِيَاضًا رُوَاءً أَنْ تَتَّبِعُونِي فَقَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ فَإِنَّ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ رِيَاضًا أَعْشَبَ مِنْ هَذِهِ وَحِيَاضًا هِيَ أَرْوَى مِنْ هَذِهِ فَاتَّبِعُونِي قَالَ فَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ صَدَقَ وَاللَّهِ لَنَتَّبِعَنَّهُ وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ قَدْ رَضِينَا بِهَذَا نُقِيمُ عَلَيْهِ – مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد: رواه أحمد والطبراني والبزار وإسناده حسن.

“Two angels came down to the Prophet in his dream. One of them stood at the head of the bed, while the other at the foot of it. The one at the foot asked the one at the head to give an example of him and his followers. He said, ‘The example of him and his followers is like a people who traveled to reach close to their destination. But they did not have enough provision to complete the little bit left, nor were they able to return. They were in that state when a man appeared in a silken shawl. He said, ‘Would you follow me if I led you to a rich garden with free flowing streams?' They said, ‘Yes.' So he led them to a rich garden with free flowing streams. They ate, drank and grew fat. (The man came back and) asked them, ‘Is it not true that I found you in that state and you promised to follow me if I led you to a rich garden with free flowing streams?' They replied, ‘Yes.' He asked, ‘There lies ahead of you another garden richer than this one and with streams flowing more freely. Therefore, follow me.' Thereupon, a group said, ‘He spoke the truth and by Allah we shall follow him.' But another group said, ‘We are satisfied with this and shall stay put here' (Ibn Kathir).

262. It is said that `Umar would not accept any verse to be written in the Mus haf without two witnesses. But for this verse he said he did not need any witness since the Prophet indeed was as described in this verse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

263. Some scholars have explained the term `Arsh as appearing here to mean ”kingdom” (Alusi).

According to Ubayy b. Ka`b the last two verses of this chapter are the last to be revealed (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). But there are other opinions about what was revealed last. Ibn `Abbas has said that the last to be revealed was verse 281 of Al Baqarah (Alusi).