Verse:1 Commentary - - - Verse:2 Commentary Commentary

Now begins Surah Al-Bara'ah which is also called Surah At-Taubah (as written; also Surah At-Taubah as pronounced). It is called Bara'ah for the reason that it mentions bara'ah or disengagement with the consequences of what the kuffar (disbelievers) do. Then, it is also called Taubah because it announces that the repentance of Muslims has been accepted. (Mazhari). It is a feature of this Surah that ` bismillah' (بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم Bismillahir-Rahma.nir-Rahim: With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very Merciful) is not written in the copies of the Qur'an when the Surah begins. However, Bismillah is written at the head of all Surahs of the Qur'an - the sole exception being that of Surah At-Taubah. Before we find out the relevant reason, let us bear in mind that the Holy Qur'an was revealed bit by bit during the period of twenty three years. The verses of a Surah were revealed at different times. When Sayyidna Jibra'i1 would come with a revelation, he would also point out to the Divinely intended arrangement of each revealed verse, explaining that it should be placed in such and such Surah after such and such 'Ayah (verse). It was in accordance with this Divinely intended arrangement that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would have scribes of the revelation write them up.

And when, at the end of a Surah, the next was to begin, ` Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim' would be revealed before the next actually did - which made it easy to understand that the previous Surah had concluded and another Surah was beginning. All Surahs of the Holy Qur'an were revealed in that manner. Surah At-Taubah is, in terms of the order of revelation, among one of the very last Surahs. When it began, neither was Bismillah revealed as customary, nor did the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم instruct the scribe of the revelation to do that. So, this was how things stood when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed away.

When Sayyidna ` Uthman al-Ghani ؓ arranged the Holy Qur'an in the form of a book during the period of his Caliphate, Bismillah was not there at the beginning of Surah At-Taubah, an arrangement contrary to that of the rest of Surahs. Therefore, a doubt rose - perhaps, this is not an independent Surah, or may as well be a part of some other Surah. Now, they thought, if this happens to be a part of some other Surah, which Surah is that? In terms of its subjects, Surah Al-Anfal seemed to fit the slot.

Also, as narrated by Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ elsewhere, ` during the blessed period of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم both these Surahs were called: قَریَتَین (qarinatayn: the two connected ones) '. (Mazhari). Therefore, it was placed after Surah Al-Anfal. This precaution was taken for the reason that, should it be a part of another Surah, it must stay with it. But, it was also probable that it may be a separate and independent Surah. Therefore, when writing, a particular format was adopted whereby some space was left open at the end of Surah Al-Anfal and before the beginning of Surah At-Taubah - similar to the spot meant for writing Bismillah at the head of other Surahs.

The precise reason why Bismillah was not written at the beginning of Surah Al-Bara'ah or At-Taubah has been reported from the great compiler of the revealed text of the Qur'an, Saiyyidna ` Uthman ؓ himself. At that time, he was answering a question posed by Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas, the Sahabi and Mufassir (exegete) of the Qur'an, which appears in Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, the Musnad of Ahmad and Tirmidhi. In that question, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ had also asked Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ about the order in which the Surahs of the Qur'an have been arranged. Giving an example, he pointed out that placed first were the larger Surahs that have more than hundred verses. Technically, they are called میٔن (mi'In: hundreds). After that, there are the large Surahs that have less than hundred verses. They are called مَثَانِی (mathani: the oft-repeated ones). Placed thereafter were smaller Surahs that are called مُفَصَّلات (mufassalat: the Surahs starting from "Qāf' [ 50] to the end of the Qur'an [ 114]). The order of this very arrangement necessitated that Surah At-Taubah should be placed before Surah Al-Anfal - because the verses carried by Surah At-Taubah are more than one hundred while those of Surah Al-Anfal are less than one hundred. The first seven long Surahs called سبع طوال (sab' tiwal: the seven long ones) also show that the placement of Surah At-Taubah before Surah Al-Anfal is naturally more appropriate there too. After having stated the existing position, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ asked about the consideration that had led to a contrary arrangement. Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ said: ` Correct. But, the Qur'an was serious matter. Precaution demanded that we do what we did - because, in case Surah At-Taubah is not taken as an independent S ئ rah, instead, is taken as a part of Surah Al-Anfal, it will be obvious that the verses of Surah Al-Anfal have been revealed earlier and those of Surah At-Taubah after that. Given this situation, it is not permissible to give precedence to the verses of the latter over the verses of Surah Al-Anfal without the sanction of Wahy (revelation). And since we did not find any such instruction in the Wahy, therefore, Surah Al-Anfal was made to precede and Surah At-Taubah, to succeed.'

From these precise details we learn that the reason for not writing Bismillah at the beginning of Surah At-Taubah lies in the probability that Surah At-Taubah may not be an independent Surah, instead, be a part of Surah Al-Anfal. Given this probability, writing Bismillah at this place shall be as incorrect as someone were to write Bismillah in the middle of any Surah of the Qur'an.

On this basis, Muslim jurists have said that a person who has already been reciting Surah Al-Anfal from above and is going to begin Surah At-Taubah, then, he or she should not recite Bismillah. But, a person who is starting his or her tilawah (recitation of the Qur'an) from the beginning, or from somewhere in the middle, of this very Surah should say: بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Ralhim) and then begin his or her recitation. Some people who do not know rules think that the recitation of Bismillah while reciting Surah At-Taubah is not permissible under any condition. This is a mistaken notion. Then, they would make another mistake on top of that. Instead of reciting Bismillah, they would recite: اَعُوذُ بِاللہِ مِنَ النَّارِ (I seek the protection of Allah from the Fire) when initiating or beginning from it. For this, there is no proof from the Holy Prophet رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہم and his Companions ؓ .

Then, there is the statement of Sayyidna AIi ؓ reported in a narrative from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . It says, ` the reason for not writing Bismillah at the beginning of Surah Bara'ah (At-Taubah) is that بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم ،; (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim) is an assurance of protection, but in Surah Al-Bara'ah, this assurance of protection and the pledge of peace given to disbelievers has been terminated.' This statement should be taken as a refinement of approach that does not go against the real cause. And the real cause is nothing but that Bismillah was not written on the basis of the probability that Surah Al-Anfal and Surah At-Taubah may be one. Then, there could be yet an-other subtle point about why it was not written. This Surah proclaims freedom from any responsibility for the disbelievers and announces the withdrawal of peace and protection from those people - which is not fit for Bismillah. Therefore, in terms of the design of creation, particular causes were generated here so that Bismillah was not to be written at this place.

To understand the present verses of Surah At-Taubah fully, it is necessary to know some events that became the cause of the revelation of these verses. Therefore, given here first are consolidated details of the relevant events:

1. As a whole, Surah At-Taubah carries the description of some battles, events related to them, and many injunctions and rulings emerging there-from - for example, the termination of pacts with all tribes of Arabia, the Conquest of Makkah, the battles of Hunain and Tabuk. Out of these events, first came the Conquest of Makkah in Hijrah year 8, then came the battle of Hunain in the same year, then the battle of Tabuk in Rajab of Hijrah year 9. Finally came the announcement terminating pacts with all tribes of Arabia in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, Hijrah year 9.

2. A summary of subjects concerning the repudiation of treaties mentioned in these verses shows that it was in the Hijrah year 6 that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم started with the intention of ` Umrah but the Quraysh blocked their entry into Makkah. Then came the peace treaty between them at Hudaibiyah. The time frame of this treaty, as reported in Ruh al-Ma'ani, was ten years. In Makkah, there were other tribes too, other than the Quraysh. An article was included in the peace treaty to cover them. It allowed a tribe, from out of the tribes other than the Quraysh, to become allies to the Quraysh and be with them, if they chose to do so; and whoever chose to become the ally of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and be with him was allowed to do that. So, the tribe of Khuza` ah chose to become an ally of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and went with him, while the tribe of Banu Bakr chose to go with the Quraysh. According to the treaty, it was necessary that within ten years there shall be no internecine war, nor shall any aggressor be helped from any side. And the tribe that was an ally of a party to the treaty shall be considered as governed by the same rule that governed the party. In other words, launching an attack on it or helping the aggressor was to be taken as a contravention of the treaty.

This treaty was signed in the Hijrah year 6. In Hijrah year 7, according to this treaty, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions ؓ left for Makkah to perform the ` Umrah they had missed earlier ('Umrah al-qada' ). After staying there for three days, he returned as stipulated in the treaty. Until then, no party had acted against the peace treaty in any way.

After that, it was within a period of five or six months when the tribe of Banu Bakr mounted a nightly ambush against the tribe of Banu Khuza` ah. Thinking that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was far away and things were happening during the night which would make it difficult for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to find out details of what had actually happened, the Quraysh too came to the assistance of Banu Bakr by providing weapons and men to them.

Events as they transpired and conditions as they prevailed made the Quraysh to accept that the treaty of peace entered into at Hudaibiyah - requiring a ten-year moratorium on internecine wars - was broken.

The tribe of Banu Khuza` ah, being an ally of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informed him about this event. When he learnt about this breach of trust committed by the Quraysh, he started making secret preparations for war against them.

During their encounters at Badr, 'Uhud and Ahzab, the Quraysh had realized that some unseen Divine power was at work in favour of Muslims. They were no more intoxicated with their muscle and might. Now that they had broken their solemn pledge, the danger of a war likely to be initiated by Muslims had become all too obvious to them. The likelihood became much stronger after the report of their breach of trust reached the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and he chose to observe a total silence about the matter. Left with no choice, they asked Abu Sufyan to go to Madinah personally, assess the situation there and should he sense a war action being initiated by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم should offer his apologies on what had happened in the past and have the treaty renewed for the future.

When Abu Sufyan reached Madinah, he did notice some indicators of war preparations being made by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . This increased his concerns. He went out to see prominent Sahabah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم one by one so that they would recommend his case and help him have the treaty renewed. But, all of them refused to do so in view of their unpleasant past and present dealings. Consequently, Abu Sufyan returned empty-handed. The Quraysh of Makkah were hit by panic.

At the other end, as reported in Bidayah and Ibn Kathir, it was on Ramadan 10, Hijrah year 8 when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم marched out from Madinah with a large force of his noble Companions ؓ in order to attack Makkah. Ultimately, Makkah was conquered.

Conquest of Makkah: Vanquished enemies were treated nobly

At the time of the Conquest, there were many Quraysh chiefs who believed in the veracity of Islam earlier too, but they could not express themselves freely due to peer pressure in the society. Now that they had their opportunity, they embraced Islam. As for those who chose to stick to their time-worn creed of disbelief even at that hour, they too - with the exception of some individuals - were granted amnesty by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . This was an unusual demonstration of morals, prophetic and miraculous, something others could not even dream of. He ignored all their hostilities and injustices in the past and simply said: ` Today, I say to you exactly what was said: 'Today, I say to you exactly what was said by Yusuf (علیہ السلام) to his brothers at the time when they had reached him in Egypt with their parents: لَا تَثْرِ‌يبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ (This day, there is no blame on you).' It means that, for him, taking a revenge for the past injustices inflicted by them or seeking to punish them in some way was unimaginable, in fact, he did not consider it appropriate even to blame them for anything that happened in the past.

Rules for four kinds of Mushriks at the time of the Conquest of Makkah

So then, Makkah came under the control of Muslims. Non-Muslims living in and around Makkah were given full protection of their lives and properties. But, that was a time when the existing status of these non-Muslims was different. One kind of people among them was of those who were a party to the peace treaty of Hudaibiyah which they themselves broke and which by itself became the cause of the Conquest of Makkah. Then, there was another set of people with whom a peace treaty was signed for a specified period of time and they continued abiding by this treaty, such as the two tribes of Banu Kinanah called Banu Damurah and Banu Mudlaj. The peace treaty with them was for a specified period of time and, at the time of the revelation of Surah A1-Bara'ah (At-Taubah) as stated by Khazin, they had another nine months left for their period of treaty to expire.

Thirdly, there were people with whom a peace treaty was concluded without any set time limit. Fourthly, there were those with whom no treaty existed.

The unsavory experience of all treaties entered into by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with disbelievers or the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) was that they flouted these openly and secretly always conspiring with enemies to hurt him and his Muslim adherents as much as they could. Therefore, led by his own long experience and Divinely inspired indicators, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had made up his mind not to enter into any peace treaty with any of these people and that the Arabian Peninsula was to be particularized with Muslims only as a bastion of Islam. This required a proclamation soon after the takeover of Makkah and the Arabian Peninsula ordering non-Muslims to leave and go somewhere else. But, in view of Islam's principle of justice, equity and humane dealing as well as under the universal mercy of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself, doing something like that without allowing a suitable time limit was not considered appropriate.

Therefore, at the beginning of Surah Al-Bara'ah (At-Taubah), separate injunctions were revealed that covered the four kinds of non-Muslim groups.

The first such group was that of the Quraysh of Makkah who had themselves broken the treaty of Hudaibiyah. Now, they deserved no extra respite. But, since this was the period of ` sacred months' during which fighting and killing was forbidden by Allah, therefore, the injunction which covers them appears in the fifth verse of Surah At-Taubah, that is, فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ‌ الْحُرُ‌مُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ (So, when the sacred months expire, kill the Mushriks wherever you find them. And catch them and besiege them and sit in ambush for them everywhere. Then, if they repent and establish salah and pay zakah, leave their way. Surely, Allah is most Forgiving, Very Merciful - 9:5). It means that they had, though, forfeited all their rights by breaking the treaty obligations, but observing the sanctity of the ` sacred months' was after all necessary, therefore, they should either leave the Arabian Peninsula soon after the ` sacred months' expire, or embrace Islam, or be prepared to face war.

Then, there was the second group with whom a peace treaty was made for a specified period of time and they had abided by it. The injunction about them was given in the fourth verse of Surah At-Taubah:

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُ‌وا عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِين

Except those of the Mushriks with whom you have a treaty, and they have abated nothing of your rights and backed no one against you, so then, fulfill the treaty with them up to their term. Surely, Allah loves the God-fearing - (9:4).

This injunction pertained to Banu Damurah and Banu Mudlaj as a result of which they were allowed a respite of nine months.

As for the third and the fourth group, only one injunction was revealed to cover both. It has been mentioned in the first and the second verse of Surah At-Taubah as follows:

بَرَ‌اءَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ إِلَى الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ ﴿1﴾ فَسِيحُوا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ أَرْ‌بَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ‌ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ‌ مُعْجِزِي اللَّـهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّـهَ مُخْزِي الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ ﴿2﴾

Here is a withdrawal [ proclaimed ] by Allah and His Messenger against those of the Mushriks with whom you have a treaty. So, move in the land freely for four months, and be sure that you can never defeat Allah and that Allah is about to disgrace the disbelievers - (9: 1, 2).

Thus, according to the first two verses, all those who were covered by some treaty without a fixed time limit, or those with whom there was no treaty, were allowed a respite of four months.

And according to the fourth verse, those who had a treaty for a specified period of time received a respite until it expired and, according to the fifth verse, the Mushriks of Makkah got their respite until the ` sacred months' expired. Verse:3 Commentary The generosity of giving respite to disbelievers even after treaties with them had expired

It was stipulated that these injunctions shall come into force and the period of respite shall start from the time the relevant information has been promulgated throughout the Arabian Peninsula. According to the arrangement made for this purpose, the public proclamation was to be made in the great gathering of the Hajj of the Hijrah year 9 at Mina and ` Arafat. This finds mention in the third and fourth verses of Surah At-Taubah as follows:

وَأَذَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الْأَكْبَرِ‌ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ بَرِ‌يءٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ ۙ وَرَ‌سُولُهُ ۚ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ‌ مُعْجِزِي اللَّـهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿3﴾

And here is an announcement, from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater Hajj, that Allah is free from [ any commitment to ] the Mushriks, and so is His Messenger. Now, if you repent, it is good for you. And if you turn away, then be sure that you can never defeat Allah. And give those who disbelieve the ` good' news of a painful punishment - (9:3, 4).

When abrogating a treaty with disbelievers, taking any action against them without prior public announcement is not correct

So, in order to implement this Divine injunction, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ to the Hajj of the Hijrah year 9 at Makkah al-Mukarramah and had them make this proclamation before a gathering of all tribes of Arabia on the plains of Arafat and Mina. It was all too obvious that this injunction would become widely known through the medium of that great gathering all over Arabia. However, as a matter of added precaution, he had this proclamation particularly made in distant Yemen through Sayyidna Ali ؓ .

After this public proclamation, the situation was that the first group, that is, the disbelievers of Makkah had to leave the limits of the state by the end of the ` sacred months,' that is, the end of the month of Muharram of the Hijrah year 10. Similarly, the deadline for the second group was Ramadan of the Hijrah year 10; and that of the third and fourth groups was the tenth of Rabi' ath-Thani of the Hijrah year 10. Any contravention of this executive order would have rendered the offender liable to face an armed confrontation. Under this arrangement, by the time of Hajj next year, no disbeliever was to remain within state limits. This will appear in verse 28 of Surah At-Taubah where it has been said: فَلَا يَقْرَ‌بُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَ‌امَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَـٰذَا (so, let them not come near Al masjid-al-Haram after this year of theirs). And the saying of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Hadith: لا یحجنّ بعد العام مشرک (The disbelievers shall not perform Hajj after this year) means precisely this.

Up to this point, given here was an explanation of the first verses of Surah At-Taubah in the light of corresponding events. Now, some relevant point that emerge from these verses are being discussed below.

What do these five verses teach?

1. First of all, soon after the Conquest of Makkah, the general amnesty granted by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to the Quraysh of Makkah, and to other enemy tribes, taught Muslims a practical lesson in high morals. The lesson was: if they overpower an enemy who stands helpless before them, they should not seek revenge from that enemy for his past hostilities. Rather than do something like that, they should actually demonstrate the best of Islamic morals by being generous and forgiving to their enemies. Though, acting in this manner may require a certain trampling over their natural feelings, still such a conduct is full of great advantages.

A- To begin with, it can be said that revenge does help one take out anger, at least temporarily - which may even give one a sense of personal relief - yet, this sense of relief or comfort is transitory. Then, as compared with it, the pleasure of Allah Ta` ala and the high ranks of Paradise one is going to get are far more and are forever in all respects. Consequently, reason demands that one should prefer what is everlasting to what is temporary.

B- Then, there is this act of suppressing one's angry emotions after having overpowered the enemy. This clearly proves that the battle fought by these people had no selfish motive behind it. The only motive they had was fighting in the way of Allah - and this great objec-tive is what draws the decisive line between the Jihad of Islam and the wars of common kings and rulers of the world, and what also lays bare the difference in Jihad and rotten aggression. Thus, the truth is that a war waged for Allah to implement His injunctions shall be what Jihad is, otherwise it shall remain a highhanded exercise in disorder.

C- The third benefit yielded by this conduct comes naturally. When the overpowered enemy observes the high morals of the victors, he is likely to be drawn towards Islam and Muslims, something which is bound to lead him on to the path of his own success in life - and this is the real objective of Jihad.

Forgiving disbelievers never means lack of vigilance against any impending harm from them

2. The second ruling which has been deduced from these verses is that forgiveness and generosity do not mean that one should become negligent about self-protection against the evil designs of enemies by giving them free rein to go ahead and keep causing loss and injury to their forgivers. No doubt, forgiveness and generosity are in order, but along with these, commonsense demands that one should take lesson from past experience and restructure the pattern of life ahead by blocking all holes and crevices through which one could come within the range of enemy hostility. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: لا یلدغ المرء من جحر واحد مرتین (One is not bitten twice from the same hole) meaning that a person does not put his hand twice in the same hole from which a poisonous reptile had bitten him.

The Qur'anic proclamation of the withdrawal of Hijrah year 9 and the ensuing instructions given to the Mushriks that they should vacate the environs of the Sacred Mosque peacefully within the period of respite allowed are proofs of this wise strategy.

3. The initial verses of Surah At-Taubah also tell us that forcing weak people to leave a place without reasonable notice of evacuation, or attacking them without warning is cowardly, and very ignoble indeed. Whenever such an action has to be taken, it is necessary to make a public announcement first so that the affected people, who do not ac-cept the law of the land, may get the time to go wherever they wished, freely and conveniently. This becomes clear through the general proclamation of the Hijrah year 9 as mentioned in the cited verses and as demonstrated by the legal respite granted to all affected groups.

4. The fourth ruling emerging from the cited verses tells us that, in case there is the need to annul a treaty of peace already made - which is permitted subject to some conditions - it is far better to allow the treaty to remain valid until it expires automatically. This has been commanded in the fourth verse of Surah At-Taubah where Muslims were required to fulfill their treaty obligations to the tribes of Banu Damurah and Banu Mudlaj for the remaining nine months.

5. The fifth ruling from the cited verses tells us about the standard Muslim attitude towards the enemies of Islam. When confronted with enemies, Muslims should always keep in mind that they are no enemy to them personally. The truth of the matter is that they are opposed to their disbelief, which is actually the cause of their own loss in the present world as well as in the Hereafter. As for the opposition of Muslims to them, that too is really based on good wishes for them. Therefore, Muslims should never abandon the opportunity to give good counsel to them, whether in war or peace. This theme appears in these verses repeatedly. It promises real prosperity for them in this world and in the world to come, only if they were to rescind their thinking. The text does not leave it at that. It also warns them of the consequences: if they refused to repent and correct, they would not only be destroyed and killed in the present world but, they would also not es-cape their punishment even after death. It is interesting that, along with the proclamation of withdrawal in these verses, the strain of sympathetic insistence also continues. Verse:4 Commentary 6. The sixth ruling comes out from the fourth verse where Muslims have been prompted to fulfill their pledge right through the end until the term of the peace treaty expired. Immediately thereafter, the verse has been concluded with the sentence: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (Surely, Allah loves the God-fearing). This gives a clear hint to the advice that Muslims should observe utmost precaution in fulfilling the pledge they have given. They should never look for lame excuses and far-fetched interpretations only to find a way to contravene treaty obligations, as done by nations at large. Verse:5 Commentary 7. Details as they appear in the fifth verse carry the seventh ruling. When war in defense of a correct objective breaks out against any power, all available combat resources should be used fully and conclusively. That is a time when showing mercy and appeasement would be showing cowardice.

From the same fifth verse comes the eighth ruling, that is, trust in a non-Muslim who has become a Muslim depends on three things. (A) Taubah (repentance) over disbelief in the past, (B) the establishing of Salah and (C) the paying of Zakah as due. Until these three conditions have been implemented practically, the option of war will not be withdrawn simply on the basis that someone has recited the Kalimah of Islam. When after the passing away of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، some people refused to pay Zakah, Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ had declared a Jihad against them. On that occasion, by referring to this very verse in support of his action, he was able to convince and satisfy all Companions ؓ .

8. The ninth question in these verses concerns the meaning of the expression: يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الْأَكْبَرِ‌ (yaumu 'l-hajju 'l-akbar: The day of the great hajj). The sayings of early commentators differ in this matter. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas, Sayyidna ` Umar, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar, and Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ say that ` the day of the greater hajj means ` the day of ` Arafah' because the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said: الحج العرفۃ ('Arafah is the Hajj). (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

9. Some others have said that it signifies: یوم النحر (yaumu 'n-nahr: the day of sacrifice), that is, the tenth of Dhu al-hijjah. In order to accommodate all these sayings, Sufyan ath-Thawri and other authorities have said that all five days of the Hajj are the substantiation of: یوم الحج الاکبر (yaumu -'l-hajju 'l-akbar: the day of the greater hajj) which includes ` Arafah and Yaumu 'n-nahr both. As for the use of the word یوم yaum or day in the singular, it is in accordance with the usage elsewhere as the Holy Qur'an calls a few days of the battle of Badr by the name of یوم الفرقان :yaumu 'l-Furqan in the singular form. Then, there are the common wars of Arabia. They too are identified by the word yaum or day - even though, they may have been spread over many more days - such as, یوم البعاث :yaumu 'l-bu` ath, یوم الاحد :yaumu l'Uhud etc. And since ` Umrah is called ` the smaller hajj, ( حج اصغر), therefore, it was to make it distinct that Hajj was called حج الاکبر ` the greater hajj' حج الاکبر (al-hajju '1-akbar). This tells us that, in the terminology of the Qur'an, Hajj as it takes place every year is nothing but ` the greater hajj' حج الاکبر (al-hajju '1-akbar). As for the popular assumption that the year in which ` Arafah falls on a Friday is specially ` the greater hajj,' it has no real basis except that the year in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم performed his last Hajj (حجۃ الوداع hajjatu 'l-wady`) just happened to be the year in which ` Arafah fell on the day of Jumu'ah. No doubt, this is a matter of distinction in its own place, but it has nothing to do with the sense of this verse.

In his Ahkam a1-Qur'an, Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas has said: By calling the days of Hajj as ` the greater hajj,' the problem that ` Umrah cannot be performed during the days of Hajj has also been resolved here - because, the Holy Qur'an has specified these days for ` the greater hajj.' Verse:6 Commentary Commentary

It was said in the first five verses of Surah At-Taubah that, soon after the Conquest of Makkah, general amnesty was granted to all polytheists and disbelievers of Makkah and its environs. But, in view of their dismal record of treachery and breach of trust in the past, it was decided that no treaty would be signed with them in the future. It was despite this policy decision that injunctions to honor the treaty - made with these people earlier and which they had never contravened - were revealed whereby they were required to fulfill the terms of the treaty until it expired. As for those with whom there was just no treaty, or there was no treaty with a fixed duration, they too were granted suitable concession. Rather than they be ordered to leave Makkah immediately, they were allowed a respite of four months so that, during this period of time, they could arrange to leave Makkah and go wherever they deemed fit, with convenience and in peace. Or, if the truth of Islam had become apparent to them in the meantime, they were welcome to become Muslims. The outcome of these injunctions was that the sacred site of Makkah was to be vacated by all treacherous disbelievers. The evacuation was being implemented without any intention to retaliate. In fact, it was enforced in self-defense because of consistent experience. Therefore, the door to a good future for them was left open even then. This has been mentioned in the sixth verse the substance of which is: If someone from among the disbelievers seeks asylum with you, then, you should grant it so that he could come close to you and listen to the Word of Allah and understand the veracity of Islam. Then, your responsibility does not end at granting him a temporary asylum. The truth of the matter is that, as soon as he has done what he had come for, it is the responsibility of Muslims that they should escort him under full protective arrangements to the place where he considers himself safe and happy. At the end of the verse, it was said that the particular injunction has been sent because these people are not sufficiently aware. By coming close, they could know things better.

Some rulings and points of guidance come out from this verse (11) as well. These have been discussed in details by Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas. In brief, they are:

Proving the Veracity of Islam is the Duty of Muslim Scholars

1. First of all, this verse confirms that, in case, a disbeliever asks Muslims to explain the veracity of Islam to him with valid proofs, then, it becomes their duty to accede to his demand.

2. Secondly, it is obligatory on Muslims that they should allow and protect anyone who comes to them to learn more about Islam. Causing any hurt or harm to such a person is not permissible. This injunction, according to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, is operative only in a situation when the purpose of the visitor is to listen to the Word of Allah and know more about Islam. In case, the objective of the visitor is business, or some other pursuit, it would depend on the discretion of relevant Muslim officials who would decide in terms of what is best in Muslim interests. Should they deem it fit, they may permit and should they think other-wise, they can act at their discretion.

Non-Resident Non-Muslims should not be permitted to stay in Dar al-Islam any longer than necessary

3. The third ruling stipulates that a non-Muslim at war, with whom Muslims have no treaty, should not be allowed to stay any longer than necessary - because, in the cited verse, a limit of stay and protection has been set by saying: حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّـهِ (until he listens to the Word of Allah).

4. According to the fourth element of guidance embedded here, it is the duty of a Muslim ruling authority to remain aware of the progress of the mission undertaken by any non-Muslim at war once he has entered into the Muslim country with valid permission (visa) and purpose. And, as soon as he has completed his job in the country, it is also the duty of Muslim Amir (ruler) that he should arrange for his safe return.

Stated in the next four verses (7-10) is the wisdom behind the proclamation of withdrawal mentioned in the initial verses of Surah At-Taubah. Here, by referring to the inherent meanness of pledge-breaking disbelievers whose malice and hostility against Muslims knew no bounds, it was advised in verses 7 and 8 that entertaining any hope from such people that they would ever abide by their pledge was simply wrong to begin with. It was said in the text: Except for some people with whom Muslims had entered into a treaty near the masjid al-Haram, how could any pledge given by these disbelievers be credible before Allah and His Messenger? The fact was that they were a set of people who, if given the least opportunity, would not blink about any relationship they had with them or bother to honor the word of promise given by them. The simple reason was that these people had no intention of honoring the treaty even when they were signing it. Their sole purpose was just to placate them. With their hearts set elsewhere, most of them were sinners, compulsive breakers of pledges and practitioners of treachery. Verse:7 Commentary Uphold truth and commit no excess or injustice even against disbelievers is the teaching of Qur'an

This statement of the Qur'an provides guidance for Muslims that they should never surrender truth and justice even when they are dealing with confronting enemies. Whenever they have to take up an issue with them, they are required not to slip into taking exaggerated approaches and stances against them. This is as it has been demonstrated in these verses where full consideration has been given to the case of the disbelievers of Makkah. The fact was that most of them had broken their pledge. Naturally, when something like this happens in that setting, people tend to make a sweeping allegation against every-one. But, the Holy Qur'an, by saying: إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ (except those with whom you made a treaty near al-masjid-al-Haram), has exempted those who had not broken their pledge. In fact, it has ordered that Muslims should stay firm on their commitment as long as the others remain committed and faithful to their pledge. The breach of trust committed by other people should in no case influence their stance whereby they themselves may be led to become breakers of the pledge given to them. Verse:8 Commentary Earlier when it was said that disbelieving people had nursed betrayal in their hearts right from the beginning and had no intention of staying faithful to their pledge, an exception was also granted. Similarly, when the text says: أَكْثَرُ‌هُمْ فَاسِقُونَ (Most of them are sinners - 8), it hints that all of them were not like that. There were some nice people among them too, who wanted to stand by their commitment, but they were not heard before others.

This is the same subject the Holy Qur'an takes up elsewhere saying in very clear terms: لَا يَجْرِ‌مَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا (and malice against a people should not bid you to not doing justice - 5:8)

After that comes the ninth verse with the reason why these Mushriks were so chronically treacherous and what was it that ailed them. Thus, they too were given a prescription of hope to ponder about so that they could still correct themselves if they chose to. At the same time, Muslims at large were also served with a warning that they should take their guard against the pitfall of treachery and disobedience which had sucked these people in and make a total abstention from this behavior model their distinct life style. The reason is their relentless love of the material. The desire to acquire, possess and expend the limitless range of things of this world had blinded them to the limit that they would not hesitate to sell off the very Words of Allah and their own faith in exchange for paltry gains. This character is, to make an understatement, evil.

Moving on to the tenth verse, the text describes the extreme crookedness of these people by saying: لَا يَرْ‌قُبُونَ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً (They do not observe, in the case of a believer, any bond or treaty). The sense is that this was no isolated case of disbelieving people acting treacherously against Muslims to whom they were bound by ties of kinship and treaty obligations. In fact, disbelieving people were a lot who would never consider kinship or pledge as valid grounds when dealing with Muslims.

Given the aforesaid behavior pattern of disbelieving people, it could have been but natural for Muslims to have become disillusioned with them forever and refuse to have any brotherly relationship with them under any condition. Therefore, as the Qur'anic justice and equity would have it, the eleventh verse gives the following instruction: Verse:9 Commentary - - - Verse:10 Commentary وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ (Then, if they repent and establish salah and pay zakah, they are your brothers in faith).

Here we are being told that once an enemy - no matter how deadly and no matter how hurtful he has been - becomes a Muslim, things change dramatically. Allah Ta` ala forgives his past sins, all of them. So, it becomes obligatory on Muslims too that they should forget the past, start afresh, take them as their brothers in faith and do whatever it takes to fulfill the rights enjoined under such relationship.

Three Conditions of Entry into the Islamic Brotherhood

This verse makes it clear that there are three conditions of entry into the Islamic brotherhood: (1) Taubah or repentance from Kufr and Shirk, (2) establishment of Salah and (3) payment of Zakah - because, 'Iman (faith) and Taubah (repentance) are concealed matters. Common Muslims cannot find out their reality. Therefore, two of their outward signs were mentioned, that is, Salah and Zakah.

Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ said: ` This verse has made the blood of Muslims, who qualify as ` the people of Qiblah,' unlawful حرام (haram).' In other words, people who establish Sarah, pay Zak-ah and have said or done nothing against Islam as proved against them, shall be taken as Muslims in the matter of all religious injunctions - even though, they may not have true 'Iman (faith) in their hearts, or have hypocrisy نفاق (nifaq).

This is the verse Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ had quoted in support of his declaration of Jihad against those who had refused to pay Zakah after the passing away of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . The noble Companions ؓ before whom he had made this assertion were satisfied with his approach. (Ibn Kathir)