9:7 At-Tawba (The Repentance)

هذا بيان للحكمة الموجبة لأن يتبرأ اللّه ورسوله من المشركين، فقال‏:‏ ‏{‏كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ رَسُولِهِ‏}‏ هل قاموا بواجب الإيمان، أم تركوا رسول اللّه والمؤمنين من أذيتهم‏؟‏ أما حاربوا الحق ونصروا الباطل‏؟‏ أما سعوا في الأرض فسادا‏؟‏ فيحق عليهم أن يتبرأ اللّه منهم، وأن لا يكون لهم عهد عنده ولا عند رسوله‏.‏ ‏{‏إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ‏}‏ من المشركين ‏{‏عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ‏}‏ فإن لهم في العهد وخصوصا في هذا المكان الفاضل حرمة، أوجب أن يراعوا فيها‏.‏ ‏{‏فَمَا اسْتَقَامُوا لَكُمْ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ‏}

بين تعالى حكمته في البراءة من المشركين ونظرته إياهم أربعة أشهر ثم بعد ذلك السيف المرهف أين ثقفوا فقال تعالى " كيف يكون للمشركين عهد " أي أمان ويتركون فيما هم فيه وهم مشركون بالله كافرون به وبرسوله " إلا الذين عاهدتم عند المسجد الحرام " يعني يوم الحديبية كما قال تعالى " هم الذين كفروا وصدوكم عن المسجد الحرام والهدى معكوفا أن يبلغ محله " الآية " فما استقاموا لكم فاستقيموا لهم " أي مهما تمسكوا بما عاقدتموهم عليه وعاهدتموهم من ترك الحرب بينكم وبينهم عشر سنين " فاستقيموا لهم إن الله يحب المتقين " وقد فعل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك والمسلمون. استمر العقد والهدنة مع أهل مكة من ذي القعدة في سنة ست إلى أن نقضت قريش العهد ومالئوا حلفاءهم وهم بنو بكر على خزاعة أحلاف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقتلوهم معهم في الحرام أيضا فعند ذلك غزاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في رمضان سنة ثمان ففتح الله عليه البلد الحرام ومكنه من نواصيهم ولله الحمد والمنة فأطلق من أسلم منهم بعد القهر والغلبة عليهم فسموا الطلقاء وكانوا قريبا من ألفين ومن استمر على كفره وفر من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بعث إليه بالأمان والتسيير في الأرض أربعة أشهر يذهب حيث شاء ومنهم صفوان بن أمية وعكرمة بن أبي جهل وغيرهما ثم هداهم الله بعد ذلك إلى الإسلام التام والله المحمود على جميع ما يقدره ويفعله.

Affirming the Disavowel of the Idolators

Allah mentions the wisdom in dissolving all obligations to the idolators and giving them a four month period of safety, after which they will meet the sharp sword wherever they are found,

كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ

(How can there be a covenant for the Mushrikin), a safe resort and refuge, while they persist in Shirk with Allah, and disbelief in Him and His Messenger,

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ عَـهَدْتُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ

(except those with whom you made a covenant near Al-Masjid Al-Haram), on the day of Hudaybiyyah. Allah said in another Ayah concerning the day of Hudaybiyyah,

هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْىَ مَعْكُوفاً أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ

(They are the ones who disbelieved and hindered you from Al-Masjid Al-Haram and detained the sacrificial animals, from reaching their place of sacrifice.) 48:25 Allah said next,

فَمَا اسْتَقَـمُواْ لَكُمْ فَاسْتَقِيمُواْ لَهُمْ

(So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them.), if they keep the terms of the treaties you conducted with them, including peace between you and them for ten years,

فَاسْتَقِيمُواْ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(then stand you true to them. Verily, Allah loves those who have Taqwa.) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Muslims preserved the terms of the treaty with the people of Makkah from the month of Dhul-Qa`dah in the sixth year of Hijrah, until the Quraysh broke it and helped their allies, Banu Bakr, against Khuza`ah, the allies of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. Aided by the Quraysh, Banu Bakr killed some of Bani Khuza`ah in the Sacred Area! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led an invasion army in the month of Ramadan, of the eighth year, and Allah opened the Sacred Area for him to rule over them, all thanks are due to Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ freed the Quraysh who embraced Islam after they were overpowered and defeated. These numbered around two thousands, and they were refered to by the name `Tulaqa' afterwards. Those among them who remained in disbelief and ran away from Allah's Messenger ﷺ were sent promises of safe refuge for four months, during which they were allowed to move about freely. They included Safwan bin Umayyah, `Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl and many others. Allah later on guided them to Islam, and they became excellent believers. Surely, Allah is worthy of all praise for all His actions and decrees.

How can the idolaters have a pact with God and His Messenger — they cannot —while they disbelieve in God and His Messenger acting treacherously; except for those with whom you made a pact at the Sacred Mosque? the day of al-Hudaybiyya — these were Quraysh for whom an exception was made earlier Q. 94. So long as they are true to you keeping to the pact and not breaking it be true to them by fulfilling it fa-mā ‘so long as’ the mā is a conditional particle. Truly God loves the God-fearing the Prophet s had kept to the pact made with them until they broke it by supporting the Banū Bakr against Khuzā‘a.

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.