8:58 Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

وإن خفت -أيها الرسول- من قومٍ خيانة ظهرت بوادرها فألق إليهم عهدهم، كي يكون الطرفان مستويين في العلم بأنه لا عهد بعد اليوم. إن الله لا يحب الخائنين في عهودهم الناقضين للعهد والميثاق.

أي‏:‏ وإذا كان بينك وبين قوم عهد وميثاق على ترك القتال فخفت منهم خيانة،بأن ظهر من قرائن أحوالهم ما يدل على خيانتهم من غير تصريح منهم بالخيانة‏.‏ ‏{‏فَانْبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ‏}‏ عهدهم، أي‏:‏ ارمه عليهم، وأخبرهم أنه لا عهد بينك وبينهم‏.‏ ‏{‏عَلَى سَوَاءٍ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ حتى يستوي علمك وعلمهم بذلك، ولا يحل لك أن تغدرهم، أو تسعى في شيء مما منعه موجب العهد، حتى تخبرهم بذلك‏.‏ ‏{‏إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ‏}‏ بل يبغضهم أشد البغض، فلا بد من أمر بيِّنٍ يبرئكم من الخيانة‏.‏ ودلت الآية على أنه إذا وجدت الخيانة المحققة منهم لم يحتج أن ينبذ إليهم عهدهم، لأنه لم يخف منهم، بل علم ذلك، ولعدم الفائدة ولقوله‏:‏ ‏{‏عَلَى سَوَاءٍ‏}‏ وهنا قد كان معلوما عند الجميع غدرهم‏.‏ ودل مفهومها أيضًا أنه إذا لم يُخَفْ منهم خيانة، بأن لم يوجد منهم ما يدل على ذلك، أنه لا يجوز نبذ العهد إليهم، بل يجب الوفاء إلى أن تتم مدته‏.‏

يقول تعالى لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم "وإما تخافن من قوم" قد عاهدتهم "خيانة" أي نقضا لما بينك وبينهم من المواثيق والعهود "فانبذ إليهم" أي عهدهم "على سواء" أي أعلمهم بأنك قد نقضت عهدهم حتى يبقى علمك وعلمهم بأنك حرب لهم وهم حرب لك وأنه لا عهد بينك وبينهم على السواء أي تستوي أنت وهم في ذلك قال الراجز. فاضرب وجوه الغدر للأعداء حتى يجيبوك إلى السواء وعن الوليد بن مسلم أنه قال في قوله تعالى "فانبذ إليهم على سواء" أي على مهل "إن الله لا يحب الخائنين" أي حتى ولو في حق الكفار لا يحبها أيضا. قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا محمد بن جعفر حدثنا شعبة عن أبي الفيض عن سليم بن عامر قال: كان معاوية يسير في أرض الروم وكان بينه وبينهم أمد فأراد أن يدنو منهم فإذا انقضى الأمد غزاهم فإذا شيخ على دابة يقول: الله أكبر الله أكبر وفاء لا غدرا إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "ومن كان بينه وبين قوم عهد فلا يحلن عقدة ولا يشدها حتى ينقضي أمدها أو ينبذ إليهم على سواء" قال فبلغ ذلك معاوية فرجع فإذا بالشيخ عمرو بن عنبسة رضي الله عنه وهذا الحديث رواه أبو داود الطيالسي عن شعبة وأخرجه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي وابن حبان في صحيحه من طرق عن شعبة به. وقال الترمذي حسن صحيح. وقال الإمام أحمد أيضا حدثنا محمد بن عبدالله الزبيري حدثنا إسرائيل عن عطاء بن السائب عن أبي البختري عن سلمان يعني الفارسي رضي الله عنه أنه انتهى إلى حصن أو مدينة فقال لأصحابه دعوني أدعوهم كما رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعوهم فقال إنما كنت رجلا منكم فهداني الله عز وجل للإسلام فان أسلمتم فلكم ما لنا وعليكم ما علينا وإن أبيتم فأدوا الجزية وأنتم صاغرون وإن أبيتم نابذناكم على سواء "إن الله لا يحب الخائنين" يفعل ذلك بهم ثلاثة أيام فلما كان اليوم الرابع غدا الناس إليها ففتحوها بعون الله.

And if you fear from any folk who have concluded a pact with you some treachery in a pact through some indication that comes to you then cast it back to them dissolve their pact with fairness ‘alā sawā’ is a circumstantial qualifier that is to say while you and they have equal knowledge that the pact has been broken by your apprising them thereof lest they accuse you of treachery. Truly God does not love the treacherous.

The Option to Cancel a Peace Treaty

In the fifth verse (58), the Holy Prophet has been told about an important article which forms part of the law of war and peace. Here, after placing due stress on the importance of complying with the terms of a treaty, an alternative has also been laid out to cover a situation in which there may arise a danger of breach of trust from the other party to the treaty any time during its legal tenure. Given this situation, it remains no more necessary that Muslims should continue to abide by their allegiance to the treaty. But, also not permissible for Muslims is the taking of any initiative (pre-emptive action of any kind) against the other party - before the treaty has been clearly terminated. In fact, the correct approach is to pick up a peaceful and convenient occasion and let them know that their ill intentions or treaty contraventions are no secrets to them, or their dealings appear to be dubious, for which reason, Muslims shall not consider them-selves bound by the treaty. Consequently, they too were free to take any action they wished to take. The words of the verse are:

وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِن قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً فَانبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ ﴿58﴾

And if you apprehend a breach from a people, then, throw (the treaty) towards them being right forward. Surely, Allah does not like those who breach trust - 58.

The sense of the verse is that taking any military initiative against a people with whom a peace treaty has been signed is included under breach of trust and Allah Ta` ala does not like those who are guilty of Khiyanah, that is, those who commit breach of trust - even if this Khiyanah were to cause loss to hostile disbelievers, something also impermissible. However, should there be the danger of a breach of trust from the other party, it is possible to go ahead and openly proclaim before them that Muslims shall not remain bound by the treaty in future. But, this proclamation has to be in a manner which makes Muslims and the other party likewise, on the same footing. It means that nothing should be done to create a situation in which preparations are made to confront the other party in advance of this proclamation and warning while they are caught unawares and remain unable to make counter preparations for their defence. In short, the message given is: Make whatever preparations have to be made, but do it only after the proclamation and warning.

This, then, is the justice of Islam - that the rights of its enemies who commit breach of trust are also guarded and that restrictions are placed on Muslims - not on their adversaries - that they should not make any aggressive preparations against them before having declared that they have nothing to do with the treaty anymore. (Mazhari and others)

Fulfillment of Trust Obligations: A Significant Episode

Based on a narration of Salim ibn ` Amir, it has been reported by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (رح) that Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ had a no-war pact with a group of people for a specified period of time. It occurred to Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ that he should move his army and equipment close to those people so that his forces could pounce on the enemy immediately on the expiry of the period of their peace pact. But, exactly at the time when the army of Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ was getting ready to march ahead in the desired direction, it was noticed that an aged person riding on a horse was shouting a slogan very loudly. He was saying: اللہُ اکبر اللہ اکبر وفَآءً لا غدراً (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar - Allah is Great, Allah is Great - we should fulfill the pledge, we should not contravene it). He was saying that with the famous cry of Allahu Akbar (which increased the religious gravity of the matter). The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: When a ceasefire agreement or a peace pact with a people comes into effect, it is necessary that no knot be opened or tied against their provisions. Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ was informed about it. When he saw the herald of the saying, he recognized him. He was Sayyidna ` Amr ibn ` Anbasah ؓ ، a Sahabi. Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ lost no time and ordered his army to march back so that he does not become one of those who had committed a breach of trust by initiating war action while being within the time frame of a no-war pact. (Ibn Kathir)