9. At-Tawba

Commentary

It will be recalled that a cease-fire agreement with the Quraysh of Makkah was concluded at Hudaibiyah in the Hijrah year 6. That the Quraysh will not stick to the agreement was foretold in verse 7 of Su-rah At-Taubah: كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ عَهْدٌ (how can the Mushriks have a treaty...). Then, came verses 8, 9 and 10 with the causes of their pledge breaking. And in the 11th verse it was announced that, despite having broken their solemn covenant, if these Mushriks become Muslims and start expressing their faith in Islam through prayers and fasting, then, Muslims are duty-bound to keep their present dealings with them free of any effects from the past. In fact, they should take them to be their brothers in faith and treat them as such. In verse 12 cited above, Muslims have been told about the course of action they should take in the event these people do break their pledge, as prophesied earlier.

The actual words of the text read: وَإِن نَّكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ‌ (And if they break their oaths after they have made a covenant and speak evil of your Faith, then fight the leaders of infidelity - 12). It is worth noting that the present situation in the text demanded the use of فَقَاتِلُوھُم (faqatiluhum: then fight them). The Holy Qur'an has said: فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ‌ (then fight the leaders of infidelity) which bypasses the use of a shorter pronoun at this place. The word: أَئِمَّةَ (a'immah: leaders) is the plural of Imam. The sense is that these people by breaking their word of honor turned into leaders of infidelity and thus became deserving of a war against them. This statement also carries the wisdom and justification of the command to fight. Some commentators say that ` leaders of infidelity' at this place refers to the chiefs of the tribe of Quraysh in Makkah who kept on instigating people against Muslims and remained busy making war preparations. Fighting against them was particularly mentioned because these people were the real source of power the Makkans were credited with. In addition to that, since they were the ones with whom Muslims had bonds of close kinship, there was the possible apprehension that some concession could be granted in their case.

Honest critical study of Islam by Protected Non-Muslim Citizens of Dar al-Islam is possible - vilification is not

Some commentators have interpreted the words: (speak evil of your faith) to mean that speaking evil of the Faith of Muslims is included under contravention of pledge. A person who speaks evil of Is-lam and the Shari’ ah of Islam cannot continue to be a party to the treaty with Muslims. But, according to a consensus of Muslim jurists, it means vilification that is done to insult and belittle Islam and Muslims, openly and publicly. Honest intellectual criticism while conducting research into problems and rulings remains exempt from its purview - then, it is not supposed to be vilification in its lexical sense.

Therefore, for non-Muslim citizens of Dar al-Islam, any honest intellectual criticism can be allowed, but what cannot be allowed is vilification, contempt, …

After that, to persuade Muslims to fight, they were told in verse 13 that there was no reason why they would not be ready to fight against the kind of people who had conspired to expel the Messenger of Allah. This refers to the Jews of Madinah who had hatched a plan to expel the Holy Prophet ﷺ from the city of Madinah. They had said: لَيُخْرِ‌جَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ (the one having more honor and power will certainly expel the one being humble and weak from there - 63:8). In their self-view, they were the people of honor and power while Muslims were weak and lowly. The answer they needed was given by Allah Al-mighty in His way. He took their proud statement as it was and made it come true in a manner that the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, by turning the Jews out of Madinah, proved that honor belonged to Muslims and disgrace to Jews.

Giving the second reason for fighting against them, it was said: وَهُم بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّ‌ةٍ (and it was they who started [ fighting ] against you for the first time). The sense is that they were the aggressors. What Muslims have to do now is simply to defend themselves, an action universally sane and normal.

Then, to remove the awe of the enemy from the hearts of Muslims, it was said: أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ ۚ فَاللَّـهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ (Do you fear them? Then, Allah is worthier that you fear Him) for there is no power that can cause His punishment to disappear. Finally, by saying: إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ (if you are be-lievers), it was made clear that fearing anyone or anything other than Allah in a manner that obstructs the fulfillment of the injunctions of the Shari’ ah of Islam is not what a true believing-practicing Muslim would do.

For Muslims, the same exhortation to fight in Jihad appears in verses 14 and 15 as well, though from a different angle. They were told:

1. If you get ready to fight them, the help and support from Allah will be with you. As for their enemies, they have already become deserving of Divine punishment because of their evil deeds but this punishment will not come down upon them from the heavens or up from beneath the Earth. Instead of that, says the verse: يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّـهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ 'hat is, ` Allah shall punish them at their hands.'

2. As a result of this fighting, Allah Ta` ala will mollify the hearts of Muslims after all those pains and sorrows continuously inflicted upon them by the disbelievers.

3. Then, the anger which filled Muslim hearts because of their treachery and pledge breaking was to be removed by Allah Ta` ala when He punishes them at their hands.

In the previous verse (12), by saying: لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنتَهُونَ (so that they may stop), Muslims were told that they should not fight a people just to release their anger, rather make their correction and betterment the main purpose of their action. When they cleanse their intention from all irrelevant shades, and let it be for Allah alone, and fight for none but Allah, then, Allah Ta'ala shall cause things to unfold in a manner that automatically removes the feelings of anger and sorrow raging in their hearts.

1. Finally, it was said: وَيَتُوبُ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ (And Allah relents to whomsoever He wills -15). This tells us that there will be an added gain as a result of this Jihad. There will be many from among the enemies who will have the taufiq of Islam. They will become Muslims. So, there were many arrogant ones at the time of the Conquest of Makkah who were put to disgrace while there were many others who embraced Islam.

History proves that the circumstances and events predicted in these verses were witnessed one by one as pointed out by the Holy Qur'an. Therefore, these verses contain many miracles.

1. Finally, it was said: وَيَتُوبُ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ (And Allah relents to whomsoever He wills -15). This tells us that there will be an added gain as a result of this Jihad. There will be many from among the enemies who will have the taufiq of Islam. They will become Muslims. So, there were many arrogant ones at the time of the Conquest of Makkah who were put to disgrace while there were many others who embraced Islam.

History proves that the circumstances and events predicted in these verses were witnessed one by one as pointed out by the Holy Qur'an. Therefore, these verses contain many miracles.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses was how crooked the Mushrikin of Makkah were, how they broke their pledges and what they did to defend their false ways in religion. With this in view, Muslims were also brought around to stand up against them. In the last previous verse (16), Muslims have been told that Jihad is a test for them. This test is necessary because it helps in marking out a sincere Muslim from hypocrites and the weak-in-faith. Says the verse: ` Do you think that you will be left alone while Allah has not seen those of you who struggle in jihad and never take anyone, other than Allah and His Messenger and the believers, as their confidant?'

The address in this verse is also to those common people who were taken to be Muslims, though some of them were hypocrites while some others were weak in faith and kept wavering. Such people would pass on sensitive information about Muslims to their non-Muslim friends. Therefore, two signs of a sincere Muslim were identified in this verse.

Two signs of sincere Muslims

(1) They fight disbelievers in the way of Allah.

(2) They take no non-Muslim as their close friend to whom secrets are confided.

At the end of the verse, it was said: وَاللَّـهُ خَبِيرٌ‌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (And Allah is [ All ] Aware of what you do) that is, before Him nobody can get away with false excuses and alibis.

This wisdom of Jihad mentioned earlier has appeared in another verse of the Holy Qur'an in the following words: أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَ‌كُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ (Do people think that they will be left to say, "We believe," and they will not be tried? - 29:2)

On taking non-Muslims as close friends and insiders

The word: ولیجہ (walijah) used in verse 16 means an insider who shares secrets. There is another verse which uses the word: بطانہ (bitanah) to carry this very sense. Literally, بطانہ ` bitanah' means what is worn under normal clothing and is close to the body. It denotes a person who knows secrets as an insider. The actual words of the verse read: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا O those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but from your own selves for they would spare no effort to put you in trouble). (3:118)

Now we can turn to the present verses (17 and 18) where instructions have been given to cleanse al-masjid-al-Haram and other masajid (mosques) of false modes of worship and replacing them with what is correct and acceptable.

A little background detail is in order at this point. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ got rid of all those idols the Mushriks used to worship from the Baytullah and the Sacred Mosque soon after the conquest of Makkah, it was a matter of relief, at least externally, for the Sacred Mosque was now free from the physical vestiges of Shirk. But, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had granted his old enemies pardon and protection soon after they were overpowered. They still used to do their ` Ibadah and Tawaf in the Sacred Mosque following their false ways.

That the Sacred Mosque was cleansed of idols was good, but it was also necessary to purify this sacred site from the fallout of idolatry …

Verse 17 was describing the negative aspect as related to the Mushriks. It said that they did not deserve the honor of building and maintaining mosques. Verse 18 takes up the positive aspect relating to mosques by saying:

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ‌ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّـهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿18﴾

In fact, the mosques of Allah are built-up only by those who believe in Allah and in the Last Day and those who establish Salah and pay Zakah and who fear none but Allah. So, it is in all likelihood that they are to be among those on the right path.

It means the building of mosques in the real sense is a serene task. It can be done only by those who are bound by the commandments of Allah in their ` Aqidah (faith) and ` Amal (practice). They must believe in Allah and in the 'Akhirah, establish Salah, pay Zakah and fear none but Allah. At this place, only 'Iman (faith) in Allah and 'Akhirah (Last Day) have been mentioned. Faith in the Rasul (Messenger) of Allah was not mentioned expressly because there is no way one can have faith in Allah Ta` ala except that one puts his or her faith in His Rasul - and wholeheartedly accepts the commandments that come from Allah Ta` ala through him. Therefore, ` faith in the Rasul' is naturally included under ` faith in Allah.' This is why the Holy Prophet ﷺ once asked his noble Companions ؓ ، ` Do you know what 'Iman in Allah is?' The Companions said, ` Allah and His Rasul know best.' He said, ` Iman in Allah is that one bears witness to the fact that there is no one worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Rasul of Allah.' This Hadith clearly states that having faith in the Rasul is included under having faith in Allah and is comprehensively united with it. (Mazhari with reference to al-Bukhari and Muslim)

As for the statement: ` fear none but Allah,' it means that, in matters of religion, one should not abandon the command of Allah out of some fear. Otherwise, fearing things that cause fear is quite natural. Beasts, snakes, thieves and robbers generate physical fear but that is not the kind of fear we are talking about here. When the magicians showed snakes made of ropes and staffs to Sayyidna Musa, he had a sense of fear within himself as mentioned in the Qur'an فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ ﴿67﴾ - 20:67. Therefore, the normal fear caused by what causes pain or brings loss is neither contrary to the injunction of the Qur'an nor to the station of a prophet, wallyy or saint. However, one should not become so overcome by this fear as to start creating confusion about the injunctions of Allah Ta` ala or leaving them out altogether. This is not the style of a true believer and this is precisely what is meant at this place.

Some related issues

When it is said in the present verses that Mushriks and Kafirs cannot take up the task of ` maintaining' a masjid which was something only righteous Muslims could do, it refers to the trusteeship and administrative responsibility of the masjid. The outcome is that it is not permissible to appoint a Kafir the trustee …

Commentary

The first four verses (19 - 22) relate to a particular event. A cursory look into its background shows that many Mushriks of Makkah felt proud that they kept the Sacred Mosque bustling with visitors and devotees and ran a drinking water service for the pilgrims. Keeping their rival Muslims in view, they claimed that no deed by anyone could match theirs. When Sayyidna ` Abbas ؓ came to Muslims as a prisoner from the battle of Badr, he had not embraced Islam by that time. His Muslim relatives reproached him for remaining deprived of the blessing of 'Iman. In response, he too had said the same things, ` you think 'Iman and Hijrah are big feathers in your cap, but we too have our own assets. We are the custodians of the building of the Sacred Mosque and serve water to the pilgrims. No deed by anyone can match these.' Revealed thereupon were these verses. (Ibn Kathir on the authority of ` Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn ` Abbas)

And according to some narratives in the Musnad of ` Abd al-Razzaq, it was after the entry of Sayyidna ` Abbas ؓ into the fold of Islam that Sayyidna Talhah ibn Shaybah, Sayyidna ` Abbas and Sayyidna Ali ؓ were talking together. Talhah said: ` I enjoy an excellence which none of you do. I have the keys to the Baytullah in my hands. If I wish I could go inside it and spend the night there.' Sayyidna ` Abbas said: ؓ ` I am the administrator of the water service for pilgrims and I have rights to the Sacred Mosque.' Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ said, ` I do not understand that which makes you so proud. As for me, I have said my prayers facing the Baytullah six months before anyone of you and I have participated in Jihad with the Holy Prophet ﷺ .' There-upon, these verses were revealed. They made it clear that no deed done without 'Iman, no matter how merit worthy, carries any value in the sight of Allah, and no doer of such deeds, while still involved in Shirk, is acceptable with Him.

And the Sahih of Muslim reports an event on the authority of Sayyidna Nu` man ibn Bashir ؓ who says that he was sitting with some Companions ؓ close to the Mimbar of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in his Mosque on a Friday. Someone from those present there said, ` In my view, after Islam and 'Iman, there is no deed superior to serving water to the pilgrims and I do not care about any deed other than this.' Someone else retorted, ` no, Jihad in the way of Allah is the highest of all deeds.' When an argument started between those two, Sayyidna ` Umar ﷺ ؓ reprimanded both of them and said, ` stop quarreling near the Mimbar of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .The proper thing to do is to say your Jumu'ah prayer first, then you can go and ask the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself about it.' As suggested, they did go to the Holy Prophet ؓ to find out his opinion on the matter. Thereupon, these verses were revealed where Jihad has been identified as the deed superior to the ` building' of the Sacred Mosque and the serving of water to pilgrims.

There is nothing far out about the possibility that the revelation of the verses themselves may have been aimed as an answer to the pride and arrogance of the Mushriks. Later, when unpleasant things took place among Muslims, it is quite possible that …

Verse 20 enlarges upon the subject initiated with the words: لَا يَسْتَوُونَ (la yastawun: they are not equal) in the previous verse (19) where it was said that the believing Mujahidin and those engaged only in maintaining the masjid and serving water to pilgrims are not equal. This was enlarged by saying: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُ‌وا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَ‌جَةً عِندَ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ ﴿20﴾ (those who believed and emigrated and took up jihad in the way of Allah, with their wealth and lives, are greater in rank in the sight of Allah, and they are the successful ones). The reason is that the Mushriks against them simply had no measure of success whatsoever. As for Muslims in general, they too shared this success in essence, but the success of those identified above had more to it. There-fore, they were the ones whose success was comprehensive.