9. At-Tawba

If they repent to Allah from their disbelief, pronounce the two declarations of faith, establish the prayer, give the Zakat of their wealth, then they will become Muslims and they will be your brothers in religion. They will then have the same rights and duties as you and it will not be lawful for you to fight them. Their acceptance of Islam will protect their lives, wealth and honour. Allah explains the verses clearly to a people who know, as they are the ones who will benefit from them and will cause others to benefit as well.

If these idolaters, with whom you entered into a treaty not to fight for a set period, break their oaths and promises and insult your religion and attack it, then fight them, because they are the leaders of disbelief and there are no treaties or promises that can protect their lives. Fight them in the hope that they will stop their disbelief, violation of their treaties and speaking badly of the religion.

Why do you, O believers, not fight a people who have broken their treaties and promises and who have attempted, in their meeting at Dār Al-Nadwah, to expel the Messenger (peace be upon him) from Makkah? They started the fight against you in the first place when they assisted the Children of Bakr, who were the allies of the Quraysh, against the Children of Khuzā‘ah, who were the allies of the Messenger (peace be upon him). Is it because you are afraid of them that you do not go forward to fight them? It is Allah, may He be glorified, that you should fear, if you are truly believers.

Fight then O believers, the idolaters, so that Allah may punish them by your hands by you killing, humiliating, defeating and capturing them. He also wants to help you making you overcome the idolaters and to heal the hearts of a believing people who had not seen fighting, through the believers killing, capturing, defeating and overcoming their enemies.

In this way, He will also remove the anger in the hearts of His believing servants by giving them victory. Allah turns in mercy to whomever He wills among those who were stubborn, if they repent to Him, asking for forgiveness. The last part of this verse describes the case of some of the people of Makkah on the day it was conquered by the Muslims. Allah knows the truth about those who repent to Him, and is Wise in His creation and His administration and law-giving.

Do the believers think that Allah would leave them without testing them? Testing is one of Allah’s customs, and they will be tested until Allah clearly proves those who strive with sincerity for Him, who do not take protectors apart from Allah, His Messenger and the believers, and do not make intimate friends with the disbelievers. Allah is aware of everything you do – nothing is hidden from Him – and you will be repaid for your actions.

It is not right for the idolaters to attend or care for Allah’s places of worship, worshipping in them, or doing good actions in them, while confirming their disbelief through their displaying of polytheism and the like. Their actions are wasted because they do not have faith, and faith is the condition for actions being accepted. On the Day of Judgement, they will enter the fire of Hell, living in it eternally, unless they repent from idolatry before their death.

It is only right that places of worship should be supported and cared for by those who have faith in Allah alone, who do not associate partners with Him, who have faith in the Day of Judgement, who establish the prayer, and give the Zakat from their wealth, and who do not fear anyone except for Allah, glory be to Him. Such people will be guided to the right path, while the idolaters are the farthest away from it.

Do the idolaters think that giving water to the pilgrims and caring for the Sacred Mosque is like someone who has faith in Allah, not associating any partners with Him, having faith in the Day of Judgement, striving with their self and their wealth to make the Word of Allah supreme, and the word of the disbelievers lowest? Do they consider them to be equal in virtue before Allah? They will never be equal before Allah, and Allah will not give success to those who do wrong by being idolaters, even if they do good actions, such as giving water to the pilgrims.

Those who have faith in Allah and emigrate from the lands of disbelief to the lands of Islam, striving for Allah’s sake with their wealth and their selves, have the greatest rank with Allah. Such people will succeed in achieving what they desire, and avoiding what they fear.