Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 72 - 75
ly Tafsir authorities, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Hasan, Qatadah, Mujahid
and others have said that Wilayah at this place means Wirathah or in-
heritance while Waliyy means Warith or inheritor. Nevertheless, some
others have taken Wilayah in the usual lexical sense, that is, friend-
ship, help and support.
According to the first Tafsir, the verse would mean that Muslim
Muhajir and Ansar shall be inheritors to each other. Their bond of in-
heritance shall not remain operative either with non-Muslims or with
particular Muslims who did not emigrate. The first injunction, that is,
severence of inheritance on the basis of difference in religion, was for
ever and remained as such. But, as for the second injunction, the posi-
tion was that after the Conquest of Makkah, when Hijrah was no more
needed, the injunction of severence of inheritance between the catego-
ries of Muhajir and non-Muhajir also did not remain operative any
more. From here, some Muslim jurists have deduced that the way dif-
ference in religion is a cause of severence of inheritance, similarly, the
difference in homelands is also the cause of severence of inheritance. A
detailed discussion on this subject appears in books of Islamic Figh.
وَإِنِ اسْتَنْصَرُؤُكُمْ فِى الدِّيْنِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصُرُ إِلَّ عَلى قَومٍ بَيْنَكُمُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ : After that, it was said
,And if they seek your help in the matter of faith) قِيْنَانٌ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيٌْ،
then, you are bound to help except against a people who have a treaty
between you and them. And Allah is watchful over what you do - 72).
The sense of the statement is that people who have not migrated, rela-
tionship with them has though been terminated as far as inheritance
is concerned, yet they are Muslims after all. If they seek help from
Muhajir Muslims to safeguard their faith, then, to help them is obliga-
tory on them. But, when doing so, Muhajir Muslims should not surren-
der rules of justice and their own fidelity to an existing treaty when a
situation comes in which non-emigrating Muslims were to seek the
help of Muhajir Muslims against a people with whom they already
have a no-war pact. If so, even helping these Muslims against the
peace pact party is not permissible.
A similar incident came to pass at the time of the Peace Treaty of
Hudaibiyah. When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم arrived at a peace
arrangement with the disbelievers of Makkah and included in the
صلى الله عليه وسلم terms of peace was the condition that the Holy Prophet
would repatriate anyone who went to Madinah thereafter. Just at the

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time the peace treaty was being concluded, somehow there appeared
Sayyidna Abu Jandal ar Al _», whom the disbelievers of Makkah had
put in detention where he was being tortured in all sorts of ways. He
presented himself in person before the Holy Prophet وصلى الله عليه وسلم told
him how oppressed he had been and sought his help. Imagine this
plaint was being made before none but him who had come to this
world as the universal mercy. What this plaint from an oppressed
Muslim would have done to his blessed heart is something everyone
cannot realize easily. But, despite this empathy, he excused himself
from helping him as bound by the injunction in the said verse, and let
him go back.
His return in this manner was heart-rending for all Muslims
present on the occasion. But, the blessed Prophet of Islam, guided by
Divine words, was as if witnessing the welcome spectacle that the
years of oppression were not going to last any longer and the reward of
a few more days of patience was to be added to the destiny of Sayyidna
Abu Jandal as Ul >). Then Makkah will soon be conquered. Then all
these problems were going to be all over. Still, at that time, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم acted in accordance with the command of the
Qur'an and preferred treaty obligations over the personal misfortune
of Sayyidna Abu Jandal ar Al _>,. This is the distinctive feature of the
Shari'ah of Islam which has made its adherents deserving recepients of
victory, honour, and success which awaits them in the Hereafter. Oth-
erwise, as observed commonly, world powers play games with treaties
and pacts. They use them as weights and levers to make the weak
cringe and the strong walk in trap. The game plan always stays in
their hands. With the slightest expediency in sight, they would un-
leash a hundred interpretations and kill the treaty and begin looking
for scapegoats to put the blame on.
Said in the second verse (73) was :ٍوَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْض (And those
who disbelieve are friends to each other). The word: J, (waliyy) used
here, as stated earlier, carries a general sense included wherein is in-
heritance as well as the guardianship and patronage of affairs. There-
fore, from this verse, we learn that disbelievers shall be considered in-
heritors to each other and the very law of the distribution of
inheritance which is in force in their own religion shall be implement-
ed as far as matters of their inheritance are concerned. In addition to

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 72 - 75
that, the guardian (waliyy) responsible for the upbringing of their or-
phaned children and for the marriage of their girls shall be from
among them. In a nutshell, it means that, in family matters, the relig-
ious law of non-Muslims themselves shall stand duly protected in an
Islamic state.
At the end of the verse, it was said:إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوُهُ تَكُنُ فِتْنَةٌ فِى الأَرْضِ وَفَسَاءٌ كَبِي (And
if you will not do so, there shall be disorder on the earth, and a great
corruption - 73).
This sentence is connected with all those injunctions mentioned a
little earlier, for instance, (1) the Muhajir and the Ansar should be
friends to each other, which includes mutual help and support, as well
as inheritance; (2) the Muhajir and non-Muhajir Muslims of that peri-
od of time should not consider themselves related to each other in
terms of inheritance, but the doors of help and support should remain
open subject to relevant conditions; (3) the disbelievers were caretak-
ers (waliyy) of each other, therefore, Muslims should not interfere with
their law of guardianship and inheritance in any way.
Thereafter the text says if things were not done according to these
injunctions, there shall be disorder and corruption on the earth. Per-
haps, this warning has been given in view of the importance of the in-
junctions described here for they were based on major principles of eq-
uity, justice and public peace. The related verses make it amply clear
that the way mutual help, support and inheritance depend on lineal
bond - in the same manner, religious bond has its own importance in
this matter. In fact, religious bond has precedence over lineal bond.
This is the reason why a Kafir (disbeliever) cannot inherit from a Mus-
lim and a Muslim cannot inherit from a Kafir - even though, they be
fathers or sons or brothers by lineage. Along with it, in order to block
religious prejudice and pagan partisanship, instructions were given
that, no doubt, the religious bond is so formidable, yet standing by the
terms of a treaty comes first and is more preferable. Contravention of
the terms of a treaty is not permissible under the heat of religious par-
tisanship. Similarly, also given was the instruction that the disbeliev-
ers are responsible for each other as guardians and inheritors, there-
fore, no interference should be made in their personal law of
guardianship and inheritance. On the surface, these look like a few
subsidiary injunctions, but they are, in reality, comprehensive basic

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principles of equity and justice for all which guarantee world peace.
This is the reason why, at this place, following the description of these
injunctions, warning has been given in words which have not been
generally used in the case of other injunctions: 'If you will not do so,
there shall be disorder and corruption on the earth.' Also given within
these words is a hint that these injunctions have an effectiveness of
their own in checking disorder and corruption.
Mentioned in the third verse (74) are words of praise for the Saha-
bah who emigrated from Makkah and for the Ansar of Madinah who
helped them, as well as the attestation to their being true Muslims
and the promise of forgiveness and respectable provision made to
them. When it was said: أُوتْكَ هُمُ المُؤمِنُونَ حَقًّا (those are the believers in
truth), the hint given was in the direction that those who did not mi-
grate were though Muslims, but their Islam was neither perfect, nor
certain - because there existed the probability that they may really be
hypocrites professing Islam only outwardly. After that, it was said: "
Bakf (For them there is forgiveness) - as it has been explained in sound
(Sahih) Ahadith: 15 36 Leseyi (Islam demolishes what was before it)
and: وَالْهِجْرَةُ تَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهَا (Hijrah razes what was before it). In short, this
means that the act of becoming a Muslim goes on to demolish the en-
tire edifice of past sins. Similarly, the making of Hijrah razes all past
sins.
Described in the fourth verse (75) is the injunction concerning dif-
ferent categories of Muhajirin (Muhajirs, emigrants). It says: Though,
some of them are the very first among Muhajirin - those who migrated
earlier than the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah. Then, there is a second
category of Muhajirs - those who migrated after the Peace Treaty of
Hudaibiyah and, because of this, there will be difference in the ranks
they are to have in the Hereafter, but regarding injunctions of this
mortal world, they too shall be covered by the injunction governing the
first category of Muhajirin in that they are inheritors to each other.
Therefore, addressing the first among the Muhajirin, it was said: as,'
, (then, they are one of you - 75). It means that these Muhajirin of the
second category are also a part of your group. Hence, under injunc-
tions governing inheritance, they are governed by rules which apply to
Muhajirīn in general.
This is the very last verse of Surah Al-Anfal. Given at the end of it

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 72 - 75
is a comprehensive regulation of the law of inheritance through which
stood abrogated what was an interim injunction promulgated during
the early period of Hijrah mentioned in the preceding verses about
having the Muhajirin and Ansar become inheritors to each other
through an arrangement of brotherhood between them. The words of
the last verse which abrogated this temporary law of inheritance are:
As for the womb-relatives, some of them) وَأُولُوا الْاَرُحَاِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوُلِى بِبَعْضٍ فِىْ كِتْبِ اللهِ
are closer to some as in the Book of Allah -75). Let us study them in a
greater detail
In Arabic, the word: J,1 (ulu) is used to carry the sense of being the
possessor, owner, person or people of certain entitlement. In absence of
an exact counterpart in English, it is usually translated as 'men of' or
'people of ', as in: 'people of wisdom' for: jul J,l (ulu 'l-'aql) and 'people
of authority' for : اولو الامر (ulu 'l-amr). Therefore, the word: اولو الارحام (ulu 'l-
-arham) means the people of arham or wombs. Arham is the plural of
rahim which is basically the name of the part of the body where the
creative process of the human child takes place and since the bond of
relationship is established via the association of rahim (,), therefore,
b,WIJ,I (ulu 'l-arham : translated literally as womb-relatives) is used in
the sense of relatives.
The meaning of the verse is that, though a universal bond of broth-
erhood binds all Muslims to each other, because of which, if needed,
helping and supporting each other becomes obligatory, and that they
also inherit from each other. But, Muslims who are bound by mutual
relationship have precedence over other Muslims. The phrase: Jis 2;
(fi Kitabillah: translated literally 'as in the Book of Allah - 75') at this
place has been used in the sense of: 1 3 ; (fi hukmi 'l-lah) which
means that Allah Ta'ala has made this law through His special com-
mand.
The rule of procedure given by this verse is that the distribution of
inheritance should be on the criterion of relationship and the word:
,YIJ,I (ulu 'l-arham) is applied to relatives in an absolute sense. Out of
these, the shares of particular relatives have already been determined
by the Holy Qur'an in Surah al-Nisa'. These are called Ashab al-Furud
or Dhawi al-Furud in the terminology of the Law of Inheritance. Popu-
larly referred to as "Qur'anic heirs," they mean those who are entitled
to a statutory share in the inheritance of a deceased person. Any prop-

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 72 - 75
erty which remains, after the determined shares have been given,
should be distributed over other relatives as provided in this verse.
Then, it is also evident that it is not possible for anyone to distribute
any property over all relatives because some kind of a distant relation-
ship definitely exists among human beings of the whole world - for all
of them owe their fact of birth to but one father and mother, Sayyidna
Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa >JI+ (Adam and Eve). Therefore, the
only practical way of distributing inheritance over relatives can be
that, by giving close relatives precedence over those distant, the
benchmark of the near should be used to exclude the distant. A de-
tailed description of this is present in the Ahadith of the Holy Prophet
which stipulate that, after having given the shares of صلى الله عليه وسلم
Dhawi al-Furud (Qur'anic heirs), whatever remains should be given to
the 'Asbat (agnates or paternal relatives) of the deceased person, de-
gree-wise, that is, by giving precedence to the near agnate ('aşbah)
over the distant one, the benchmark of the near should be used to ex-
clude the distant.
And in case, there is no one alive from among the agnates ('a $bat),
then, distribution has to be made over rest of the relatives.
In addition to 'asbat or agnates, there are a host of other relatives.
It is for them that the word: Dhawi al-Arham has been particularized
in the technical terminology of the science of inheritance and distribu-
tion. But, this terminology has found currency in a later period. In the
Holy Qur'an, the word: , ,i (ulu 'l-arham : womb-relatives), accord-
ing to its lexical connotation, covers all relatives included wherein are
Dhawi al-Furud (Qur'anic heirs), 'Asbat (agnates) and Dhawi al-Arham
(womb-relatives) in a general sense.
Then, some details about the subject have been covered in Surah
al-Nisa' where Allah Ta'ala has Himself determined the shares of par-
ticular relatives and which are known as Dhawi al-Furud in the termi-
صلى الله عليه وسلم nology of Inheritance. As for the rest, the Holy Prophet
has said:
الحقوا الفرائض باهلها فما بقى فهو لاولى رجل ذكر . (البخارى)
It means: After giving shares to those identified in the Qur'an,
that which remains is to be given to males nearer to the de-
ceased. (al-Bukhari)

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 72 - 75
They are known as 'Asbat (agnates) in the terminology of inheri-
tance. If there be no one from among the 'asbat (agnates) of the de-
ceased person, then, according to the saying of the Holy Prophet ,
other relatives get it. These relatives are technically known as Dhawi
'l-Arham (womb-relatives) such as, maternal uncle or maternal aunt
and others.
The last sentence of this last verse of Surah Al-Anfal has abrogated
the law of Islamic inheritance mentioned in verses earlier to this. Ac-
cording to that law, mutual inheritance used to be in force among the
Muhajirin and Ansar, even though there be no lenial kinship between
them. It was abrogated because it was an emergency-oriented injunc-
tion given during the initial period of Hijrah.
Surah Al-Anfal ends here. May Allah Ta'ala give us all the Taufiq of
understanding it and acting in accordance with it.
Praised is Allah with whose help Surah al-'Anfal comes to its
conclusion the night of Thursday, 22nd of Jumada II, Hijrah
Year 1381. I seek from Allah Ta'ala His Taufiq and help in the
Tafsir of Surah al-Taubah and for Allah is all praise from its
beginning to its end --- Muhammad Shafi, may he be forgiven.
A review of it was completed on the day of Jumu'ah, 19th of
Jumada I, Hijrah Year 1390 and praised be Allah for that.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Taubah
(Repentance)
Surah al-Taubah is Madani and it has one hundred and
twenty nine verses and sixteen sections
Verses 1 - 5
بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
بَرَآءَةٌ قِنَ اللهِ وَرَسُولِمَ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ عَاهَدْتُمْ قِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ
(١)﴾ فَسِيْعُوْا فِى الْآَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ آَشْهُرٍ وَاعْلَمْآَ آَنَّكُمْ غَدُوٌ
مُعْجِزِى اللَّهِ وَاَنَّ اللّهَ مُخْزِى الْكُفِرِينَ ﴿٢﴾ وَآذَانٌ مِنَ اللهِ
وَرَسُوُلِّةٍ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجّ الْأَكْبَرِ آَنَّ اللَّهَ بَرِىّ! ◌ِنَ
الْرِكِيْنَ ا وَرَسُولُهُ، فَإِنْ تُبْتُمَ فَهُوَ خَبُّلَّكُمْ، وَإِنْ تَوَّلَّئْهُمْ
فَاعْلَمُؤْا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى اللّهِ وَبَشِرِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا بِعَذَابٍ
اَلِمِ ﴿ٌ﴾ إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ عَاهَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُُكُمْ
شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُوْا عَلَيْكُمْ آَحَدًا فَأَتِمُؤْا إِلَّيْهِمْ عَهْدَ هُمْ إِلى
مُدَّتِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ المُتَّقِيْنَ ﴿٤﴾ فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْآَشْهُرُ الحُمُ
فَاقْتُلُوا الْرِ كِيْنَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْ تُهُمُ وَخُذُؤُهُمْ وَاحْصُرُؤُهُمْ
وَاقُّعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍٍ فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلُوَةَ وَأَتّوًا
الزَّكُوةَ فَخَلَّا سَبِيْلَهُمْ﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٥﴾
Here is a withdrawal (proclaimed) by Allah and His
Messenger against the Mushriks* with whom you have
a treaty. [1]
So, move in the land freely for four months, and be sure
* Mushriks, anglicized plural of mushrik, stands for al-mushrik in - those who
associate partners with Allah.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 1 - 5
that you can never defeat Allah and that Allah is about
to disgrace the disbelievers. [2]
And here is an announcement, from Allah and His Mes-
senger 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 your 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. [3] Except
those of the Mushriks with whom you have a treaty,
and they 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. [4]
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 Merci-
ful. [5]
Commentary
Now begins Surah Al-Bara'ah which is also called Surah Al-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 con-
sequences 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' (atu (2)
SIGBy: Bismillahir-Rahmanir-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 Su-
rah Al-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'il 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 & would have scribes of
the revelation write them up.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 1 - 5
And when, at the end of a Surah, the next was to begin,
'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim' would be revealed before the next actu-
ally 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 Al-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 _ 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 Ul+, arranged the Holy
Qur'an in the form of a book during the period of his Caliphate, Bismil-
lah was not there at the beginning of Surah Al-Taubah, an arrange-
ment 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 & dl , elsewhere, 'during
the blessed period of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, both these Surahs
were called: s (garinatayn: 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 in-
dependent 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 Al-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 Al-Taubah has been reported from the great
compiler of the revealed text of the Qur'an, Saiyyidna 'Uthman Je,
as himself. At that time, he was answering a question posed by Sayyid-
na '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

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 1 - 5
first were the larger Surahs that have more than hundred verses.
Technically, they are called . (mi'in: hundreds). After that, there are
the large Surahs that have less than hundred verses. They are called
(math ani: the oft-repeated ones). Placed thereafter were smaller
Surahs that are called &Mai (mufassalat: the Surahs starting from
"Qaf" [50] to the end of the Qur'an [114]). The order of this very arrange-
ment necessitated that Surah Al-Taubah should be placed before Su-
rah Al-Anfal - because the verses carried by Surah Al-Taubah are
more than one hundred while those of Surah Al-Anfal are less than one
hundred. The first seven long Surahs called Jis __ (sab' tiwal: the seven
long ones) also show that the placement of Surah Al-Taubah before Su-
rah Al-Anfal is naturally more appropriate there too. After having
stated the existing position, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas as Ul >, asked about
the consideration that had led to a contrary arrangement. Sayyidna
'Uthman ar Al , said: 'Correct. But, the Qur'an was serious matter.
Precaution demanded that we do what we did - because, in case Surah
Al-Taubah is not taken as an independent Surah, 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 Al-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 in-
struction in the Wahy, therefore, Surah Al-Anfal was made to precede
and Surah Al-Taubah, to succeed.'
From these precise details we learn that the reason for not writing
Bismillah at the beginning of Surah Al-Taubah lies in the probability
that Surah Al-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 al-
ready been reciting Surah Al-Anfal from above and is going to begin
Surah Al-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 Su-
rah should say: بِسمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim) and then
begin his or her recitation. Some people who do not know rules think

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that the recitation of Bismillah while reciting Surah Al-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 Bismil-
lah, they would recite: Gi Ju 3;2] (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 صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions.
Then, there is the statement of Sayyidna 'Ali as Ul +, reported in a
narrative from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas as July»,. It says, 'the reason for
not writing Bismillah at the beginning of Surah Bara'ah (Al-Taubah) is
that ◌ِبِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم (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 Bis-
millah was not written on the basis of the probability that Surah Al-
Anfal and Surah Al-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 Al-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 Al-Taubah carries the description of some bat-
tles, events related to them, and many injunctions and rulings emerg-
ing therefrom - 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 ter-
minating 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

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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 trea-
ty, 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
and went with him, while the tribe of Banu Bakr chose to صلى الله عليه وسلم
go with the Quraysh. According to the treaty, it was necessary that
within ten years there shall be no internecine war, nor shall any ag-
gressor 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, ac-
cording to this treaty, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Compan-
ions 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
Banau Bakr by providing weapons and men to them.
Events as they transpired and conditions as they prevailed made
the Quraysh too accept that the treaty of peace entered into at Hudai-
biyah - requiring a ten-year moratorium on internecine wars - was
broken.
The tribe of Banu Khuza'ah, being an ally of the Holy Prophet .
qde All, informed him about this event. When he learnt about this
breach of trust committed by the Quraysh, he started making secret

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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 favor 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 A
du ble, he 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 Şahabah 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 re-
fused 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
صلى الله عليه وسلم Ramadan 10, Hijrah year 8 when the Holy Prophet
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 . This was an unusual demonstration of morals, pro-
phetic 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 by Yusuf WILL to his
brothers at the time when they had reached him in Egypt with their

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parents : ◌َلَا تَعْرِيُبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْم (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 Con-
quest of Makkah. Then, there was another set of people with whom a
peace treaty was signed for a specified period of time and they contin-
ued 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 Al-Bara'ah (Al-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 conclud-
ed 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 Di-
vinely 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 jus-
tice, 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.

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Therefore, at the beginning of Surah Al-Bara'ah (Al-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 in-
junction which covers them appears in the fifth verse of Surah Al-
Taubah, that is, ◌ُفَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الأَشْهُرُ الْحُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُسْرِكِيْنَ حَيْثُ وَجَدُّرُهُم (So, when the sa-
cred 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 Peninsu-
la soon after the 'sacred months' expire, or embrace Islam, or be pre-
pared 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 in-
junction about them was given in the fourth verse of Surah Al-Taubah:
إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ عَاهَدْتُمْ ◌ِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُُوكُمُ شَيْئًّا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُوا عَلَيْكُمُ
أَحَدًّا فَتُِّاً إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلى مُدَّتِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُّقِّيْنَ
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 re-
sult of which they were allowed a respite of nine months.
As for the third and the fourth group, only one injunction was re-
vealed to cover both. It has been mentioned in the first and the second
verse of Surah Al-Taubah as follows:
بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُوْلِهُ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ عَاهَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ، فَسِبُحُوْا فِى
الْأَرْضِ ارْبَعَةَ اشُهُرِ وَاعْلَمُؤْآَ انَّكُمُ غَيْرُ مُعُجِزِى اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ اللهَ مُخْزِى اُلْكُفِرِيْنَ
Here is a withdrawal [proclaimed] by Allah and His Messen-

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ger against those of the Mushriks with whom you have a trea-
ty. So, move in the land freely for four months, and be sure
that you can never defeat Allah and that Allah is about to dis-
grace 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, accord-
ing to the fifth verse, the Mushriks of Makkah got their respite until
the 'sacred months' expired.
The generosity of giving respite to disbelievers even after trea-
ties 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 Al-Taubah as follows:
وَاذَانٌّ ◌ِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُوُلِمَ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِ الْأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ بَرِنَّىٌّ ◌ِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ
وَرَسُلِهٍ فَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَإِنُ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمُ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى اللَّهِ،
وَبَشِرِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيٍُ .
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 Mes-
senger. 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
to رضى الله عنهما sent Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna 'AlI صلى الله عليه وسلم
the Hajj of the Hijrah year 9 at Makkah al-Mukarramah and had

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 1 - 5
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 in-
junction would become widely known through the medium of that
great gathering all over Arabia. However, as a matter of added precau-
tion, he had this proclamation particularly made in distant Yemen
.رضى الله عنه through Sayyidna 'All
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 of-
fender 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 Al-Taubah where it has
been said: فَلاَ يَقْرَبُوا الْمُسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هُذَا (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 : لايحجن بعد العام مشرك (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 Al-Taubah in the light of corresponding events. Now, some
relevant point that emerge from these verses are being discussed be-
low.
What do these five verses teach?
1. First of all, soon after the Conquest of Makkah, the general am-
nesty 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 man-
ner 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

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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 for ever in all re-
spects. 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 af-
ter having overpowered the enemy. This clearly proves that the battle
fought by these people had no selfish motive behind it. The only mo-
tive 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 high-handed 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
لا يلدغ : said صلى الله عليه وسلم the range of enemy hostility. The Holy Prophet
One is not bitten twice from the same hole) meaning) المرء من جحر واحد مرتين
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 va-
cate the environs of the Sacred Mosque peacefully within the period of
respite allowed are proofs of this wise strategy.

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3. The initial verses of Surah Al-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 in-
deed. 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 proc-
lamation 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 Al-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 Mus-
lims to them, that too is really based on good wishes for them. There-
fore, Muslims should never abandon the opportunity to give good coun-
sel 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 conse-
quences: 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 sym-
pathetic insistence also continues.
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: Kg) (Surely, Allah loves