Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGIONSagreement made with you, nor obligation of honour towards you? They try to pleaseyou with what they say, while at heart they remain adamantly hostile. Most of themare transgressors. They barter away God’s revelations for a paltry price and debarothers from His path. Evil indeed is what they do. They respect neither agreement norobligation of honour with regard to any believer. Those indeed are the aggressors.(Verses 7-10)Will you not fight against people who have broken their solemn pledges and set out todrive out the Messenger, and who were the first to attack you? Do you fear them? It isGod alone whom you should fear, if you are true believers. Fight them: God willpunish them at your hands, and will bring disgrace upon them; and will grant youvictory over them and will grant heart felt satisfaction to those who are believers,removing all angry feelings from their hearts. God will turn in His mercy to whom Hewills. God is All-knowing and Wise. (Verses 13-15)It is not for the idolaters to visit or tend God’s houses of worship; for they are selfconfessedunbelievers. Vain shall be their actions and they shall abide in the fire.(Verse 17)Believers, do not take your fathers and brothers for allies if they choose unbelief inpreference to faith. Those of you who take them for allies are indeed wrongdoers.(Verse 23)The Truth will OutAlthough the reality of the idolaters was very clear, confronting them on thebattlefield required a carefully prepared campaign by the Muslim community. Bycontrast, the confrontation with the people of earlier revelations required an evenstronger and more profound campaign which aimed, at the outset, to expose thereality of those people. It also required the removal of their nameplate which nolonger reflected their reality. They needed to appear as they truly were: unbelievers,associating partners with God, and at war with God and His message. Moreover,they were too far astray, devouring people’s wealth and property withoutjustification and turning people away from God’s path. This exposure comes instatements like the following:Fight against those who — despite having been given Scriptures — do not trulybelieve in God and the Last Day, and do not treat as forbidden that which God and HisMessenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth, till they [agree to]pay the submission tax with a willing hand, after they have been humbled. The Jews116