Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE EARTH’S SUFFOCATING EXPANSEQur’ān opens up positive responses to faith within people’s hearts, outlinespractical duties, and censures the hypocrites for their paying no heed toreminders and tests: “Whenever a sūrah is revealed, some of them say: ‘Which ofyou has this strengthened in faith?’ It certainly strengthens the believers in their faith,and so they rejoice. But as for those whose hearts are diseased, it only adds wickednessto their wickedness, and so they die unbelievers. Do they not see that they are testedonce or twice every year? Yet they do not repent, and they do not take warning.”(Verses 124-126)• The final two verses of the sūrah describe the Prophet’s concern andcompassion for the believers. The Prophet himself is directed to place his trusttotally in God and to pay little heed to those who reject God’s guidance:“Indeed there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves: one who grievesmuch that you should suffer [in the life to come]; one who is full of concern for you;and who is tender and full of compassion towards the believers. Should they turnaway, then say to them: ‘God is enough for me! There is no deity other than Him. InHim have I placed my trust. He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.” (Verses 128-129)This brief outline of this final passage reflects the strong emphasis placed on jihād,the alignment of loyalties on the basis of faith, the advocacy of the Islamic faiththroughout the world, in line with the terms of the pledge of loyalty required ofbelievers. This pledge is shown here as a deal by which believers sell their lives andproperty in return for heaven. This means fighting to establish the divine order, withthe emphasis on God’s sovereignty over people and land. No acknowledgement ofsovereignty to anyone else can be condoned.Perhaps this quick outline of the passage shows the extent of defeatism thatoverwhelms people who try hard to explain the Qur’ān in such a way that limits jihādto the narrow sense of defending the `land of Islam’. Yet the verses here declare veryclearly the need to fight unbelievers who live next to this land of Islam, withoutreference to any aggression they might have perpetrated. Indeed their basicaggression is the one they perpetrate against God as they submit themselves andother people to deities other than Him. It is this type of aggression that must befought through jihād by all Muslims.A Very Special ContractGod has bought of the believers their lives and their property, promising them heavenin return: they fight for the cause of God, kill and be killed. This is a true promisewhich He has made binding on Himself in the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur’ān. Whois more true to his promise than God? Rejoice, then, in the bargain you have madewith Him. That is the supreme triumph. (Verse 111)211