Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE BASIS OF INTER-COMMUNAL RELATIONSin the land for four months,’ perhaps the more accurate view is to say that thisnotice is given by God to those idolaters who, despite having peace treaties,collaborated with others against the Prophet and the Muslim communityviolating their treaties before they ran out. As for those who fulfilled theirobligations under such treaties and refrained from collaborating with others,God — limitless is He in His glory — ordered His Messenger to honour histreaty with them until their term had been completed. This is clear in theQur’ānic statement: “Except for those idolaters with whom you have made a treatyand who have honoured their obligations [under that treaty] in every detail, and havenot aided anyone against you. To these fulfil your obligations until their treaties haverun their term. God loves those who are righteous.” (Verse 4)Some people may feel differently, taking the order to mean that once thetruce was over, the Muslims were meant to kill all unbelievers. They mayquote in support of their view the next verse which states: ‘When these monthsof grace are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them.’ (Verse 5) But this viewis wrong. Verse 7 confirms our view and shows the opposite as wrong: ‘Howcan there be a treaty with God and His Messenger for the idolaters, unless it be thoseof them with whom you have made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque? So long as they aretrue to you, be true to them; for God loves those who are God-fearing.’ Those peopleto whom this verse refers are idolaters, and God commands the Prophet andthe believers to remain faithful to their treaty with them as long as they kepttheir part and fulfilled their obligations.Numerous are the reports which confirm that when the Prophet sent `Alī todeclare the disavowal of treaties to people, he also commanded him to makeit clear that “whoever had a treaty with the Prophet, that treaty continueduntil its specified expiration date.” This provides the clearest support of ourview. God did not order the Prophet to terminate a treaty with any group ofpeople who remained faithful to it. He only put on four-month notice thosewho had violated their treaties and those whose treaties had no specifiedterm. The treaties which ran for a specific term and were observed properlyby the other side were to remain in force until their term was over. TheProphet sent his Companions to announce this during the pilgrimage, for thiswould ensure the announcement was well publicized. 17In another comment on the various reports concerning treaties, al- Ţabarī says:The four-month notice was made to those whom we have mentioned. As forthose whose treaties specified a term of expiry, God did not allow theProphet and the believers to terminate such treaty in any way. Hence, the17 Al-Ţabarī, ibid., pp. 62-63.48