Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE BASIS OF INTER-COMMUNAL RELATIONSMuslims, as we will explain in our discussion of the Tabūk Expedition. Indeed, theearlier Battle of Mu`tah served as a warning of the preparations the Byzantines hadstarted for a battle with Islam. Moreover, they were in alliance with the Persians inYemen, in southern Arabia.Subsequent events, as mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim, witnessed that all those inwhose favour the exception was made and with whom treaties were to be observedembraced Islam before their treaties expired. Indeed the others who were keen toviolate their treaties as well as the rest of those put on four-month notice also optedfor acceptance of Islam. No one remained an idolater for the rest of the four-monthnotice.As He determined the path of the Islamic message and the various steps it wouldtake in practical matters, God was aware that it was time for this decisive step whichrepresented a final attack at the roots of idolatry. Suitable preparations were madefor such a decisive step, which took place in accordance with God’s design for theprogress of His message.It is important to reflect on the comment which concludes the verse that requiresthe Muslims to remain true to their obligations: “To these fulfil your obligations untiltheir treaties have run their term. God loves those who are righteous.” (Verse 4) It relatesthe fulfilment of obligations to righteousness and to God’s love of the righteous.Thus, God makes the fulfilment of obligations to people an act of worship addressedto Him and an aspect of the righteousness He loves. This is the basis of Islamic ethics.Islam does not act on the basis of gain and interest, or on the basis of constantlychanging traditions. All Islamic ethics are based on worshipping God and fearingHim, which is the essence of righteousness. A Muslim brings his behaviour in linewith that which he knows to please God. His aim is to win God’s pleasure and toensure that He is not displeased with him. This is the essence of the strong holdIslamic ethics have on Muslims. These ethics also serve people’s interests and workfor their benefit. They establish a society in which friction and contradiction arereduced as much as possible. They also help human beings in their continuous marchto a higher standard of humanity.When the Period of Grace is OverThus the opening verses of the sūrah make it clear that God and His Messengerwould have no dealings whatsoever with the idolaters, whether or not they had atreaty with the Prophet. They were given a four-month period of grace in which theywere safe. When this period was over, treaties would continue to be observed to theend of their terms, but only with those who were true to their obligations underthose treaties, and did not collaborate with any enemy of the Muslims. Now the sūrah53