Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE BASIS OF INTER-COMMUNAL RELATIONSand a woeful doom: “You want to take vengeance on us only because we have believed inthe signs of our Lord when they were shown to us.” (7: 126) The same was said by theProphet, on God’s instructions, to the people of earlier revelations who opposed him:“Say: ‘People of earlier revelations! Do you find fault with us for any reason other than webelieve in God alone?’” (5: 59) In reference to the People of the Pit who in former timesburned the believers with their women and children, God says: “They took vengeanceon them for no reason other than that they believed in God, the Almighty, the Praised One.”(85: 8)Faith is then the cause of all their hatred for the believers. Hence their ill-will andatrocities are directed against every believer: “They respect neither agreement norobligation of honour with regard to any believer. Those indeed are the aggressors.” (Verse 10)It is in their nature that they are aggressors. Their aggression begins with their hatredof the divine faith and their rejection of its message. It is their aggression that leadsthem to stand in opposition to faith and adopt a hostile attitude to the believers,respecting no treaty or obligation of honour. Hence, should they prevail and feel thatthey can get away with what they want, they will resort to any atrocity without limit.God then gives His instructions on how the believers should react to this state ofaffairs: “Yet, if they repent, take to prayers and pay the zakāt, they are your brethren in faith.Clear do We make Our revelations to people of knowledge. But if they break their pledges afterhaving concluded a treaty with you, and revile your religion, then fight these archetypes offaithlessness who have no [respect for a] binding pledge; so that they may desist.” (Verses 11-12)In view of such a long history as well as the nature of the inevitable battle betweenGod’s message, which seeks to free mankind from subjugation by other creatures inorder that they submit to God alone, and jāhiliyyah systems which seek to make somepeople tyrannize over others, God gives a very clear and decisive directive to theMuslims: “Yet, if they repent, take to prayers and pay the zakāt, they are your brethren infaith. Clear do We make Our revelations to people of knowledge. But if they break theirpledges after having concluded a treaty with you, and revile your religion, then fight thesearchetypes of faithlessness who have no respect for a binding pledge, so that they may desist.”(Verses 11-12)The choice before them, then, is clear. They may accept what the Muslims haveaccepted and repent of whatever aggression and transgression they have committed.In this case, the Muslims will forgive them for whatever they might have committedagainst them in the past. A new relationship will then be established which makesthese new Muslims brothers of the older Muslims and the past is forgiven andforgotten altogether: “Clear do We make Our revelations to people of knowledge.” (Verse11) These rulings are best appreciated and acted upon by the people of knowledgewho are the believers.61