Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE BASIS OF INTER-COMMUNAL RELATIONSdefeat causing the Muslims to feel such a heavy burden that made the vast earthseem too narrow. This then led to a physical defeat and those large forces were onthe retreat. But what happened next?“God then bestowed from on high an air of inner peace on His Messenger and on thebelievers.” (Verse 26) This `inner peace’ seems as if it were a garment which peoplewore to pacify their feelings and give them tranquillity. ‘And He sent down forceswhom you could not see.” (Verse 26) We do not know the nature of these forces andwhom they really were. No one other than God Himself knows what forces He maybring in. “And He punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward for the unbelievers.”(Verse 26) The killing of some of their soldiers and taking others captive, and thedefeat that befell them all were part of the punishment they received in this life,which is only a fitting reward for their denial of God and rejection of the faith.However, the door to repentance is always open to receive those who wish to mendtheir ways. “God will then turn in His mercy to whom He wills, for God is Much forgiving,Merciful.” (Verse 27)The sūrah refers to the Battle of Ĥunayn in order to portray the consequences ofturning away from God and relying on any power other than His. The events of thebattle, however, highlight the real forces on which every faith should rely. Numericalstrength is of little importance. Power lies with the hard core who are totallydedicated to their faith and cannot be shaken. Sometimes the multitude may causedefeat, because some people may join in without really knowing the truth of the faiththey profess. At times of hardship, courage deserts them and this may lead toconfusion within the ranks of believers. Besides, large numbers may lead to a feelingof complacency which causes people to overlook the need to strengthen their tieswith their Lord. The triumph of faith has always come about through the efforts ofthe hard core of firm believers who are ready to sacrifice all for their faith.At this point the sūrah concludes its statement on the unbelievers who associatepartners with God and gives its final verdict concerning them. This verdict remainsvalid for the rest of time: “Believers, know that the idolaters are certainly impure. So, letthem not come near to the Sacred Mosque after this year is ended. If you fear poverty, then intime God will enrich you with His own bounty, if He so wills. Truly, God is All-knowing,Wise.” (Verse 28)The sūrah emphasizes the abstract impurity of the idolaters to make it theiressential quality. This shows them to be totally and completely impure. Thisstatement gives the feeling that we should seek to purify ourselves when we haveanything to do with them, although their impurity is abstract. Their bodies are notreally impure. In its unique style, the Qur’ān often resorts to magnification, givingabstract matters a physical shape and entity. “The idolaters are certainly impure. So, letthem not come near to the Sacred Mosque after this year is ended.” (Verse 28) Here we77