Transliteration:( Yas'aloonaka 'anish Shahril Haraami qitaalin feehi qul qitaalun feehi kabeerunw wa saddun 'an sabeelil laahi wa kufrum bihee wal Masjidil Haraami wa ikhraaju ahlihee minhu akbaru 'indal laah; walfitnatu akbaru minal qatl; wa laa yazaaloona yuqaatiloonakum hatta yaruddookum 'an deenikum inis tataa'oo; wa mai yartadid minkum 'an deenihee fayamut wahuwa kaafirun fa ulaaa'ika habitat a'maaluhum fid dunyaa wal aakhirati wa ulaaa'ika ashaabun Naari hum feehaa khaalidoon )
507. In the early days of Islam war was forbidden during 4 months, namely Rajab, Zil-Qaidah, Zil-Hajj and Muharram. Even the idol worshippers of Makkah, prior to Islam, observed this rule. Once, when Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash inadvertently declared war on the idol worshippers on 1st Rajab thinking it to be 30th of Jamadil Akhir, many objections were raised. It is on this occasion that the above verse was revealed. It should be remembered that Allah Almighty did not refer to this war of the Companions of the Holy Prophetas a serious violation of the above, but as a general decree, because this Jihad of theirs was inadvertent. The word 'great' is literally used and not to mean "serious violation", because during this period too, war in these four months was not regarded as a grave sin.
508. From this discussion, two issues emerge:
1. To prevent a Muslim from worshipping without a valid reason, and to expel Muslims from their land is a grievous sin.
2. One sinner does not have the right to taunt or reproach another wrong doer until he abstains from his sins. Allah Almighty, too, is telling thenon-believers that you are taunting the Muslimsfor their one error why don't you first take stock of yourselves?
509. Gist of the matter is Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash's declaration of war was an inadvertent act and as such, is free of sin, but, you Oh disbelievers, are wilfully committing despicable sins and yet you are reproaching the Muslims for their one minor fault. From this, one learns that when the pious persons are taunted, Allah Almighty Himself replies to these taunters without thepious having to reply. This incident highlights the status of theCompanions of the Holy Prophetصلى الله عليه و آله وسلم
510. From this discussion two issues emerge:
1. Anon-believer can never be a friend of a believer,
2. By the Grace of Allah the non-believerscould never get the better of the Companionsbecause their faith is impregnable as indicated by "if they can"
511. Apostasy results in the ruination of all one's good deeds. Therefore if an apostate (MURTAD) and becomes thereafteraccepts Islam, he will have to perform his Haj again as his first Hajj becomes null and void. Likewise, all good deeds performed in the state of apostasy are all null and void and not acceptable. However, an original non-believers. good deeds become worthy of reward after he accepts Islam. One can also deduce that the Tauba of a Murtad (one who sincerely seeks forgiveness) is acceptable even though he may be worse than the original non-believer
512. The apostate loses out in this world in the following manner: his wife comes out of his Nikah (marriage), he is no longer liable to receive any inheritance from his relatives, his wealth can be changed into booty, a decree can be issued for his death, all forms of love relations with Muslims are forbidden for him, no assistance can be rendered to him by a Muslim, and in the Hereafter he is beyond redemption and void of any reward. In the light of this it should be borne in mind that one should always be mindful of one's end (the moment of departure from this world). May Allah grant all Muslims a blissful end (death) with faith.
216. Fighting is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.
In this Ayah, Allah made it obligatory for the Muslims to fight in Jihad against the evil of the enemy who transgress against Islam. Az-Zuhri said, “Jihad is required from every person, whether he actually joins the fighting or remains behind. Whoever remains behind is required to give support, if support is warranted; to provide aid, if aid is needed; and to march forth, if he is commanded to do so. If he is not needed, then he remains behind.” It is reported in the Sahih:
(Whoever dies but neither fought (i.e., in Allah’s cause), nor sincerely considered fighting, will die a death of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance).)
On the day of Al-Fath (when he conquered Makkah), the Prophet said:
(There is no Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah) after the victory, but only Jihad and good intention. If you were required to march forth, then march forth.)
Allah’s statement:
(…though you dislike it) means, `Fighting is difficult and heavy on your hearts.’ Indeed, fighting is as the Ayah describes it, as it includes being killed, wounded, striving against the enemies and enduring the hardship of travel. Allah then said:
(. ..and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you) meaning, fighting is followed by victory, dominance over the enemy, taking over their lands, money and offspring. Allah continues:
(…and that you like a thing which is bad for you.)
This Ayah is general in meaning. Hence, one might covet something, yet in reality it is not good or beneficial for him, such as refraining from joining the Jihad, for it might lead to the enemy taking over the land and the government. Then, Allah said:
(Allah knows, but you do not know.) meaning, He has better knowledge than you of how things will turn out to be in the end, and of what benefits you in this earthly life and the Hereafter. Hence, obey Him and adhere to His commands, so that you may acquire the true guidance.
(2:217) People ask you about fighting in the holy month. Say: “Fighting in it is an awesome sin, but barring people from the Way of Allah, disbelieving in Him, and denying entry into the Holy Mosque and expelling its inmates from it[232] are more awesome acts in the sight of Allah; and persecution is even more heinous than killing.” They will not cease fighting against you till they turn you from your religion if they can.[233] (So remember well) that whoever from amongst you turns away from his religion and dies in the state of unbelief their work will go to waste in this world and in the Next. They are destined for the Fire and it is there that they will abide.
232. This relates to a certain incident. In Rajab 2 A. H. the Prophet sent an expedition of eight persons to Nakhlah (which lies between Makka and Ta’if). He directed them to follow the movements of the Quraysh and gather information about their plans, but not to engage in fighting. On their way they came across a trade caravan belonging to the Quraysh and ambushed it. They killed one person and captured the rest along with their belongings and took them to Madina. They did this at a time when the month of Rajah was approaching its end and Sha’ban was about to begin. It was, therefore, doubtful whether the attack was actually carried out in one of the sacred months, that is, Rajab, or not. But the Quraysh, and the Jews who were secretly in league with them, as well as the hypocrites made great play of this and used it as a weapon in their propaganda campaign against the Muslims. (For this expedition see Ibn Hisham, Sirah. vol. 1, pp. 601 ff; Ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad, tr. A. Guillaume. pp. 286 ff.) They pointed out the contradiction between the claims of the Muslims to true religion on the one hand, and their not hesitating to shed blood in a sacred month on the other.
This verse aims to answer these objections. The essence of what is said here is that fighting during the sacred months is without doubt an evil act. It points out that those people who had continually subjected their kith and kin to untold wrong for thirteen years merely because they believed in the One God were not competent to make such an objection. Not only had the Muslims been driven from their homes, they had had the way to the Holy Mosque closed to them, a bar which had not been imposed by anyone during the course of some two thousand years. With this record of mischief and misconduct it was not for them to raise such an outcry at a minor ambush, and especially so when the incident had taken place without the approval of the Prophet. The whole incident was in fact no more than an irresponsible act on the part of some members of the Islamic community.
It should be remembered that when on their return those people went, with captives and booty, to visit the Prophet, he expressly pointed out to them that he had not permitted them to fight. Not only that, he declined to receive the public exchequer’s share of their booty, which indicated that their booty was considered unlawful. The Muslims, in general, also severely reproached the people responsible for the incident, and in fact nobody in Madina applauded what they had done.
233. A few simple-hearted Muslims, whose minds were seized by a mistaken concept of righteousness and pacifism, were influenced by the above objections which had been raised by the polytheists of Makka and the Jews. In this verse the believers are being asked not to entertain the hope that they might clear the air and promote understanding and goodwill by adopting an over-lenient stance towards their opponents. The objections of the latter were not motivated by the desire to find out the Truth; their true purpose was nothing but vilification. What particularly irked the adversaries of the Muslims was that they believed in a religion of their own and were inviting the whole world to accept it. Hence, as long as the Muslims continued to believe in Islam and as long as their opponents remained stubborn in their disbelief, the existing chasm between the two groups was bound to remain.
Moreover, the enemies whom they confronted were not to be considered ordinary enemies. Those who wanted to deprive a person of his belongings or land were in fact enemies of a relatively much less dangerous kind than those who sought to turn him away from his faith; while the former sought to harm his worldly interests, the latter were bent upon hurling him into the eternal torment in the Hereafter.
[78]- See footnote to 2:194. [79]- See footnote to 2:191.
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