and them any covenant before launching an attack against them.” The evidence for this is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: “If you fear treachery from any people, then repudiate their treaty with them on equal terms” [al-Anfal 8:58]—that is, you and they are alike in that no covenant remains between you. As for attacking them without informing them, this is not permissible, because the basic principle is that the covenant remains in effect.

We have previously mentioned that those under treaty fall into three categories:

The first: those who breach the covenant. Their covenant is thereby invalidated, and we fight them.

The second: those who uphold the covenant. We likewise uphold our covenant with them, for Allah, the Exalted, says: “So long as they are true to you, be true to them” [al-Tawbah 9:7].

The third: those from whom a breach of the covenant is feared. Such people are neither attacked nor granted security; rather, we say to them: “The covenant between us and you has been annulled.” Once the covenant has been annulled, it is permissible for us to attack them.