Sixth Reflection
Fighting, pursuing, and waging jihad against the unbelievers—when they obstruct the spread of Allah’s religion—is contingent upon the Muslims’ ability to confront them and their capacity to carry out jihad; without that capability, the command does not apply.
For this reason, when Allah, exalted is He, instructed His Prophet to fight all the disbelievers, He did so only after the Prophet’s authority had been firmly established and he had been strengthened against his enemies: Mecca was opened to him, the hostilities with Quraysh, the leaders of the Arabs, had ceased, and Arab delegations were coming to him embracing Islam. During the period when the Muslims were weak and unable to face their enemies, however, He commanded them to remain patient and to refrain from fighting. This will become clear in the next reflection.