Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/219)

Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-MasīhIbn Taimiya

This, then, is not contradicted by the command to wage jihad against those among them whom we have been ordered to fight; rather, what clashes is the order to fight with a previous prohibition of fighting and a mere reliance on disputation.

[Ways of Reconciling Debating the People of the Book with Fighting Them]

Whenever it is possible to combine the divinely mandated disputation and the divinely mandated fighting, the two are not at odds. Since they can coexist, it is impermissible to rule that one abrogates the other. Each of them is useful where the other is not, and employing them both together is more effective in manifesting guidance and the religion of truth.

Among the proofs for this are several points:

Anyone from the People of the Book who enjoys the status of dhimmah, treaty, or temporary protection is not to be fought in battle. Such a person falls under those whom Allah commanded us to invite and debate in the best manner, and he is not included among those whom Allah commanded us to fight.
Allah said: “Do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in the best manner—unless it be those among them who act unjustly” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:46). Thus, we have not been commanded to debate the wrongdoer in the best manner. Anyone who commits injustice, deserves to be fought, and is not seeking knowledge or religion is one of these wrongdoers who are not to be addressed with gentle debate. By contrast, someone who is seeking knowledge and religion and from whom no injustice is apparent—whether he genuinely wants guidance or merely thinks he is right and wishes to defend what he believes—is treated differently. As for the one whose intent is sheer obstinacy, who knows he is upon falsehood yet argues for it, he has not been ordered to be debated in the best manner; nevertheless, we may debate him by other methods through which we lay bare his stubbornness, wrongdoing, and ignorance, giving him a response that matches his deeds.
The Exalted said: “If any of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him asylum so that he may hear the words of Allah; then convey him to a place of safety” (at-Tawbah 9:6).

فَهَذَا لَا يُنَاقِضُهُ الْأَمْرُ بِجِهَادِ مَنْ أَمَرَ بِجِهَادِهِ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَكِنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِالْقِتَالِ يُنَاقِضُ النَّهْيَ عَنْهُ وَالِاقْتِصَارَ عَلَى الْمُجَادَلَةِ. [وُجُوهُ الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَ مُجَادَلَةِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَقِتَالِهِمْ] فَأَمَّا مَعَ إِمْكَانِ الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَ الْجِدَالِ الْمَأْمُورِ بِهِ وَالْقِتَالِ الْمَأْمُورِ بِهِ، فَلَا مُنَافَاةَ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَتَنَافَيَا بَلْ أَمْكَنَ الْجَمْعُ لَمْ يَجُزِ الْحُكْمُ بِالنَّسْخِ، وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ كُلًّا مِنْهُمَا يَنْفَعُ حَيْثُ لَا يَنْفَعُ الْآخَرُ، وَأَنَّ اسْتِعْمَالَهُمَا جَمِيعًا أَبْلَغُ فِي إِظْهَارِ الْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ، وَمِمَّا يُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ وُجُوهٌ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ وَالْعَهْدِ وَالْمُسْتَأْمَنِ مِنْهُمْ لَا يُجَاهَدُ بِالْقِتَالِ، فَهُوَ دَاخِلٌ فِيمَنْ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِدَعْوَتِهِ وَمُجَادَلَتِهِ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ دَاخِلًا فِيمَنْ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِقِتَالِهِ. الثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا} [العنكبوت: ٤٦] . فَالظَّالِمُ لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِجِدَالِهِ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، فَمَنْ كَانَ ظَالِمًا مُسْتَحِقًّا لِلْقِتَالِ غَيْرَ طَالِبٍ لِلْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ فَهُوَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الظَّالِمِينَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُجَادَلُونَ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، بِخِلَافِ مَنْ طَلَبَ الْعِلْمَ وَالدِّينَ، وَلَمْ يَظْهَرْ مِنْهُ ظُلْمٌ، سَوَاءٌ كَانَ قَصْدُهُ الِاسْتِرْشَادَ، أَوْ كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ عَلَى حَقٍّ يَقْصِدُ نَصْرَ مَا يَظُنُّهُ حَقًّا، وَمَنْ كَانَ قَصْدُهُ الْعِنَادَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ عَلَى بَاطِلٍ وَيُجَادِلُ عَلَيْهِ فَهَذَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِمُجَادَلَتِهِ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، لَكِنْ قَدْ نُجَادِلُهُ بِطُرُقٍ أُخْرَى نُبَيِّنُ فِيهَا عِنَادَهُ وَظُلْمَهُ وَجَهْلَهُ جَزَاءً لَهُ بِمُوجِبِ عَمَلِهِ. الثَّالِثُ: أَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ قَالَ: {وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ} [التوبة: ٦] .