Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/241)

then debate whose goal is to ward off his aggression and to benefit him and others is, a fortiori, divinely sanctioned.

Mujāhid said concerning the verse, “Do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best—except for those among them who do wrong” (Al-ʿAnkabūt 29:46):

“Those who do wrong are the ones who fight you and refuse to pay the jizya.”

In another wording he said: “The wrongdoers among them are the people of war who have no treaty; with such people the form of disputation is the sword.”

In yet another narration he said: “Do not fight anyone except the one who fights you and withholds the jizya.”

And in another report from him: “Whoever among them pays the jizya, say nothing to him but good.”

Mujāhid also commented: “Except in a way that is best—if they speak evil, then respond with good.” Thus Mujāhid does not regard the verse as abrogated, and this is likewise the view held by the majority of Qur’anic exegetes.

فَالْمُجَادَلَةُ الَّتِي تَكُونُ لِدَفْعِ ظُلْمِهِ وَلِانْتِفَاعِهِ وَانْتِفَاعِ غَيْرِهِ مَشْرُوعَةٌ بِطَرِيقِ الْأَوْلَى. قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: {وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ} [العنكبوت: ٤٦] . قَالَ: الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَنْ قَاتَلَكَ وَلَمْ يُعْطِكَ الْجِزْيَةَ. وَفِي لَفْظٍ آخَرَ عَنْهُ قَالَ: الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا: مِنْهُمْ أَهْلُ الْحَرْبِ مَنْ لَا عَهْدَ لَهُمُ؛ الْمُجَادَلَةُ لَهُمْ بِالسَّيْفِ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ عَنْهُ قَالَ: لَا تُقَاتِلْ إِلَّا مَنْ قَاتَلَكَ وَلَمْ يُعْطِكَ الْجِزْيَةَ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ عَنْهُ قَالَ: مَنْ أَدَّى مِنْهُمُ الْجِزْيَةَ فَلَا تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا. وَعَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ: إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، فَإِنْ قَالُوا شَرًّا فَقُولُوا خَيْرًا، فَهَذَا مُجَاهِدٌ لَا يَجْعَلُهَا مَنْسُوخَةً وَهِيَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ.