Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/14)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“How can the polytheists have a covenant with Allah and with His Messenger, except for those with whom you made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque? So long as they remain true to you, remain true to them. Indeed, Allah loves those who are mindful of Him.” (7)

Regarding His saying, “And if any of the polytheists seeks your protection”: that is, if one of the polytheists whom I have commanded you to fight and kill seeks your protection after the sacred months have elapsed, in order to hear the word of Allah. “Then grant him protection”: give him refuge and security, “so that he may hear the word of Allah” concerning what entails reward or punishment for him. “Then convey him to his place of safety”: that is, if he does not embrace Islam, convey him to his place of safety—the place in which he will be secure, namely, the land of his people. If, after that, he fights you and you gain power over him, then kill him. “That is because they are a people who do not know”: that is, they do not know the religion of Allah Most High or His oneness, and so they need to hear the word of Allah. Al-Hasan said: This verse remains in force until the Day of Resurrection.

Regarding His saying, “How can the polytheists have a covenant with Allah and with His Messenger?”: this is phrased as an expression of astonishment, but its meaning is negation; that is, they can have no covenant with Allah or with His Messenger while they act treacherously and break their agreements. Then He, Glorious and Exalted is He, made an exception, saying: “Except for those with whom you made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque.” Ibn Abbas said: They were Quraysh. Qatadah said: They were the people of Mecca with whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made a treaty on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah.

Allah Most High said: “So long as they remain true to you”—that is, to the treaty—“remain true to them.” But they did not remain true; rather, they broke the treaty and aided Banu Bakr against Khuza'ah. After the Conquest, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gave them four months in which to choose their course: either they would embrace Islam, or they would depart for whatever land they wished. They embraced Islam before the four months had passed.

﴿كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ رَسُولِهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَمَا اسْتَقَامُوا لَكُمْ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (٧) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ﴾ أَيْ: وَإِنِ اسْتَجَارَكَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ أَمَرْتُكَ بِقِتَالِهِمْ وَقَتْلِهِمْ، أَيِ: اسْتَأْمَنَكَ بَعْدَ انْسِلَاخِ الْأَشْهُرِ الْحُرُمِ لِيَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ. ﴿فَأَجِرْهُ﴾ فَأَعِذْهُ وَآمِنْهُ، ﴿حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ﴾ فِيمَا لَهُ وَعَلَيْهِ مِنَ الثَّوَابِ وَالْعِقَابِ، ﴿ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ﴾ أَيْ: إِنْ لَمْ يُسْلِمْ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ، أَيِ: الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي يَأْمَنُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ دَارُ قَوْمِهِ، فَإِنْ قَاتَلَكَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدِرْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَاقْتُلْهُ، ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ أَيْ: لَا يَعْلَمُونَ دِينَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَتَوْحِيدَهُ فَهُمْ مُحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى سَمَاعِ كَلَامِ اللَّهِ. قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ مُحْكَمَةٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ رَسُولِهِ﴾ هَذَا عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّعَجُّبِ، وَمَعْنَاهُ جَحْدٌ، أَيْ: لَا يَكُونُ لَهُمْ عَهْدٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ، وَلَا عِنْدَ رَسُولِهِ، وَهُمْ يَغْدِرُونَ وَيَنْقُضُونَ الْعَهْدَ، ثُمَّ اسْتَثْنَى فَقَالَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا ﴿إِلَّا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: هُمْ قُرَيْشٌ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هُمْ أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ الَّذِينَ عَاهَدَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَمَا اسْتَقَامُوا لَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ: عَلَى الْعَهْدِ، ﴿فَاسْتَقِيمُوا لَهُمْ﴾ فَلَمْ يَسْتَقِيمُوا، وَنَقَضُوا الْعَهْدَ، وَأَعَانُوا بَنِي بَكْرٍ عَلَى خُزَاعَةَ، فَضَرَبَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ يَخْتَارُونَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ: إِمَّا أَنْ يُسْلِمُوا، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَلْحَقُوا بأي بلاد شاؤوا، فَأَسْلَمُوا قَبْلَ الْأَرْبَعَةِ الْأَشْهُرِ.