And this has been abrogated by the verse of the sword (1).
His words, exalted is He: “And from those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ We took their covenant.” It was said that this refers to both the Jews and the Christians, mentioning one of the two being deemed sufficient. The correct view, however, is that the verse concerns the Christians specifically, since the Jews had already been mentioned. Al-Hasan said: This indicates that they are Christians by their own designation, not by Allah’s designation. We took their covenant concerning tawhid and prophethood.
“So they forgot a portion of that of which they had been reminded, and We stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection”: through their divergent desires and their disputation concerning religion. Mujahid and Qatadah said: This means between the Jews and the Christians. Others said: It refers to the Christians alone, who became divided into sects, including the Jacobites, the Nestorians, and the Melkites; and each sect declares the other to be unbelievers. “And Allah will inform them of what they used to do” in the Hereafter.
“O People of the Book, there has come to you Our Messenger, making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Book, and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book (15), by which Allah guides those who seek His pleasure to the ways of peace, brings them out of darkness into light by His permission, and guides them to a straight path (16). Those who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,’ have certainly disbelieved. Say: ‘Who could prevent Allah in any way if He willed to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, his mother, and everyone on earth altogether?’ To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates whatever He wills, and Allah is Powerful over all things (17).”
His words, exalted is He: “O People of the Book”—meaning, O people of the two Scriptures—“there has come to you Our Messenger, making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Book.”
(1) Al-Tabari attributes this view to Qatada in his Tafsir, 10:135. He then refutes the claim of abrogation in the following valuable discussion: “What Qatada said cannot be dismissed as impossible. However, an abrogating ruling that is unquestionably so must negate all the meanings of the ruling that preceded it. As for that which does not negate all of them, there is no way of knowing that it is abrogating except through a report from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, or from His Messenger, peace be upon him. In the verse, ‘Fight those among the People of the Book who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day, do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth, until they pay the jizya willingly while subdued’ [Quran 9:29], there is no indication that it commands the abolition of pardoning and overlooking the Jews. If this is so, and if it remains permissible, after they have accepted subjugation and paid the jizya following combat, to command forgiveness for a treachery they contemplated or a breach they resolved upon, so long as they do not initiate war rather than pay the jizya and refuse to comply with the obligations binding upon them, then it is not necessary to judge the verse, ‘Fight those who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day ...,’ to have abrogated the verse, ‘So pardon them and overlook them; indeed, Allah loves those who do good.’”
Al-Zarkashi, may Allah have mercy on him, states in Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran: “The assertion frequently repeated by many exegetes, that verses commanding leniency were abrogated by the Verse of the Sword, is weak. Rather, they belong to the category of al-munsa' (deferred): every command must be acted upon at a particular time because of a cause requiring that ruling; then, when that cause changes, the ruling changes accordingly. This is not abrogation. Abrogation is removal such that acting upon the ruling is never again permissible. Thus, the ruling of armed combat does not abrogate the ruling of peaceful relations; rather, each must be acted upon at its proper time.” See: Al-Zarkashi, Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran, 2:43-44; Adnan Muhammad Zarzur, Ulum al-Quran, pp. 210-212.