(94) “O you who believe, when you go forth in Allah’s cause, ascertain the truth carefully. Do not say to anyone who offers you the greeting of peace, ‘You are not a believer,’ seeking the fleeting gains of worldly life, for with Allah are abundant spoils. Such were you before, but Allah bestowed His favor upon you; therefore, ascertain the truth carefully. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”
The Exalted commands His believing servants, when they go forth to fight in His cause and seek His pleasure, to investigate carefully and exercise due deliberation in every matter involving uncertainty. Matters are of two kinds: clear and unclear. Clear and evident matters require no further investigation or deliberation, for that would be redundant. Unclear and problematic matters, however, require a person to investigate carefully and deliberate before deciding whether to proceed.
Careful deliberation in such matters brings many benefits and prevents grave evils, thereby revealing a servant’s religious commitment, reason, and sound judgment. This is unlike one who rushes into matters at their outset (1), before their ruling has become clear to him, for that leads to improper outcomes. This is what happened to those whom Allah reproached in the verse: they failed to investigate carefully and killed a man who had offered them the greeting of peace. He had a small flock of his own, or some other property, and they assumed that he had offered the greeting merely to shield himself from being killed by them. In reality, however, they were mistaken. Allah therefore reproached them, saying: “Do not say to anyone who offers you the greeting of peace, ‘You are not a believer,’ seeking the fleeting gains of worldly life, for with Allah are abundant spoils.” That is, do not let a paltry, transient gain induce you to commit what is improper, thereby causing you to forfeit the immense and everlasting reward that is with Allah. What is with Allah is better and more lasting.
This indicates that when a servant sees the impulses of his soul inclining toward something he desires but that will harm him, he should remind it of what Allah has prepared for those who restrain their souls from their desires and prefer Allah’s pleasure to their own. This encourages the soul to obey Allah’s command, even when doing so is difficult for it.
The Exalted then reminded them of their former condition, before He guided them to Islam: “Such were you before, but Allah bestowed His favor upon you.” That is, just as He guided you after you had gone astray, He likewise guides others; ⦗195⦘ and just as guidance came to you gradually, so it does to others. A mature person’s reflection on his own former, deficient state, his treatment of someone in a similar state in accordance with what he knows of his own former condition, and his calling that person with wisdom and good exhortation are among the greatest means of benefiting that person and deriving benefit himself. Allah therefore repeated the command to investigate carefully, saying: “Therefore, ascertain the truth carefully.”
If one who goes forth to fight in Allah’s cause and against Allah’s enemies, fully prepared in every way to strike them, is nevertheless commanded to ascertain the condition of one who offers him the greeting of peace—even when there is strong circumstantial evidence that the person offered it merely to seek protection from being killed, out of fear for his life—this indicates that careful investigation and deliberation are required in every situation involving any uncertainty. The servant must deliberate until the matter becomes clear to him and the right and proper course becomes evident.
“Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” He will therefore recompense each person for what he did and intended, in accordance with His knowledge of His servants’ circumstances and intentions.