Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (330)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(12–15) “If they break their oaths after making their covenant and assail your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief—for they honor no oaths—so that they may desist. Will you not fight a people who broke their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and initiated hostilities against you in the first place? Do you fear them? Allah is more deserving that you fear Him, if you are believers.”

Allah Most High says, after mentioning that if the polytheists with whom treaties have been concluded remain true to their covenant, you should remain true to them by fulfilling it: “If they break their oaths after making their covenant”—that is, if they violate and dissolve them by fighting you, assisting others in fighting you, or infringing upon your rights—“and assail your religion”—that is, malign and ridicule it.

This includes every form of attack directed against the religion or the Quran. “Then fight the leaders of disbelief”—that is, its leaders: the chiefs who assail the religion of the Most Merciful and champion the religion of Satan. He singled them out because of the enormity of their offense, because others follow them, and to show that anyone who assails the religion and sets himself up to refute it is among the leaders of disbelief.

“For they honor no oaths”—that is, they have no covenants or solemn pledges whose fulfillment they consistently uphold. Rather, they remain treacherous, repeatedly breaking their covenants, and cannot be trusted.

“So that they may,” as a result of your fighting them, “desist” from assailing your religion—and perhaps even embrace it. He then urged the believers to fight them, stirring them to action by mentioning the deeds these enemies had committed and the traits they possessed, which warranted fighting them. He said: “Will you not fight a people who broke their oaths and plotted to expel the Messenger”—who must be respected, revered, and honored? They plotted to banish him and drive him from his homeland, doing everything within their power to accomplish that. “They initiated hostilities against you in the first place” by breaking the covenant and aiding others against you. This occurred when Quraysh—though bound by treaty—aided (1) their allies, Banū Bakr, against Khuzā‘ah, the allies of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and fought alongside them, as related at length in the sīrah.

“Do you fear them?” and therefore refrain from fighting them? “Allah is more deserving that you fear Him, if you are believers,” for He (2) commanded you to fight them and emphasized that command to the utmost.

If you are believers, then obey Allah’s command. Do not fear them and thereby abandon Allah’s command. He then commanded that they be fought and mentioned the benefits that would result from fighting them ⦗331⦘. All of this was intended to urge and rouse the believers to fight them. He said:

(1) In MS B: “aided.” (2) In MS B: “for Allah.”

﴿١٢ - ١٥﴾ ﴿وَإِنْ نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنْتَهُونَ * أَلا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّوا بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ وَهُمْ بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَوْهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ . يقول تعالى بعدما ذكر أن المعاهدين من المشركين إن استقاموا على عهدهم فاستقيموا لهم على الوفاء: ﴿وَإِنْ نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ﴾ أي: نقضوها وحلوها، فقاتلوكم أو أعانوا على قتالكم، أو نقصوكم، ﴿وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ﴾ أي: عابوه، وسخروا منه. ويدخل في هذا جميع أنواع الطعن الموجهة إلى الدين، أو إلى القرآن، ﴿فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ﴾ أي: القادة فيه، الرؤساء الطاعنين في دين الرحمن، الناصرين لدين الشيطان، وخصهم بالذكر لعظم جنايتهم، ولأن غيرهم تبع لهم، وليدل على أن من طعن في الدين وتصدى للرد عليه، فإنه من أئمة الكفر. ﴿إِنَّهُمْ لا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ﴾ أي: لا عهود ولا مواثيق يلازمون على الوفاء بها، بل لا يزالون خائنين، ناكثين للعهد، لا يوثق منهم. ﴿لَعَلَّهُمْ﴾ في قتالكم إياهم ﴿يَنْتَهُونَ﴾ عن الطعن في دينكم، وربما دخلوا فيه، ثم حث على قتالهم، وهيج المؤمنين بذكر الأوصاف، التي صدرت من هؤلاء الأعداء، والتي هم موصوفون بها، المقتضية لقتالهم فقال: ﴿أَلا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّوا بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ﴾ الذي يجب احترامه وتوقيره وتعظيمه؟ وهم هموا أن يجلوه ويخرجوه من وطنه وسعوا في ذلك ما أمكنهم، ﴿وَهُمْ بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ﴾ حيث نقضوا العهد وأعانوا عليكم، وذلك حيث عاونت (١) قريش -وهم معاهدون- بني بكر حلفاءهم على خزاعة حلفاء رسول الله ﷺ، وقاتلوا معهم كما هو مذكور مبسوط في السيرة. ﴿أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ﴾ في ترك قتالهم ﴿فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَوْهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ فإنه (٢) أمركم بقتالهم، وأكد ذلك عليكم غاية التأكيد. فإن كنتم مؤمنين فامتثلوا لأمر الله، ولا تخشوهم فتتركوا أمر الله، ثم أمر بقتالهم وذكر ما يترتب على قتالهم من ⦗٣٣١⦘ الفوائد، وكل هذا حث وإنهاض للمؤمنين على قتالهم، فقال:

(١) في ب: أعانت. (٢) في ب: فالله.