fulfilled the covenant of Allah and His Messenger, nor his covenant with his first teacher. Rather, he is like someone who treats such matters as a game, having neither commitment to a covenant, nor religion, nor fidelity. In the pre-Islamic era, a man would enter into an alliance with a tribe, then, upon finding a stronger tribe, break his covenant with the first and ally himself with the second—much like the conduct of these people. So Allah Most High revealed:

“Do not break oaths after confirming them, having made Allah your guarantor. Indeed, Allah knows what you do.”

“Do not be like the woman who unravels her yarn into loose strands after spinning it firmly, using your oaths to deceive one another because one community is greater than another. Allah is only testing you through this, and on the Day of Resurrection He will surely make clear to you that over which you differed.”

“Had Allah willed, He would have made you one community, but He leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.”

“Do not use your oaths to deceive one another, lest a foot slip after being firmly planted, and you taste suffering for having turned people away from the path of Allah, and a tremendous punishment be yours.”

They must enjoin what is right upon one another and forbid one another from what is wrong. They must not allow anyone among them to openly commit injustice or indecency. Nor must they allow a beardless boy to flaunt his adornments or display anything that tempts people, to associate with anyone whose companionship is suspect, or to be honored for a corrupt purpose.

Anyone who enters into an alliance with another person on the condition that he befriend whomever that person befriends and oppose whomever he opposes is of the same kind as the Tatars who strive in the path of Satan. Such a person is neither among those who strive in the path of Allah Most High nor among the Muslim forces, and it is not permissible for