the Arab polytheists had embraced Islam, for it was revealed in the year of Tabūk, when no Arab polytheist remained who was engaged in hostilities. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would not have set out against the Christians in the year of Tabūk with all the Muslims—except those whom Allah had excused—and left the Hijāz with people there who were at war with him. He sent Abū Bakr in the ninth year, and he proclaimed during the pilgrimage season that no polytheist was to perform Hajj after that year and no one was to circumambulate the House naked. He renounced the open-ended treaties but upheld the fixed-term treaties as long as the other parties remained faithful to them, as Allah commanded at the beginning of Sūrat al-Tawbah. He granted those whose treaties he had renounced four months’ respite and ordered that, once those months had elapsed, war be waged against all the polytheists.”
They say: “Thus, all the polytheists embraced Islam, and they were unwilling to pay jizyah. Once the religion of Islam had prevailed, the Arab polytheists had no religious commitment for whose sake they would endure paying jizyah in submission and humiliation. Most Arabs had already embraced Islam, leaving the Arab polytheists with no strength on which to pride themselves. They therefore embraced Islam when Allah made it prevail among the Arabs through proof and clear exposition, the sword and the spear.”
The Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
“I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer and pay zakah,”
refer to fighting those engaged in hostilities whom Allah had permitted him to fight. He did not mean fighting those bound by treaties whose terms Allah had commanded him to honour. Before “Barā’ah” (Disavowal) was revealed, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would conclude treaties with those disbelievers who entered into treaties with him