of immense severity, and the Quran reciters (1) suffered heavy casualties that day. It was one of the greatest battles between the Muslims and their enemies. The apostates are fought or embrace Islam; no jizyah is accepted from them. The first to fight them were al-Siddīq and his Companions, which establishes the obligation to obey him when he calls for fighting them.

The Quran indicates—and Allah knows best—that they will be called to confront a people characterized by one of two alternatives: either they fight the Muslims or they embrace Islam. One of these two must occur, and they possess great fighting strength. This contrasts with those whom they were called to confront in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah: neither alternative occurred in their case, nor did they embrace Islam. Rather, the Messenger concluded a peace agreement with them without their embracing Islam and without fighting. Thus, the Quran explains the distinction between those whom they were called to confront in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah and those whom they would be called to confront thereafter.

Moreover, if responding and obeying were made obligatory (2) upon them when called to confront a people of great fighting strength, then obedience would be all the more obligatory when called to confront those without such strength. They would therefore be obliged to obey the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he called them to confront Mecca, Hawāzin, and Thaqīf.

Then, when he called them (3), after these peoples, to confront Banū al-Asfar, the Byzantines, they were a people of great fighting strength. The Quran emphatically reinforced the command in the year of Tabūk and severely condemned those who stayed behind from jihad, as Surah Barā’ah indicates. In the case of these people, one of the two alternatives occurred: fighting or embracing Islam. He, glorified be He, did not say:

“You will fight them, or they will submit”