Juz 10: Al-Anfāl 41 to At-Tawbah 92
Section 13 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
13. Fight Against Oppression
Allah (swt) addresses the believers with powerful directives concerning those who break treaties and show hostility toward the Muslims. In Surah At-Tawbah, verses 12-16 establish crucial principles about defensive warfare and confronting oppression.
Allah (swt) poses a rhetorical question to motivate the believers:
أَلَا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّوا بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ وَهُم بَدَءُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤُمِنِينَ
“Would you not fight a people who broke their oaths and resolved to expel the Messenger, and it was they who started (fighting) against you for the first time? Do you fear them? Then, Allah has greater right that you fear Him, if you are believers." [9:13]”
This verse elegantly establishes the justification for engaging in battle. It is important to note that the fighting being commanded is not an unprovoked offensive war, but rather a response to several provocations: breaking of treaties, plotting against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and initiating hostilities. This verse establishes that the Muslims were not the aggressors, but were responding to clear violations and threats.
The rhetorical question "Do you fear them?" serves as a powerful reminder that fear of people should never override fear of Allah (swt). For the believer, the primary concern should always be fulfilling Allah's commands rather than worrying about worldly consequences.
Allah (swt) then outlines the divine purposes behind this command to fight:
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَيَتُوبُ اللّهُ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“Fight them, Allah will punish them at your hands, and will humiliate them, and will help you against them, and will heal the hearts of the believing people, and will remove the anger of their hearts. Allah turns in mercy to whom He wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." [9:14]”
This verse reveals five divine purposes in commanding the believers to fight:
- Divine punishment through human agency: The believers become instruments of Allah's justice, demonstrating that Allah often executes His will through His servants.
- Humiliation of the oppressors: Those who break treaties and initiate aggression are brought low, establishing the consequences of treachery.
- Divine assistance to the believers: Allah promises victory to those who fight in His cause, providing reassurance and confidence.
- Healing for the believers' hearts: The oppression and persecution experienced by the believers created psychological wounds that would be healed through justice.
- Removal of anger from believers' hearts: The righteous anger that accumulated from suffering injustice would be released through this divinely sanctioned confrontation.
These verses emphasize that the Muslims were not fighting for territorial expansion or material gain, but as a response to aggression and treaty violations. The fighting was a means to establish justice and defend the Muslim community against those who had demonstrated hostility.
It is crucial to understand these verses in their historical context rather than applying them universally to all situations. They pertain specifically to the polytheists who had broken treaties, plotted against the Prophet (peace be upon him), and initiated hostilities against the Muslims. These were not blanket permissions to wage war indiscriminately, but rather divine guidance for a specific historical situation that required a decisive response to persecution and oppression.