The Madinan Period, Part 3: The Covenant, the Qiblah, and the Meaning of Jihad
Section 24 of 26 · The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: The Madinan Period
The Fifth Objective: To Punish and Humiliate the Enemies of Allah
Number five: to punish and humiliate the enemies of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says:
وَأَعِدُّوا۟ لَهُم مَّا ٱسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ ٱلْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِۦ عَدُوَّ ٱللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَءَاخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ
“Prepare against them whatever force you can, and the trained horses whereby you frighten Allah’s enemy and your own enemy and others besides them whom you do not know. Allah knows them. Whatever thing you spend in the way of Allah, it will be paid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.” (8:60)
And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war, by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides them whom you do not know but whom Allah knows; and whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged. This is Sūrat al-Anfāl, verse 60. Allah (swt) also says in Sūrat al-Tawbah, verses 14 and 15:
قَـٰتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَيَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“Fight them, so that Allah should punish them at your hands and disgrace them, and help you win against them and bring relief to bosoms of the believing people, and remove the rage of their hearts. And Allah relents to whomsoever He wills. Allah is (All-) Knowing, (All-) Wise.” (9:14–15)
Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them, and give you victory over them, and satisfy the breasts of a believing people, and remove the fury in their hearts; and Allah turns in forgiveness to whom He wills, and Allah is Knowing and Wise. And Allah (swt) says in Sūrat al-Anfāl, verses 17 and 18:
فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيْدِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
“So, it is not you who killed them, but in fact Allah killed them. And you did not throw when you threw but Allah did throw, so that He might bless the believers with a good favour. Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Apart from that, Allah is the One who frustrates the device of the disbelievers.” (8:17–18)
"That is so, and also that Allah will weaken the plot of the disbelievers." So fighting fī sabīlillāh will weaken the plot of the disbelievers. The beginning of the āyah is: "And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them; and you threw not, O Muḥammad, when you threw, but it was Allah who threw, that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing." That is so, and also that Allah …