Tafsir of Surah Al-Anfal - Verse 39

Encouraging the Disbelievers to seek Allah's Forgiveness, warning Them against Disbelief

Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ,

قُل لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِن يَنتَهُواْ

(Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease...) the disbelief, defiance and stubbornness they indulge in, and embrace Islam, obedience and repentance.

يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَ

(their past will be forgiven.) along with their sins and errors. It is recorded in the Sahih Al-Bukhari that Abu Wa'il said that Ibn Mas'ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِر»

(He who becomes good in his Islam, will not be punished for what he has committed during Jahiliyyah (before Islam). He who becomes bad in his Islam, will face a punishment for his previous and latter deeds.)

It is also recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«الْإِسْلَامُ يَجُبُّ مَا قَبْلَهُ وَالتَّوْبَةُ تَجُبُّ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهَا»

("Islam erases what occurred before it, and repentance erases what occurs before it.")

Allah said,

وَإِن يَعُودُواْ

(But if they return, ) and remain on their ways,

فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّتُ الاٌّوَّلِينِ

(then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded.) 8:38 meaning, Our way with the nations of old is that when they disbelieve and rebel, We send down to them immediate torment and punishment.

The Order to fight to eradicate Shirk and Kufr

Allah said,

وَقَـتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلهِ

(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah, and the religion will all be for Allah alone.)

Al-Bukhari recorded that a man came to Ibn `Umar and said to him, "O Abu `Abdur-Rahman! Why do you not implement what Allah said in His Book,

وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُواْ

(And if two parties (or groups) among the believers fall to fighting...)49:9. What prevents you from fighting as Allah mentioned in His Book" Ibn `Umar said, "O my nephew! I prefer that I be reminded with this Ayah rather than fighting, for in the latter case, I will be reminded by the Ayah in which Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, said,

وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِناً مُّتَعَمِّداً

(And whoever kills a believer intentionally...) 4:93"

The man said, "Allah, the Exalted, said,

وَقَـتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ

(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah...)." Ibn `Umar said, "We did that during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when Islam was weak and the man would be tried in religion, either tormented to death or being imprisoned. When Islam became stronger and widespread, there was no more Fitnah." When the man realized that Ibn `Umar would not agree to what he is saying, he asked him, "What do you say about `Ali and `Uthman" Ibn `Umar replied, "What do I say about `Ali and `Uthman! As for `Uthman, Allah has forgiven him, but you hate that Allah forgives him. As for `Ali, he is the cousin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his son-in-law," and he pointed with his hand saying, "And this is his house over there." Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Ibn `Umar came to us and was asked, "What do you say about fighting during Fitnah" Ibn `Umar said, "Do you know what Fitnah refers to Muhammad was fighting against the idolators, and at that time, attending (or residing with) the idolators was a Fitnah (trial in religion). It is nothing like what you are doing, fighting to gain leadership!" All these narrations were collected by Al-Bukhari, may Allah the Exalted grant him His mercy. Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah,

وَقَـتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ

(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah...) "So that there is no more Shirk." Similar was said by Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Zayd bin Aslam. Muhammad bin Ishaq said that he was informed from Az-Zuhri, from `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr and other scholars that

حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ

(until there is no more Fitnah) the Fitnah mentioned here means, until no Muslim is persecuted so that he abandons his religion. Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,

وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلهِ

(and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah alone.) "So that Tawhid is practiced in sincerity with Allah." Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ibn Jurayj said,

وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلهِ

(and the religion will all be for Allah alone) "So that La ilaha illa-llah is proclaimed." Muhammad bin Ishaq also commented on this Ayah, "So that Tawhid is practiced in sincerity towards Allah, without Shirk, all the while shunning all rivals who (are being worshipped) besides Him."

`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said about,

وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلهِ

(and the religion will all be for Allah alone) "So that there is no more Kufr (disbelief) with your religion remains." There is a Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs that testifies to this explanation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ، حَتَّى يَقُولُوا: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، فَإِذَا قَالُوهَا عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ، إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»

(I was commanded to fight against the people until they proclaim, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.' If and when they say it, they will preserve their blood and wealth from me, except for its right (Islamic penal code), and their reckoning is with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.)

Also, in the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about a man who fights because he is courageous, in prejudice with his people, or to show off. Which of these is for the cause of Allah He said,

«مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»

(Whoever fights so that Allah's Word is the supreme, is in the cause of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.)"

Allah said next,

فَإِنِ انْتَهَوْاْ

(But if they cease), and desist from their Kufr as a result of your fighting them, even though you do not know the true reasons why they did so,

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.)

Allah said in similar Ayah,

فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَوُاْ الزَّكَوةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمْ

(But if they repent and perform the Salah, and give Zakah, then leave their way free.) 9:5,

فَإِخوَانُكُمْ فِى الدِّينِ

(...then they are your brethren in religion.) 9:11, and,

وَقَـتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ للَّهِ فَإِنِ انتَهَواْ فَلاَ عُدْوَنَ إِلاَّ عَلَى الظَّـلِمِينَ

(And fight them until there is no more Fitnah and the religion (worship) is for Allah (alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against the wrongdoers.) 2:193

It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Usamah bin Zayd when he overpowered a man with his sword, after that man proclaimed that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah;

«أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ؟ وَكَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ بِلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ؟»

(Have you killed him after he proclaimed, `La Ilaha Illallah' What would you do with regard to `La Ilaha Illallah' on the Day of Resurrection.)

Usamah said, "O Allah's Messenger! He only said it to save himself." The Messenger ﷺ replied,

«هَلَّا شَقَقْتَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ؟»

(Did you cut his heart open)

The Messenger ﷺ kept repeating,

«مَنْ لَكَ بِلَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ؟»

(What would you do with regard to `La Ilaha Illallah' on the Day of Resurrection) until Usamah said, "I wished I had embraced Islam only that day." Allah said next,

وَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلاَكُمْ نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ

(And if they turn away, then know that Allah is your protector, an excellent protector, and an excellent helper!)

Allah says, if the disbelievers persist in defying and fighting you, then know that Allah is your protector, master and supporter against your enemies. Verily, what an excellent protector and what an excellent supporter.

Commentary

We are now on verse 39 of Surah al-Anfal. Two words: فِتْنَةٌ (Fitnah) and دينُ (Deen) used here need our attention since both are used in many shades of meaning lexically.

At this place, two meanings have been reported from authorities of Tafsir from among the Sahabah and Tabi` in: (1) That Fitnah is taken to mean Kufr and Shirk, and Din is taken to mean the Deen of Islam. This very Tafsir has been reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Given this exegetic view, the verse would mean that Muslims must continue fighting disbelievers until disbelief disintegrates yielding its place to Islam and there remains no religion and faith other than Islam. Given this situation, this injunction will be specific to only the people of Makkah and the people of Arabia - because, the Arabian Peninsula is the home of Islam. The presence of any other religion, other than Islam in it, shall be dangerous for Islam. As for the rest of the world, other religions and faiths could be kept existing as con-firmed by other verses of the Holy Qur'an and reports from Hadith.

(2) According to the second Tafsir reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ and others, Fitnah at this place means the chain of pain, retributive suffering and endless woes which the disbelievers of Makkah had always been inflicting on Muslims. As long as they were in Makkah, they kept' braving all sorts of pain caused to them all the time. They could do nothing about it being virtually held by them in their clutches. When these people migrated towards Madinah, they pursued each single Muslim and kept killing or looting them. Even after these people had reached Madinah, the wrath and anger of the disbelievers kept showing up in the form of attacks on the whole city of Madinah.

Set against Fitnah, the term دین Deen means the state of exercising functional reach and control and prevailing over antagonists. Seen from this angle, the Tafsir of the verse would be that Muslims must keep fighting disbelievers until fellow Muslims are delivered and secured from the tyrannies of disbelievers - and until Islam takes over so that it can defend and protect Muslims from the injustices inflicted on them by others. An event relating to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn 'Umar ؓ also goes on to support this very Tafsir. The report of the event says: When Hajjaj ibn Yusuf launched an armed attack against Sayyid-na ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ the Amir of Makkah, it became a strange scene. There were Muslims on both sides and their swords were swishing against each other. Seeing this, a couple of people came to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ and said to him: Here you are watching the horror Muslims are in, although you are the son of Sayyidna ` Umar ibn al-Khattab ؓ who was not one of those who would ever tolerate such evil generating disorder. Why is it that you would not come out to remove this Fitnah? Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ said: The reason is that Allah Ta` ala has decreed that shedding the blood of any Muslim is forbidden. Both of them countered him by saying: Do you not recite the verse of the Qur'an: قَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ (Fight them until there is no Fitnah [ disorder or disbelief ] anymore - 39)? Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ said: Of course, I do recite this verse - and act in accordance with it as well. We continued fighting disbelievers as commanded in this verse until came the time when there remained no Fitnah anymore, and Islam became the dominant دین Deen. Now, here are people like you who wish to kill each other and plant the Fitnah all over again, as a result of which, everything other than Allah will come to reign supreme, and that which thus reigns supreme shall be counter to the true faith, our دین Deen. What he meant to say was that the command to wage Jihad, fight and kill, was against the Fitnah of disbelief and the tyranny of the disbelievers - that they had done, and continued doing so until that Fitnah was elim-inated. Now to apply this state of affairs as an analogy to fit forms of infighting among Muslims themselves was not sound logic. In fact, at a time when Muslims fight and kill each other, the instructions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are: 'In such a situation one who keeps sitting is better than one who stands up.'

Summarizing this Tafsir, it can be said that Jihad, fighting and killing against the enemies of Islam was Wajib (necessary) on Muslims until the Fitnah of their tyranny unleashed on Muslims is eliminated, and Islam's ascendancy stands established over all other orders - and this outcome will come to pass only close to Qiyamah, therefore, the injunction of Jihad is valid and operative right through the Last Day of Qiyamah.

Two things could result from Jihad against the enemies of Islam: (1) That they stop being oppressive to Muslims, either by entering the Islamic brotherhood and becoming brothers-in-faith, or by remaining attached to their religion, they stop harassing and hurting Muslims and enter into a treaty of allegiance.

(2) That they reject both options and stick to their policy of confrontation. Injunctions covering both options have been mentioned in the next verse (40). It was said:

فَإِنِ انتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ‌

So, if they desist, then, Allah is indeed watchful over what they do.

It means that Allah Ta` ala would deal with them in the light of their conduct. Put simply, if they desisted, Jihad action against them will be suspended. Under this arrangement, Muslims may have apprehended danger from the disbelievers. Their readiness to sign a peace pact or their declaration to have become Muslims soon after the en-counter of mutual killing may have possibly appeared to Muslims as nothing but some strategy of deception usually employed in wars. In a situation like that, stopping the ongoing war could have been harmful for Muslims. The answer to this apprehension was given by saying that Muslims are bound by deeds they see outwardly. The one who looks into hearts and knows their hidden secrets is none but Allah Ta` ala Himself. Therefore, when disbelievers declare their adherence to Islam or make a peace pact, Muslims have no choice but that they stop fighting and killing in Jihad. As for personal doubts about whether or not they have accepted Islam, or peace, honestly from their heart or all this is a cover for deception - these are things which fall in the domain of Allah. He knows it well that should they do something like that, they will be taken care of in some other way. Muslims should not lay the foundation of their matters and dealings on such thoughts and apprehensions.

If hands were raised against them after their declaration of Islam or pact of peace, those waging Jihad would turn into criminals - as it appears in a Hadith of the Sahib of al-Bukhari and Muslim. There, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that he has been commanded to fight the enemies of Islam until they accept the Kalimah: لا إلہ إلا اللہ محمد الرسول اللہ (There is no god worthy of worship but Allah, Muhammad is a Messenger of Allah), establish Salah and pay Zakah. When they have done that, their life and property shall all become protected1. The only exception shall be that of a punishment given to them against a crime under the Islamic Law. What remains of the accountability of their hearts - whether they are accepting the creeds and deeds of Islam heartily or that they are doing it hypocritically - shall be resting with Allah.

1\. It should be recalled that this principle is restricted to the Arabian Peninsula, where no disbeliever is allowed to live as a permanent citizen. In other parts of the world, the disbelievers may opt for jizyah and may continue to profess their own religion, the punishment of their disbelief being deferred to the Hereafter. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani).

According to another Hadith which Abu Dawud has reported from several noble Companions, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever does any injustice to a peace pact beneficiary (a person who has entered into a pact of allegiance with the Islamic government) or brings him any harm, or makes him do something which is more than what he can physically do, or takes something from him without his genuine, heart-felt consent, then, on the Day of Judgment, I shall support that peace pact beneficiary against a Muslim who has done something like that.

The present verse of the Holy Qur'an under study along with re-ports from Hadith have obviously exposed Muslims to a political danger. Think of an arch enemy who happens to be at their mercy. Just to save his life, the enemy recites the Kalimah of Islam. Right there, Muslims have been obligated to hold their hands instantly. One may think: With this style of combat, Muslims would be unable to overcome just about any enemy! But, Allah Ta` ala has His own ways of doing things. Here, He has taken the hidden secrets of their hearts as His area of responsibility. In a miraculous manner, it has been demonstrated practically that Muslims never faced such an embarrassing situation in any of their battlefields. However, there have been hundreds of hypocrites in a state of peace who cheated, passed on as Muslims, even went about fulfilling the obligations of Salah and Sawm at least outwardly. Some of the miserably graceless among them had no other objective in sight but that they would exact a few benefits from Muslims and remain safe from their revenge despite nursing hostility in their hearts. Then, there were some of those too who were doing so with political motives of spying on Muslims, find their secrets and maintain conspiratorial liaison with enemies. But, such was the Di-vine law that it instructed Muslims to treat all of them as they would treat Muslims - unless it was proved that they had themselves betrayed their hostility to Islam or contravened the peace agreement.

This teaching of Islam applied to the condition in which the enemies of Islam promise to desist from their hostility and enter into agreement to that effect.

“And religion is wholly for God” in this connection those traditions are worth noting which are enshrined in Sahih al-Bukhari. When, after the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, political conflict ensued between Abdullah ibn Zubayr and the Umayyads, Abdullah ibn Umar, one of the senior-most companions of the Prophet, held himself aloof from the battle. People approached him and, quoting the verse of qital-al-fitna, asked him why he was not joining in the battle. Abdullah ibn Umar replied that ‘fitna’ as mentioned in the Quran did not refer to political infighting, but rather to the religious coercive system, that had already been put an end to by them. (Fathul Bari, 8/60 ) From this we learn that the war against fitna was a war of limited duration, temporary in nature, meant to be engaged in only until its specific purpose had been served.