Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:84

The Terms of the Covenant and their Breach of It Allah says;

وإذ أخذنا ميثاقكم ﻻ تسفكون دماءكم وﻻ تخرجون أنفسكم من دياركم

And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings. Allah criticized the Jews who lived in Al-Madinah during the time of the Messenger of Allah. They used to suffer, because of the armed conflicts between the tribes of Al-Madinah, Aws and Khazraj. Before Islam, the Aws and Khazraj worshipped idols, and many battles took place between them. There were three Jewish tribes in Al-Madinah at that time, Banu Qaynuqa and Banu An-Nadir, the allies of the Khazraj, and Banu Qurayzah, who used to be the allies of the Aws. When war erupted between Aws and Khazraj, their Jewish allies would assist them. The Jew would kill his Arab enemy, and sometimes they also killed Jews who were the allies of the other Arab tribe, although the Jews were prohibited from killing each other according to clear religious texts in their Books. They would also drive each other from their homes and loot whatever furniture and money they could. When the war ended, the victorious Jews would release the prisoners from the defeated party, according to the rulings of the Tawrah. This is why Allah said,

أفتومنون ببعض الكتاب وتكفرون ببعض

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest), (2:85). Allah said,

وإذ أخذنا ميثاقكم ﻻ تسفكون دماءكم وﻻ تخرجون أنفسكم من دياركم

And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings. meaning, "Do not kill each other, nor expel one another from their homes, nor participate in fighting against them.'' Allah mentioned the word `your own' here, just as He said in another Ayah

فتوبوا إلى باريكم فاقتلوا أنفسكم ذلكم خير لكم عند باريكم

So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves, that will be better for you with your Creator), (2:54), because the followers of one religion are just like one soul. Also, the Messenger of Allah said,

مثل المومنين في توادهم وتراحمهم وتواصلهم بمنزلة الجسد الواحد إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له ساير الجسد بالحمى والسهر

The example of the believers in their kindness, mercy and sympathy to each other is the example of one body, when an organ of it falls ill, the rest of the body rushes to its aid in fever and sleeplessness. Allah's statement,

ثم أقررتم وأنتم تشهدون

Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bore witness. means, "You testified that you know of the covenant and that you were witnesses to it.'' Then Allah says,