Tafsir of Al-Hujurat 49:9

Tafsir of Surah Al-Hujurat (49): Verses 9-10

When Allah warned the believers concerning news brought by a transgressor (Fasiq), He then pointed to what is necessary as a remedy for what might result from such news. If it happens that you rely on the word of someone who sows discord among you, and the matter escalates to the fighting of two factions of believers, then remove what that transgressor established and reconcile between them.

You must repel the injustice from the aggressor. If the aggressor is the populace (the ruled), it is incumbent upon the ruler to repel them. If the aggressor is the ruler, it is incumbent upon the Muslims to prevent him through advice and further measures, provided that this does not incite a sedition (Fitna) like the one resulting from the fighting of the two factions, or worse.

Issues (Masā’il) Arising Here:

The First Issue: The use of {وَإِنْ} (And if) indicates the rarity of fighting occurring between factions of Muslims. If someone argues that we see frequent fighting among their factions, the response is that the verse indicates it should only happen rarely. The reality is contrary to what is proper. This is similar to {إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ} (If a transgressor comes to you with news) (Al-Hujurat: 6), which implies that the coming of a transgressor with news should be rare, even though it is often the case that the word of a transgressor is accepted more readily by those in authority than the word of a truthful and righteous person.

The Second Issue: Allah said {طَائِفَتَانِ} (two factions) and not {فِرْقَتَانِ} (two groups/sects). This confirms the meaning mentioned earlier (rarity), because a Tā’ifah (faction) is less than a Firqah (group). This is supported by the verse: {فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ} (Why did not a group from every division of them go forth?) (At-Tawbah: 122), where Tā’ifah is a part of a Firqah.

The Third Issue: Allah said {مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} (of the believers) and not {مِنْكُمْ} (of you), even though the address is to the believers (following the preceding address: O you who have believed...). This is to highlight the ugliness of the act and to distance the addressed believers from it. It is like a master telling his servant: "If you see any of my servants doing such-and-such, prevent him." This prevents the addressed person from the act in a refined manner, as if saying: "It is beneath you to do this; if someone else does it, prevent him." Similarly here, He said {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} to emphasize this point, although the meaning is essentially the same.

The Fourth Issue: Allah said {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا} (And if two factions of the believers fell into fighting) and not {وَإِنِ اقْتَتَلَتْ طَائِفَتَانِ} (And if two factions of the believers fought). Although connecting In (if) to the verb might seem more appropriate, the structure here begins with what prevents the fighting (the fact that they are two believing factions), thus reinforcing the indefinite meaning implied by {إِنْ}. This is because the state of being two believing factions implies that fighting should not occur between them.

If someone asks why He did not say, "O you who have believed, if a transgressor comes to you," or "if one of the transgressors comes to you," to begin with what prevents them from listening—namely, his transgression—the answer is that bringing false news causes a person to become a transgressor, or increases his transgression. Thus, bringing the news is the cause of the transgression, so it was mentioned first. However, fighting does not cause faith or an increase in faith. Therefore, He said: {إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ} (if a transgressor comes to you), meaning whether he was already a transgressor or became one by bringing the news. If He had said, "And if one of the transgressors comes to you," it would only cover someone known for transgression before bringing the news.

The Fifth Issue: Allah said {اقْتَتَلُوا} (fell into fighting—past tense/perfect form) and not {يَقْتَتِلُوا} (will fight—imperfect tense). This is because the imperfect tense implies continuity and permanence. Thus, it is understood that if the fighting between the two factions of believers persists, then make peace. This is because the future tense implies such continuation (e.g., "So-and-so performs the night vigil and fasts").

The Sixth Issue: He said {اقْتَتَلُوا} (they fought each other) and not {اقْتَتَلَا} (the two of them fought each other). Similarly, He said {فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا} (make peace between them) and not {بَيْنَهُمْ} (among them). This is because when fighting occurs, sedition is active, and each individual acts on their own initiative, hence {اقْتَتَلُوا}. However, when returning to reconciliation, the word/unity of each faction must align; otherwise, reconciliation is impossible. Therefore, He said {بَيْنَهُمَا} (between the two of them), as the two factions at that point are considered as two entities/souls.

Then Allah Almighty said: {فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى} (And if one of them aggresses against the other). This points to another rarity: aggression (Baghy), because it is unexpected. If someone asks how the conditional particle {إِنْ} (if) is appropriate here, since it is used for something unlikely to occur, yet aggression by one party during fighting is almost inevitable since neither party is entirely righteous, the answer lies in a subtle meaning.

Allah is saying that fighting between two factions should only occur rarely. This happens when each faction believes the other is in disbelief and corruption, making fighting obligatory (like in dark nights), or when each believes fighting is permissible through Ijtihad (which is an error). Allah states that fighting only occurs under such circumstances. If the error becomes clear to one or both parties, and they persist in it, that persistence is rare. At that point, aggression has occurred, so He said {فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى} (if one of them aggresses against the other), meaning after the matter has become clear. Thus, the use of {فَإِنْ بَغَتْ} is exquisitely appropriate as it conveys rarity and infrequency.

Further Discussions on Aggression:

1. He said {فَإِنْ بَغَتْ} (if it aggresses) and not {فَإِنْ تَبْغِ} (if it should aggress), similar to the reasoning for {اقْتَتَلُوا} over {يَقْتَتِلُوا}.
2. He said {حَتَّى تَفِيءَ} (until it returns/submits), indicating that fighting is not a fixed penalty for the aggressor (like the prescribed punishment for drinking alcohol, which is executed even if the person stops drinking). Rather, fighting continues only up to the point of submission. If the aggressive faction submits, fighting them becomes forbidden.
3. This fighting is to repel the assailant (Ṣā’il). The aggression is included because when submission (Fay’ah) occurs from one side, the aggression that permitted fighting ceases, even if the submission came from the other side.
4. This is evidence that a believer who commits a major sin does not exit the fold of being a believer, because the aggressor is included among the two factions, both of whom are named believers.
5. The phrase {إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ} (to the command of Allah) has several interpretations:
   • To the obedience of the Messenger and those in authority, based on {أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ} (Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you) (An-Nisa: 59).
   • To the command of Allah, meaning reconciliation, as reconciliation is commanded by {وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ} (And reconcile that which is between you) (Al-Anfal: 1).
   • To the command of Allah regarding piety (Taqwa), for whoever truly fears Allah will have no enmity except toward Satan, as Allah says: {إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا} (Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy) (Fatir: 6).
6. If someone argues: You mentioned that the condition ({إِنْ}) implies the event is unlikely, and you said fighting and aggression among believers are rare, so submission ({فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ}) is expected. How can the condition be used? The response is similar to saying to one's slave: "If you die, you are free," even though death is inevitable. However, the timing of death, when the slave would be eligible for manumission (i.e., being alive after death), is unknown. Similarly here, since their submission must come from their own volition, the fact that it did not happen initially confirms the necessity of taking action against them. Thus, Allah says {فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ} (But if it submits), meaning after fighting them intensely and the battle lines are drawn, then make peace. A subtle point here is that whoever does not fear Allah and persists in aggression, their return will only be through compulsion by fighting you.
7. He said here {فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ} (then make peace between them with justice) but did not mention justice in the first instance ({فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا}). This is because the initial reconciliation is about removing the fighting itself, which is achieved through advice, admonition, deterrence, or punishment. The reconciliation here, after the fighting has subsided, involves removing the consequences of the fighting (liability for damages), which is a legal ruling. Thus, He said {بِالْعَدْلِ} (with justice), as if saying: Judge between them justly after they cease fighting, and reconcile what is between them justly, lest sedition flares up between them again.
8. If He said {فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ} (make peace between them with justice), what is the benefit of then saying {وَأَقْسِطُوا} (and be just)? The first phrase, {بِالْعَدْلِ}, specified justice in a particular situation. The command {وَأَقْسِطُوا} generalizes the order to reach the highest degree and loftiest station, which is the love of Allah. Iqṣāṭ (being just) removes Qasṭ (injustice/tyranny), and the Qāsiṭ (unjust person) is the tyrant. The structure implies that Qasṭ is displeasing and unreliable, and so is the Qasṭ (injustice) in the heart.