Surah At-Tawbah (9): Verses 8–10

Verse 8: How? And if they gain the upper hand over you...

[How? And if they gain the upper hand over you, they will not observe towards you]

Know that the word {كيف} (How?) is a repetition used to express astonishment at the steadfastness of the polytheists upon their covenant.

The implied verb is omitted because it is understood: How can their covenant and their state be such that if they prevail over you—after the oaths and covenants they previously confirmed—they will not regard any alliance or covenant, {nor show consideration for you} (implied meaning).

We must now explain the terms mentioned in the verse:

1. {يظهروا} (gain the upper hand/prevail): It is said, ẓahara ‘ala fulān (he prevailed over so-and-so) when one overcomes another. Ẓahara ‘ala as-saṭḥ (he appeared on the roof) means he became above it. Al-Layth said: al-ẓuhūr (prevalence) is achieving victory over something. Allah made the Muslims prevail over the polytheists, meaning He elevated them above them, as in His saying: {and become victorious} (61:14), and {that He may make it victorious over all religions} (9:33), meaning to elevate it. The reality of this is that whoever overcomes another attains a quality of perfection, and one who is like that manifests himself. The one who is overcome becomes like one deficient, and the deficient one conceals his deficiency. Thus, prevalence became a metaphor for victory because it is one of its necessary consequences. Therefore, {إن يظهروا عليكم} means if they gain power over you.

2. {لا يرقبوا فيكم} (will not observe/regard): Al-Layth said: Raqaba al-insān yarqubuhu (a person observes him) means he waits for him. The guard (raqīb) of a people is their watchman. Similarly, {ولم ترقب قولي} (and you did not observe My word) (20:94) means you did not preserve it.

Regarding the first term, {إلا} (covenant/alliance), there are several opinions:

• First Opinion: It refers to the covenant (al-‘ahd). A poet said:

  We found them to be liars, And one who possesses al-ill and the covenant does not lie. He means the second covenant.

• Second Opinion: Al-Farra’ said al-ill means kinship (al-qarābah). Hassan said:

  By your life, your kinship with Quraysh is like the young ostrich among the large ostriches. He means kinship.

• Third Opinion: Al-ill means the alliance/oath (al-ḥilf). Aws ibn Ḥujr said:

  Were it not for Banu Mālik and the alliance (al-ill), And Mālik among them has favors and honor. He means the alliance.

• Fourth Opinion: Al-ill is Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said, upon hearing Musaylimah’s ravings: "This speech did not come from an Il (God)." Az-Zajjaj criticized this view, saying that the names of Allah are known from the reports and the Qur'an, and no one has ever heard anyone say, "O Il."

• Fifth Opinion: Az-Zajjaj said: The reality of al-ill in my view, according to linguistic necessity, is defining something sharp. For instance, al-allah is the spearhead, and udhun mu’allalah (a pointed ear). Thus, al-ill encompasses all that is interpreted as covenant, kinship, or alliance.

• Sixth Opinion: Al-Azhari said: Ayl is a name for Allah in Hebrew, so it is permissible for it to have been Arabized to Il.

• Seventh Opinion: Some said al-ill is derived from their saying illa yu’illu allā, meaning it became pure and bright. Hence, al-āl (the shining light) is due to its brightness. A pointed ear (udhun mu’allalah) is similar to a spearhead in its sharpness. Lahu alīl means a moan with which he raises his voice. A woman raises her alīl when she wails. Thus, the covenant is named ill because of its clarity and purity from the taint of treachery, or because when people make an alliance, they raise their voices and proclaim it.

As for {ولا ذمة} (nor any bond of protection): Adh-dhimmah is the covenant, and its plural is dhimam and dhimām. It is any matter that becomes binding upon you, such that if you neglect it, you incur blame (madhammah). Abu Abdullah said: Adh-dhimmah is what one avoids blame for; meaning what one refrains from being blamed over. It is said, taẓammama fulān (so-and-so took upon himself blame), similar to taḥawwaba (taking upon oneself sin) or ta’aththama (taking upon oneself fault).

As for {يرضونكم بأفواههم وتأبى قلوبهم} (they please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse): They say sweet and pleasant words with their tongues, but what is in their hearts is the opposite; they harbor nothing but evil and harm if they are able. {وأكثرهم فاسقون} (and most of them are wicked/transgressors).

Here arise two questions:

First Question: Those described with this trait are disbelievers. Disbelief is uglier and more wicked than wickedness (fisq). How is it appropriate to describe them with fisq in a context meant to maximize condemnation?

Second Question: All disbelievers are fāsiqūn (wicked). So, what is the benefit of saying {وأكثرهم فاسقون} (and most of them are wicked)?

Answer to the First Question: A disbeliever might be just in his own religion, or he might be wicked and corrupt in his religion. Here, the meaning is that these disbelievers, whose habit is breaking covenants, {أكثرهم فاسقون} (most of them are wicked) in their religion and among their people, which necessitates maximizing the condemnation.

Answer to the Second Question: The answer is the same as the preceding point. A disbeliever might be scrupulous about avoiding lies, breaking covenants, deceit, and trickery, or he might be characterized by them. Such a person is condemned by all people and in all religions. Therefore, what is meant by {وأكثرهم فاسقون} is that most of them are characterized by these blameworthy traits. Furthermore, Ibn Abbas said: It is not unlikely that some of those disbelievers might have embraced Islam and repented. For this reason, He said {وأكثرهم فاسقون} so that those who entered Islam are excluded from this ruling.

As for {اشتروا بآيات الله ثمنا قليلاً عن سبيله} (they have sold the signs of Allah for a little price, turning away from His path): There are two views:

• First View: It refers to the polytheists. Mujahid said: Abu Sufyan ibn Harb fed his allies and neglected the allies of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the covenant between them was broken because of that meal.

• Second View: It is not unlikely that a group of Jews aided the polytheists in breaking those covenants. Thus, the verse intends to condemn those Jews. This wording in the Qur'an is similar to a command specifically directed at the Jews. This view is strengthened because Allah repeated the saying: {لا يرقبون في مؤمن إلا ولا ذمة} (9:10). If the meaning referred to the polytheists, this would be mere repetition. If it referred to the Jews, it would not be mere repetition, making this view preferable.

Then He said: {وأولئك هم المعتدون} (And those are the transgressors) (9:10), meaning they transgress the limits set by Allah in His religion and what is necessitated by the contract and covenant, which represents the utmost condemnation. And Allah knows best.

Verse 11: But if they repent...

{فإن تابوا وأقاموا الصلواة وآتوا الزكوة فإخوانكم في الدين ونفصل الآيات لقوم يعلمون} (But if they repent, establish prayer, and give Zakah, then they are your brothers in religion. And We detail the verses for a people who know.)

Verse 12: But if they break their oaths...

{وإن نكثوا أيمانهم من بعد عهدهم وطعنوا في دينكم فقاتلوا أئمة الكفر إنهم لا أيمان لهم لعلهم ينتهون} (But if they break their oaths after their covenant and attack your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief; indeed, their oaths are not binding, that they may cease.)