Tafsir of Al-Hujurat 49:9

Regarding the occasion of revelation: Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stopped by a gathering of the Ansar while riding a donkey. The donkey urinated, and Abdullah ibn Ubayy held his nose and said, "Move your donkey away, for its stench has harmed us." Abdullah ibn Rawaha replied, "By Allah, the urine of his donkey is more pleasant than your musk." (Another narration says: "His donkey is better than you, and its urine is more pleasant than your musk.") The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) moved on, but the dispute between them escalated until they insulted and struck one another. Their respective tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, arrived and began striking each other with sticks, and it is said, with hands, sandals, and palm branches. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned to them, reconciled them, and this verse was revealed. Muqatil added that he recited it to them, and they made peace.

Linguistic and Legal Notes:

• Al-Baghy (Transgression): Exceeding bounds, injustice, and refusing reconciliation.
• Al-Fay’ (Returning): This term is also used for shade and spoils of war. Shade is called fay’ because it returns after the sun has moved; spoils are called fay’ because they return from the wealth of the disbelievers to the Muslims. Abu Amr read hatta tafiya without a hamza, as he lightened the first of the two consecutive hamzas, which led some narrators to mistakenly think he dropped it entirely.
• Grammatical Query: Why is the verb iqtatalu (plural) used instead of iqtatalata (dual)? It is because the term "two parties" (ta’ifatayn) is treated according to its meaning (a group/people) rather than its literal dual form. In Abdullah’s reading, it is hatta yafi’u ila amr Allah.
• The Ruling on the Transgressing Party: It is obligatory to fight them as long as they continue to fight. Ibn Umar said, "I have never felt as distressed about anything as I felt regarding this verse, had I not fought this transgressing party as Allah commanded me." This was said after he had initially withdrawn from the conflict. Once they cease and withhold their hands from war, they are left alone.
• The Prophetic Guidance: Regarding how to treat the transgressing party, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Ibn Umm Abd (Ibn Mas'ud): "Do you know how Allah has judged regarding those who transgress from this Ummah?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "Their wounded are not to be finished off, their captives are not to be killed, their fugitives are not to be pursued, and their spoils are not to be divided."

Scenarios of Conflict:

1. Mutual Transgression: If two parties fight out of mutual transgression, the duty is to mediate, reconcile, and calm the masses through truth and exhortation. If they persist, fighting them becomes mandatory.
2. Conflict based on Doubt: If they fight due to a misunderstanding, where both believe they are in the right, the duty is to remove the doubt through clear arguments and proofs. If they persist in stubbornness, they are treated as transgressing parties.
3. One-sided Transgression: If one party is clearly the aggressor, it must be fought until it desists and repents. Once it does, peace must be established between them and the victimized party with equity and justice.

Regarding Compensation: There is a difference of opinion regarding whether the transgressing party is liable for damages caused during the conflict. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan held that if they are a powerful, organized group, they are not liable for damages caused during the fighting, but they are liable for what they destroyed once the war ends. Others argue that the goal is to extinguish hatred, not to enforce financial liability.

On the Verse:

• "And act justly": This is a general command for equity, following the specific command for reconciliation.
• Qist (Justice vs. Injustice): Qist (with a fatha) means injustice or crookedness (as in crooked legs). A qasit stick is a dry, crooked one. However, Qist (meaning justice) comes from the verb aqsata, where the hamza signifies removal—meaning "he removed the qist (injustice)."