Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:123

{يَلُونَكُم} (Those who are near you): Those who are closest to you. Fighting is obligatory against all disbelievers, both those near and those far, but the nearest, then the next nearest, is more obligatory. Its parallel is: "And warn your closest kindred" (Ash-Shu'ara: 214).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fought his own people, then others from the Arabs of the Hijaz, then he campaigned against the Levant (al-Sham).

It is said: They are [the tribes of] Qurayza, an-Nadir, Fadak, and Khaybar.

It is also said: They are the Romans, because they inhabited the Levant, and the Levant is closer to Medina than Iraq and other regions. Thus, it is incumbent upon the people of every region to fight those who are adjacent to them, unless the people of another region are in dire need of them.

It is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about fighting the Daylam, and he replied: "Stick to the Romans."

{غِلْظَةً} (Harshness): It is read with the three vowel marks (ghilza, ghulza, ghalza). Ghilza is like shidda (intensity); ghulza is like daghta (pressure); ghalza is like sakhata (displeasure). Similar to it is: "And be harsh against them" (At-Tawbah: 73).

{وَلا تَهِنُوا} (Do not weaken): This encompasses boldness, patience in fighting, intense enmity, and violence in killing and taking captives. From this is: "And do not let pity for them withhold you in the religion of Allah" (An-Nur: 2).

{مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ} (With the righteous): He grants victory to the one who fears Him and does not show pity toward His enemy.

{وَإِذَا مَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَٰذِهِ إِيمَانًا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ * وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ}