سورة التوبة

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them] — these months are: from the Day of Nahr (sacrifice) until the end of ten days of the month of Rabi al-Thani.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever has an agreement [with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)], [it lasts] until the end of its term; and whoever does not have an agreement, has a respite of four months, so that if we seize anyone after four months, we shall put him to death. The proof and evidence for this statement is the very word of the Lord who said: فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ ... کُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ [So when the sacred months have passed away ... in every ambush].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ قُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْناً [And speak good to people] was revealed concerning the Jews, then it was abrogated by the verse: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [Then slay the idolaters wherever you find them].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِکِینَ [And turn away from the idolaters]; (al-An'am/106) this verse is abrogated by [means of] the verse: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [Then slay the idolaters wherever you find them].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لا یَجْرِمَنَّکُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَنْ صَدُّوکُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَنْ تَعْتَدُوا [And let not hatred of a people, because they hindered you from the Sacred Mosque, incite you to transgress]; (al-Ma'idah/2) meaning: let not the enmity of Quraysh in the battle of Hudaybiyyah, when they barred you from the Sacred Mosque, drive you to overstep and wrong them ... Then this verse was abrogated by this divine saying: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [So slay the idolaters wherever you find them].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The verse: وَ لا تَزالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلی خائِنَةٍ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِیلًا مِنْهُمْ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَ اصْفَحْ [And you will never cease to discover treachery from them, save a few of them; so pardon them and overlook]; (al-Ma'idah/13) has been abrogated by the verse: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [So slay the idolaters wherever you find them].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): فَاعْفُوا وَ اصْفَحُوا حَتَّی یَأْتِیَ اللهُ بِأَمْرِهِ [So pardon and overlook until Allah brings about His command]; (al-Baqarah/109). This verse has been abrogated by the verse: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ [So slay the idolaters wherever you find them].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Where he was mentioning the abrogating and the abrogated (nasikh and mansukh), he said: 'When Islam grew strong and the number of Muslims increased, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: So do not become weak, and do not invite [the enemies] to a [humiliating] peace, while you are the superior ones, and Allah is with you, and He will never diminish anything of [the reward of] your deeds! (Muhammad/35). This verse abrogated the verse which had granted them permission to make peace with the idolaters. Then Allah revealed at the end of the surah: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَ خُذُوهُمْ وَ احْصُرُوهُمْ وَ اقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ کُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ [So slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush], and among the abrogated verses is that Allah the Exalted made jihad obligatory upon the community, so that one man had to fight ten of the idolaters.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hafs ibn Ghiyath said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'O Hafs! Indeed, whoever exercises patience, has surely exercised patience for only a little while, and whoever shows impatience, he too has shown impatience for only a short period (in the end this life and this short span passes away). ... The good promise of your Lord to the Children of Israel was fulfilled because of the patience and steadfastness they displayed, and We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people used to build [of magnificent palaces], and what they had raised of the trellised gardens! (al-A'raf/137). After the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "This saying of Allah is glad tidings, good news, and permission for revenge against the disbelievers." After this, Allah the Exalted permitted and allowed fighting the idolaters and crushing them, and the verses of fighting were revealed; and [the idolaters, who do not refrain from any crime], wherever you find them, slay them! (al-Baqarah/191).' And Allah, by the hand of the Prophet and his companions, killed and crushed the disbelievers and idolaters. And Allah, in addition to the reward of the Hereafter, granted the reward of the Prophet's patience in this very world as well. Therefore, the result becomes such that whoever exercises patience, endurance, and steadfastness for the sake of Allah and in the path of Allah, will not close his eyes to this world until Allah brightens his eyes with the humiliation and crushing of his enemies, in addition to the rewards that are for him in the Hereafter.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Allah the Exalted sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) with five swords: three of them are drawn and are not to be sheathed until war ends and weapons are laid down, and war will not end until the sun rises from its setting-place [that is, until the establishment of the Resurrection]. On the day the sun rises from the west, all people will believe, [but] the believing of those who did not believe before, or did not earn any good in their belief, will be of no benefit to them! (al-An'am/158). One of those swords is wrapped in its cover, and another sword is in its sheath — its drawing is for others and its ruling is for us. But one of those three drawn swords has been unsheathed against the polytheists of the Arabs. Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَ خُذُوهُمْ وَ احْصُرُوهُمْ وَ اقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ کُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِنْ تابُوا [Slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush; then if they repent] — meaning: if they believe — وَ أَقامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ آتَوُا الزَّکاةَ [and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate]. Nothing is accepted from these people except being killed or entering into Islam, and their properties and children are taken as captives [and spoils], based on the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in taking enemies captive. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would take a group of the enemies captive, pardon a group, and take ransom from others.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): [He (peace be upon him)] said: ... When Islam grew strong and the Muslims became many, Allah revealed this verse: فَلا تَهِنُوا وَ تَدْعُوا إِلَی السَّلْمِ وَ أَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ وَ اللهُ مَعَکُمْ وَ لَنْ یَتِرَکُمْ أَعْمالَکُمْ [So do not be weak, and do not invite [the enemies] to a [humiliating] peace, while you are the superior ones, and Allah is with you, and He will not diminish anything of [the reward of] your deeds!] (Muhammad/35). This verse abrogated the verse in which permission had been given to incline toward peace; therefore, at the end of the Surah He revealed this verse: فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِکِینَ حَیْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَ خُذُوهُمْ وَ احْصُرُوهُمْ [Slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them] ... And among the abrogated verses is this, that Allah the Exalted made jihad obligatory upon the Ummah, and one man had to fight against ten of the polytheists.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) intended to dispatch a military detachment against the enemy, he would summon them and seat them before him. Then he would say: "March in the name of Allah and with the help of Allah, and fight in the path of Allah and upon the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Take care not to break your covenant, do not act treacherously with regard to the war booty, do not cut off anyone's ear or nose, do not cut down the trees of the enemy unless you are compelled to do so. Do not kill the aged, the children, or the women. Any Muslim, whether unknown or well-known, if he casts a glance of protection upon one of the enemy — whether that enemy is in this army or ahead of the ranks — the blood of that enemy is inviolable under the protection of that Muslim man, until he hears the word of Allah. If, after hearing the word of Allah, he follows your religion, he is your brother in faith. And if he refuses, seek help from Allah and return him to his place of safety."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ [So when the sacred months have passed away]; this is the same verse we have remembered from the day Imam Ali (peace be upon him) recited it to them, and what it means is that once the four-month respite has passed, fight those whose respite has ended, whether it be in the sacred months or in other months. حَیْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ [wherever you find them] ...