Reports on the abrogation of pardoning the polytheists, of the ban on fighting them until they attack, and of the ban on fighting in the sacred months

Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is said that this entire prohibition was abrogated by this statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: 'And fight them until there is no more fitnah (persecution).' [Surah al-Baqarah: 193]"

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says, concerning this statement of Allah Almighty, "Kill the polytheists wherever you find them" [Surah al-Tawbah: 5], and likewise this verse, "Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day" [Surah al-Tawbah: 29], that by these verses the pardoning of the polytheists was abrogated. And concerning this statement of Allah Almighty, "O Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh with them" [Surah al-Tawbah: 73], he says that in this verse Allah Almighty commanded him to wage jihad against the disbelievers with the sword and against the hypocrites with the tongue, and He removed gentleness towards them.

Through the same chain, it is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said, concerning the statement of Allah Almighty, "And turn away from the polytheists" [Surah al-An'am: 106] and "You are not a controller over them" [Surah al-Ghashiyah: 22]: he said it means that you are not one who compels them. And likewise this statement: "So pardon them and overlook" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 13]; and similarly, "And if you pardon and overlook" [Surah al-Taghabun: 14]; and "So pardon and overlook until Allah brings His command" [Surah al-Baqarah: 109], that is, until Allah Almighty issues some other command of His; and this noble verse: "Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not hope for the days of Allah" [Surah al-Jathiyah: 14], i.e., you (peace and blessings be upon him) should tell the believers to overlook those who do not look forward to the days of Allah. And all such verses in the Noble Qur'an in which Allah Almighty commanded pardoning the polytheists - the pardoning of the polytheists in all of them was abrogated by this statement of Allah Almighty: "Kill the polytheists wherever you find them" [Surah al-Tawbah: 5], and this statement: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day" [Surah al-Tawbah: 29].

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that Allah Almighty said: "But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them any ally or helper, except those who join a people between whom and you there is a treaty" [Surah al-Nisa: 89-90]. And this statement of Allah Almighty: "Allah does not forbid you from those who did not fight you because of religion and did not expel you from your homes" [Surah al-Mumtahanah: 8], that is, Allah Almighty does not forbid you from treating them with kindness and good conduct. Then these verses were abrogated, and Allah Almighty revealed these verses: "Freedom from obligation from Allah and His Messenger to those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists" [Surah al-Tawbah: 1], up to His statement: "And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them" [Surah al-Tawbah: 5] - that is, Allah and His Messenger declare their disassociation from the polytheists with whom you made a covenant, up to: when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them. And likewise this statement of Allah Almighty was revealed: "And fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together" [Surah al-Tawbah: 36]. And Allah Almighty said: "And if they incline to peace, then incline to it (you too, peace and blessings be upon him)" [Surah al-Anfal: 61]. This verse was abrogated by this statement of Allah Almighty: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day, and do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 29].

Sayyiduna Jundub bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out a group and appointed Ubaydah bin al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) as their commander. When he set out to leave, his love for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made him weep. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Abdullah bin Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him) as commander in his place, wrote a letter and gave it to him, and told him to open and read it at such-and-such a place. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not force any of your companions to travel with you." When he reached the place where he (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered him to open the letter, he opened and read it, and along with that he also said: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' (We belong to Allah and to Him we return), and said: We hear and obey Allah and His Messenger. He said: Then one man from among his companions turned back, and the rest continued with him. They met Ibn al-Hadrami and killed him, and they did not know whether that day was in Rajab or in Jumada al-Akhirah. So the polytheists said: You have killed in the sacred month. Then Allah Almighty revealed these verses: "They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting in it is a great (sin)" [Surah al-Baqarah: 217], up to this statement: "And fitnah is greater than killing" [Surah al-Baqarah: 217] - that is, they ask you (peace and blessings be upon him) about fighting in the sacred month; say: fighting in it is a major sin, but spreading fitnah is an even greater sin than killing. The narrator says: Some of the Muslims said: Even if they did a good deed, they will not receive any reward for it. So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "Indeed, those who believed and those who emigrated and strove in the way of Allah - those hope for the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." [Surah al-Baqarah: 218]

Urwah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out a detachment of Muslims and appointed Abdullah bin Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him) as their commander. They travelled until they halted at Nakhlah, and there they found Amr bin al-Hadrami with a trading caravan of Quraysh, and they killed him. In this way he narrated the whole hadith, which also mentions the revelation of this verse: "They ask you about the sacred month" [Surah al-Baqarah: 217]. In it he also related that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) paid the blood money for (Ibn) al-Hadrami and maintained the sanctity of the sacred month as it used to be held sacred, until Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "Freedom from obligation from Allah and His Messenger" [Surah al-Tawbah: 1].
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) says: It is as though he meant this statement of Allah Almighty: "And fight the polytheists all together" [Surah al-Tawbah: 36]; and the verse which Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned is more general in abrogation. And Allah knows best.

Makhramah bin Bukayr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father that he asked Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him): Is it permissible for the Muslims to fight the disbelievers in the sacred months? He said: Yes! And Sulayman bin Yasar (may Allah have mercy on him) also said the same.

Abu Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I asked Sufyan (may Allah have mercy on him) about this statement of Allah Almighty: "They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting in it is a great (sin)" [Surah al-Baqarah: 217]. He said: This ruling has been abrogated, and now there is no harm in fighting them in the sacred months or at other times.