Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 123

(Ayah 123) ➊ {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا قَاتِلُوا الَّذِيْنَ يَلُوْنَكُمْ مِّنَ الْكُفَّارِ:} That is, among the disbelievers, those who are closest to you, fight them first; after including them in the Islamic domain, then fight those who are farther than them, because in every matter, the easiest and best course is considered first. In fighting those who border your territory, there is no need for many mounts, nor much expenditure, nor the hardship of long journeys, nor much effort and resources to stay informed about their conditions, because you are well aware of their locations, their centers of strength, and their weaknesses. Then, in fighting a distant enemy, the risk of an enemy attack from behind on your own country or internal discord remains, but in war with those nearby, this will not be the case; rather, your rear will remain secure. Indeed, the command is to fight all the polytheists, as He said: «{ وَ قَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ كَآفَّةً }» [ التوبۃ : ۳۶ ] but it is necessary to observe the order. The same order applies in invitation (to Islam): first the household, then the family, then the tribe, then the city, then one's own country, then the whole world; and the same order applies in jihad, because jihad is also a part of invitation. Accordingly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) first fought his own tribe, Quraysh, then other tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, then Banu Qurayza and Banu Nadir, then the People of the Book of Khaybar and Fadak who were around Madinah, then Makkah was conquered, and then Yemen and Bahrain, until the entire Arabian Peninsula became Muslim. When he was finished with them, he set out on the expedition of Tabuk to fight the Christians of Syria. This same order was observed after him by Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), Umar al-Faruq, the martyr of the mihrab (may Allah be pleased with him), and other caliphs. Thus, in their time, first Syria and Iraq and Persia were conquered, then Egypt, then to the east India, Khurasan, Kashghar (China), and to the west Africa, Andalus, and France; in short, the banner of Islam began to wave from east to west. And all praise is due to Allah! May Allah grant Muslims once again the ability, through jihad, to end the dominance of the disbelievers and to make His religion prevail in their present countries and throughout the world. (Ameen)

➋ {وَ لْيَجِدُوْا فِيْكُمْ غِلْظَةً:} It is necessary that when you attack, its intensity should be clearly felt by the disbelievers, and if ever they make the mistake of attacking, they should not find any leniency or weakness anywhere in response. For the perfection of faith is to be gentle with the Muslim brother and harsh with the disbelievers, as Allah has described the quality of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): «{ اَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ }» [الفتح : ۲۹ ] "Severe against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves." And He described the attribute of the Mujahideen: «{ اَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكٰفِرِيْنَ }» [ المائدۃ : ۵۴ ] "They are gentle with the believers, harsh with the disbelievers."

➌ { وَ اعْلَمُوْۤا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ:} This has been witnessed throughout the entire history of Islam. When the caliphs, kings, leaders, and common people of the Muslims were righteous, Allah's special company and help was with them, and victory kissed their feet everywhere. And when they became oppressors or sinners, and were engaged in luxury or mutual fighting, Allah's help was withdrawn and the enemy took over their lands. Even now, if Allah's company, support, and help are to be attained, it will only be through righteousness, never merely through scientific advancement or large numbers.

123. 1. In this, an important principle of fighting against disbelievers has been stated. Jihad is to be waged against the disbelievers, just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ first fought against the polytheists residing in the Arabian Peninsula. When he ﷺ was finished with them and Allah Almighty granted Muslims dominance over regions such as Makkah, Ta’if, Yemen, Yamamah, Hajar, Khaybar, Hadramawt, etc., and all the tribes of Arabia entered Islam in multitudes, then he ﷺ began fighting the People of the Book. In the 9th year of Hijrah, he ﷺ set out for Tabuk to fight the Romans, who were near the Arabian Peninsula. In accordance with this, after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs fought against the Christians of Rome and waged war against the Magians of Iran.

123. 2. That is, there should not be softness but rather hardness in the hearts of Muslims towards the disbelievers, just as in (اَشِدَّاۗءُ عَلَي الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاۗءُ بَيْنَهُمْ) 48. Al-Fath:29) the attribute of the Companions has been described. Similarly, in (اَذِلَّةٍ عَلَي الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَعِزَّةٍ عَلَي الْكٰفِرِيْنَ) 5. Al-Ma’idah:54) it is the attribute of the people of faith.

123. O you who believe! Fight those disbelievers [140] who are near to you, and let them find harshness [141] in you. And know that Allah is with those who are mindful of Him [142].

[140]
First, Jihad Against the Disbelievers of the Adjacent Region, Then Sequentially Further Ahead:

That is, if this war is for the purpose of removing obstacles from the path of Islam, or in other words, to eliminate fitnah, then first, war should be waged against the disbelievers of the region adjacent to your own state, and then after that, against those who are connected to it. This is because if, leaving the adjacent region, war is started with the next region, then the disbelievers of the intermediate region can attack the Muslims from both the front and the rear, thus exposing them to dangers. And if the war is of a defensive nature, such as when Russia attacked Afghanistan, then first and foremost, participation in jihad would be obligatory upon Afghanistan, and then upon those regions or countries that share a border with Afghanistan, i.e., Pakistan and Iran, etc.

[141] That is, one should confront them with full determination and should not show any leniency towards them at all; rather, one should deal with them with such severity that they do not dare to rise again. This subject has come in several places in the Quran, that the characteristic of the believers is that they are very merciful and kind among themselves, but very stern-hearted towards the disbelievers.

[142]
It is Necessary to Observe the Rules of War:

This severity does not mean that you forget all those rules and commands which Allah and His Messenger have given you for the time of war. For example, the women, children, monk-like people of the disbelievers, or those who are not actually participating in the battlefield, should not be killed. The mutilation of any corpse should not be done. The violation of a treaty should not be committed at any cost. The enemy’s trees, crops, and livestock should not be destroyed, except if the trees, etc., are obstructing the path of war, and so on. In all such matters, one should remain fearful of Allah, and Allah only is with, and helps those who are fearful of Him.