Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 73

(Ayah73) {يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَ الْمُنٰفِقِيْنَ … :} Upon arriving in Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) continued to show leniency towards the hypocrites for a long time and forgave their conspiracies and meanness, but instead of reforming, their rebellion only increased due to this good treatment. Therefore, when this Surah was revealed, which is among the last Surahs to be revealed in the Qur’an, the command was given that now the time for leniency and forgiveness has passed, and it is time for strictness and discipline. Therefore, the leniency and overlooking that you have shown until now should be ended, and every fault of theirs should be dealt with strictly. From this verse, it is understood that if the hypocrites openly express disbelief and persist in it, then they should be fought with the sword just like the disbelievers. Ibn Jarir Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) has preferred this view. However, if after expressing disbelief, they retract from it, then they should be dealt with harshly and rebuked verbally, but not fought with the sword. However, the Hudud (prescribed punishments) of Allah must certainly be enforced upon them, because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not fight the hypocrites with the sword, and even when permission to kill was sought, he said: “Leave them, lest people say Muhammad (peace be upon him) kills his own companions.” Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him), after mentioning various opinions, writes: “There is no contradiction in these opinions; the real matter is that punishment can be given according to the situation, that is, if the hypocrites dare to openly express disbelief, then they will be treated just like the disbelievers.”

73. 1. In this verse, the Prophet ﷺ is being commanded to perform jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites and to be harsh with them. After the Prophet ﷺ, the addressees of this command are his ﷺ Ummah. The command to perform jihad is given against both the disbelievers and the hypocrites. There is a difference of opinion regarding this. One opinion is that if the hypocrisy and conspiracies of the hypocrites are exposed, then jihad should be waged against them in the same manner as it is waged against the disbelievers. The second opinion is that jihad against the hypocrites means to admonish and advise them verbally, or if they commit moral crimes, then the Hudud (prescribed punishments) should be enforced upon them. The third opinion is that the command of jihad pertains to the disbelievers, and the command to be harsh pertains to the hypocrites. Imam Ibn Kathir states that there is no contradiction or incompatibility among these opinions, because depending on the circumstances and conditions, it is permissible to act upon any of these opinions.

73. 2. Taking action against the enemies with severity and strength is meant. Mere harshness of speech is not intended, because that would be contrary to the noble character of the Prophet ﷺ, and neither could he ﷺ adopt it nor could Allah Almighty command him to do so.

73. 3. The command of jihad and harshness pertains to this world. In the Hereafter, for them there is Hell, which is the worst place.

O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be stern with them [88]. Their abode is Hell, and what an evil destination it is.

[88]
Why Was Strictness Not Shown to the Hypocrites Until the Battle of Tabuk?

➊ Your gentleness ➋ Internal discord ➌ Taunts from outsiders
These verses were revealed after the Battle of Tabuk, while the hypocrites had already spent nine years in their conspiracies and anti-Islamic activities. There were several reasons for the lenient attitude that had been adopted towards these hypocrites until then. The first reason was that you were naturally gentle. Your disposition was more inclined towards forgiving and pardoning the offender rather than rebuking or punishing him. The second reason was that if you had been strict with them, internal discord would have arisen among the Muslims, and before the Battle of Tabuk, the Muslim state was not strong enough to face both external and internal threats. And if such an action had to be taken, the objectives of spreading Islam would have been set back greatly. The third reason was the taunts of outsiders, i.e., non-Muslims. Thus, on the return from the Battle of Banu Mustaliq, when Abdullah bin Ubayy tried to create discord between the Aws and Khazraj and uttered inappropriate words about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sought your ﷺ permission to kill him, but you ﷺ said to Sayyiduna Umar, "No, let it be. What will people say—that Muhammad ﷺ has started killing his own companions?" [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير۔ باب يَقُوْلُوْنَ لَيِٕنْ رَّجَعْنَآ .....]

Forms of Strictness and Coercion Against the Hypocrites:

However, when the intrigues of these people exceeded all bounds, a command was given to deal strictly with these snakes in the sleeve. It should be clear that jihad against the disbelievers often means fighting with the sword. But such a war cannot be waged against the hypocrites because Islamic rulings are applied to outward conditions, and the matter of the inner self is left to Allah. And the greatest benefit the hypocrites gained by embracing Islam was the protection of their lives and property. Thus, you ﷺ never fought the hypocrites with the sword at any time. Here, jihad against the hypocrites and being strict with them means that henceforth, their words should not be trusted. Their mischief should not be concealed so that they do not get the opportunity to spread the poison of hypocrisy in the Muslim society, and their conspiracies should be openly exposed. Their testimony should not be considered credible. They should be excluded from collective consultations. No office or position should be entrusted to these people. Sincere relations and associations with them should be cut off so that it becomes clear to them that in an Islamic society, there is no place of honor and respect for them.