Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 217

(Ayah 217) ➊ { ”قِتَالٍ فِيْهِ“ } is a بدل اشتمال (substitutive clause) from { ”الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ“ }. {”قِتَالٌ“} is the subject and {”كَبِيْرٌ“} is the predicate. {”صَدٌّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ“} is the subject, {” كُفْرٌۢ بِهٖ “} and {”اِخْرَاجُ اَهْلِهٖ “} are conjoined to it, and the predicate for all of them is {”اَكْبَرُ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ“}, and {”الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ“} is conjoined to {”سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ“}, and in {”كُفْرٌۢ بِهٖ“} the pronoun in {”بِهٖ“} refers back to the word {”اللّٰهِ“} mentioned in {”سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ“}. And the wisdom in mentioning {”كُفْرٌۢ بِهٖ“} before {”الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ “} is that after mentioning the prevention from the way of Allah (Islam), disbelief in Allah is a greater crime than preventing from Masjid al-Haram, so it was mentioned first.

➋ Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab—these four months are sacred months. Even in the era of ignorance, looting and bloodshed were considered forbidden in them. The incident is that in 2 AH, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a detachment of the army under the leadership of Abdullah bin Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him) for jihad. They attacked a caravan of the disbelievers, in which one of them was killed and some were captured along with their goods and brought to Madinah. This incident occurred in Rajab, 2 AH. The disbelievers taunted the Muslims that you have broken the sanctity by fighting in Rajab, so this verse was revealed that fighting in the sacred month is indeed a great sin, but you are committing even greater sins (which are: preventing from the way of Allah, i.e., Islam, disbelief in Allah, preventing from Masjid al-Haram, expelling the Companions and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from Masjid al-Haram, i.e., the Haram of Makkah, and besides this, fitnah, i.e., subjecting Muslims to torture to force them into disbelief and polytheism, is an even greater crime than killing). Therefore, if the Muslims have drawn the sword, they are not blameworthy. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani)

➌ The prohibition of fighting in the sacred months, according to most jurists, has been abrogated by the verse of Surah Tawbah: «فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُّمُوْهُمْ » [التوبۃ : ۵] (al-Jassas), but in the same Surah Tawbah, the verse: «اِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُوْرِ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا » [ التوبۃ : ۳۶] is present: «مِنْهَاۤ اَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ» "Of these, four months are sacred." Then it is said: «فَلَا تَظْلِمُوْا فِيْهِنَّ اَنْفُسَكُمْ وَ قَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ كَآفَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُوْنَكُمْ كَآفَّةً» [ التوبۃ : ۳۶] "So do not wrong yourselves in them, and fight the disbelievers in all situations, just as they fight you in all situations." And «اَلشَّهْرُ الْحَرَامُ بِالشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ» [ البقرۃ : ۱۹۴] "The sacred month is for the sacred month," from this it is understood that the reason for the permission to fight in the sacred months is that the disbelievers are always ready to fight the Muslims even in these months, so there is no restriction on Muslims not to fight in these months. If, in reality, the disbelievers observe the sanctity of these months, then the Muslims should also observe it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also mentioned the sanctity of these months in the sermon of the last Hajj. This is the saying of Ata and many scholars, and this appears to be correct.

➍ { وَ الْفِتْنَةُ اَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ :} For its explanation, see verse: «وَ الْفِتْنَةُ اَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ» [ البقرۃ : ۱۹۱]

➎ {” اِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوْا:“} This is the glad tidings that the disbelievers, despite numerous battles, will never succeed in their objective of turning all Muslims away from the religion. There will always be some people upholding Islam who will continue to confront them. See the last verses of Surah al-Fath and Surah al-Saff, verses (8, 9).

➏ { حَبِطَتْ اَعْمَالُهُمْ :} From this verse, it is understood that if a person (Allah forbid) becomes an apostate and dies in that state, all his deeds are nullified, but if he sincerely repents and accepts Islam again, then his deeds before apostasy are not lost, rather he will be rewarded for them as well. (Fath al-Bayan)

If a person becomes an apostate and does not repent, his punishment is death, which is the result of their deeds being nullified in this world according to «حَبِطَتْ اَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا». The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِیْنَہُ فَاقْتُلُوْہُ] [ بخاری، الجہاد، والسیر، باب لا یعذب بعذاب اللہ : ۳۰۱۷] "Whoever changes his religion (Islam), kill him." The sanctity of life, wealth, and honor gained in this world due to Islam, funeral rites after death, burial in the Muslim graveyard, the marriage bond with a Muslim wife, inheritance—in short, all the rights of Muslims are terminated due to apostasy.