Surah Al-Fath (48) — Ayah 16

(Ayah 16) ➊ { قُلْ لِّلْمُخَلَّفِيْنَ مِنَ الْاَعْرَابِ … :} In this verse, the Bedouins who stayed behind are comforted that in future battles they will be given full opportunity to participate and obtain spoils, so that they may be assured that they were not prevented from going to Khaybar with the Islamic army because they had left Islam, but rather for a specific reason which has already been mentioned. Thus, in the future, just as other Muslims will be invited to fight the disbelievers, they too will be invited. In this verse, their disappointment at not being included in Khaybar is remedied, and they are given the great glad tidings that they can make up for the shortcoming of staying behind from Khaybar. History bears witness that the tribes of these Bedouins who stayed behind at Hudaybiyyah participated in later battles such as the conquest of Makkah, the battle of Hunayn, the battle of Tabuk, and the battle of Yamamah; very few of them stayed behind from these battles. This verse is also evidence that these people were not deprived of faith, because after this, the hypocrites who stayed behind from the battle of Tabuk, who concealed disbelief in their hearts, were not treated in this way, nor were they invited to participate in any future battle, nor was this permission granted for them. Rather, Allah the Exalted said: « فَاِنْ رَّجَعَكَ اللّٰهُ اِلٰى طَآىِٕفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسْتَاْذَنُوْكَ لِلْخُرُوْجِ فَقُلْ لَّنْ تَخْرُجُوْا مَعِيَ اَبَدًا وَّ لَنْ تُقَاتِلُوْا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا اِنَّكُمْ رَضِيْتُمْ بِالْقُعُوْدِ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُوْا مَعَ الْخٰلِفِيْنَ (83) وَ لَا تُصَلِّ عَلٰۤى اَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّاتَ اَبَدًا وَّ لَا تَقُمْ عَلٰى قَبْرِهٖ اِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ مَاتُوْا وَ هُمْ فٰسِقُوْنَ» [ التوبۃ : 84،83] “So if Allah brings you back to a group of them, and they ask your permission to go out (for battle), say: ‘You shall never go out with me, nor fight any enemy with me. Indeed, you were pleased to sit the first time, so sit with those who stay behind.’ And never pray over any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.”

➋ { سَتُدْعَوْنَ اِلٰى قَوْمٍ اُولِيْ بَاْسٍ شَدِيْدٍ:} In contrast to the hypocrites who stayed behind from the battle of Tabuk, regarding the Bedouins who stayed behind from the expedition of Hudaybiyyah, it is said that in the future you will be called to fight a people of great military strength. {’’ سَتُدْعَوْنَ ‘‘} (Soon you will be called) is a general phrase, so that it also includes the invitation to battle given by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his successors. There are four opinions among the commentators regarding these people of great military strength: one is that it refers to Thaqif and Hawazin, with whom the battle of Hunayn was fought. The second is that it refers to the Romans, whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) invited everyone to fight in the expedition of Tabuk, and later, during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), battles were also fought with them. The third is that it refers to the apostates of Banu Hanifah, whom Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) fought. The fourth opinion is that it refers to the people of Persia, with whom battles were fought during the time of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with them). Imam Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Allah the Exalted said regarding these Bedouin laggards that they will be invited to fight a people of great military strength and bravery, and there is no rational or textual evidence to prove that this refers specifically to Hawazin, or Banu Hanifah, or Persia, or Rome. It may be that it refers to some of them, or it may be that it refers to others besides them. And no statement can be more Sahih than what Allah the Exalted has said, that they will be called to a people of great military strength, so that should suffice.”

➌ { تُقَاتِلُوْنَهُمْ اَوْ يُسْلِمُوْنَ:} That is, you will fight them, or as a result of the fighting, or even without fighting, they will become subservient, or accept to pay jizyah. Some commentators have interpreted {’’ اَوْ يُسْلِمُوْنَ ‘‘} to mean “or they will become Muslims.” According to them, this verse predicts fighting those people from whom it was not permitted to take jizyah, but for whom there were only two options: either become Muslim or be prepared for war. It is unanimously permissible to take jizyah from Jews and Christians; it is also established that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took jizyah from the Magians of Hajar. However, regarding the Arab polytheists, the command was revealed in Surah At-Tawbah (5) that they should be fought until they become Muslim; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not take jizyah from any of them. According to these commentators, this verse refers to Thaqif and Hawazin, who were killed in the battle of Hunayn or, after being captured, all became Muslim, or to the apostates of Banu Hanifah, who were fought until they became Muslim again. However, according to the first opinion, {’’ تُقَاتِلُوْنَهُمْ اَوْ يُسْلِمُوْنَ ‘‘} (you will fight them or they will become subservient) refers to Hawazin, Rome, Persia, the apostates, and all those disbelievers whom the Muslims were to fight in the future, and this opinion is more comprehensive.

➍ {فَاِنْ تُطِيْعُوْا يُؤْتِكُمُ اللّٰهُ اَجْرًا حَسَنًا:} That is, if you obey the command to fight these warriors, Allah the Exalted will give you a very good reward: He will grant you victory, help, honor, and spoils in this world, and Paradise in the Hereafter.

➎ {وَ اِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا اَلِيْمًا:} And if you turn away from obedience, as you turned away at the time of Hudaybiyyah before, then He will give you a painful punishment: you will live a life of humiliation in this world and go to Hell in the Hereafter.