سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 7
كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ رَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّمْ عِندَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ فَمَا ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱسْتَقِيمُوا۟ لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
How can there be a covenant with Allâh and with His Messenger for the Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) except those with whom you made a covenant near Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah)? So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them. Verily, Allâh loves Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَيْفَ
kayfa
How
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
can (there) be
لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ
lil'mush'rikīna
for the polytheists
عَهْدٌ
ʿahdun
a covenant
عِندَ
ʿinda
with
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَعِندَ
waʿinda
and with
رَسُولِهِۦٓ
rasūlihi
His Messenger
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those (with) whom
عَـٰهَدتُّمْ
ʿāhadttum
you made a covenant
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
ٱلْمَسْجِدِ
l-masjidi
Al-Masjid
ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ
l-ḥarāmi
Al-Haraam
فَمَا
famā
So long as
ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟
is'taqāmū
they are upright
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
فَٱسْتَقِيمُوا۟
fa-is'taqīmū
then you be upright
لَهُمْ ۚ
lahum
to them
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يُحِبُّ
yuḥibbu
loves
ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
l-mutaqīna
the righteous
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 7) ➊ { كَيْفَ يَكُوْنُ لِلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ۠ عَهْدٌ … :} That is, those people who are themselves polytheists, who have not fulfilled the covenant of monotheism with their Creator, how can it be possible for them to fulfill any covenant? Whatever covenant they make, they break it.
➋ { اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ عٰهَدْتُّمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ:} By this are meant the same people whose mention has already passed in «اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ عٰهَدْتُّمْ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُوْكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَّ لَمْ يُظَاهِرُوْا عَلَيْكُمْ اَحَدًا فَاَتِمُّوْۤا اِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ اِلٰى مُدَّتِهِمْ » [ التوبۃ : ۴ ]. The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which was agreed upon for ten years between the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the disbelievers of Quraysh, was concluded at the place of Hudaybiyyah, which is near the boundaries of the Haram, therefore it was called {’’ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ‘‘}. (Ibn Kathir) The meaning is that those who remained firm on this covenant, do not fight them. The condition in this treaty was that neither party would attack the other, nor help anyone against the other. In this treaty, Banu Khuza'ah were included with the Muslims and Banu Bakr were allies of Quraysh, but after some time, fighting broke out between Banu Bakr and Banu Khuza'ah, and the polytheists, violating the treaty, helped Banu Bakr against Banu Khuza'ah. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) attacked Makkah in Ramadan 8 AH and conquered it. (Ibn Kathir) Ibn Jarir Tabari preferred the view that this refers to those tribes of Banu Bakr who remained firm on their covenant of Hudaybiyyah and neither attacked Banu Khuza'ah nor helped in it, because at the time of the revelation of these verses, a year had passed since the conquest of Makkah, and Quraysh had already received the punishment for their breach of covenant. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Three types of treaties were mentioned: one with whom no term was fixed, they were answered (that you are given four months' respite); but those who were included in the treaty of Makkah (then) as long as they do not betray, this is the respect of Makkah; and third, those with whom a term was fixed, that treaty remained, but in the end, all the polytheist Arabs embraced faith." (Mawaddih) In {’’اسْتَقَامُوْا ‘‘}, due to the addition of the letters "Seen" and "Ta", the translation is "remain fully firm."
➌ {اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ:} And fulfilling the covenant is also a necessary condition for being God-fearing.
➋ { اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ عٰهَدْتُّمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ:} By this are meant the same people whose mention has already passed in «اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ عٰهَدْتُّمْ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُوْكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَّ لَمْ يُظَاهِرُوْا عَلَيْكُمْ اَحَدًا فَاَتِمُّوْۤا اِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ اِلٰى مُدَّتِهِمْ » [ التوبۃ : ۴ ]. The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which was agreed upon for ten years between the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the disbelievers of Quraysh, was concluded at the place of Hudaybiyyah, which is near the boundaries of the Haram, therefore it was called {’’ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ‘‘}. (Ibn Kathir) The meaning is that those who remained firm on this covenant, do not fight them. The condition in this treaty was that neither party would attack the other, nor help anyone against the other. In this treaty, Banu Khuza'ah were included with the Muslims and Banu Bakr were allies of Quraysh, but after some time, fighting broke out between Banu Bakr and Banu Khuza'ah, and the polytheists, violating the treaty, helped Banu Bakr against Banu Khuza'ah. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) attacked Makkah in Ramadan 8 AH and conquered it. (Ibn Kathir) Ibn Jarir Tabari preferred the view that this refers to those tribes of Banu Bakr who remained firm on their covenant of Hudaybiyyah and neither attacked Banu Khuza'ah nor helped in it, because at the time of the revelation of these verses, a year had passed since the conquest of Makkah, and Quraysh had already received the punishment for their breach of covenant. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Three types of treaties were mentioned: one with whom no term was fixed, they were answered (that you are given four months' respite); but those who were included in the treaty of Makkah (then) as long as they do not betray, this is the respect of Makkah; and third, those with whom a term was fixed, that treaty remained, but in the end, all the polytheist Arabs embraced faith." (Mawaddih) In {’’اسْتَقَامُوْا ‘‘}, due to the addition of the letters "Seen" and "Ta", the translation is "remain fully firm."
➌ {اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ:} And fulfilling the covenant is also a necessary condition for being God-fearing.
