At-Tawbah: 4

Ayah

Word by Word

إِلَّا

Except

ٱلَّذِينَ

those (with) whom

عَٰهَدتُّم

you have a treaty

مِّنَ

among

ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

the polytheists

ثُمَّ

then

لَمۡ

not

يَنقُصُوكُمۡ

they have failed you

شَيۡـٔٗا

(in any) thing

وَلَمۡ

and not

يُظَٰهِرُواْ

they have supported

عَلَيۡكُمۡ

against you

أَحَدٗا

anyone

فَأَتِمُّوٓاْ

so fulfil

إِلَيۡهِمۡ

to them

عَهۡدَهُمۡ

their treaty

إِلَىٰ

till

مُدَّتِهِمۡۚ

their term

إِنَّ

Indeed

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

يُحِبُّ

loves

ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ

the righteous

Translation

(But the treaties are) not dissolved with those Pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided any one against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for Allah loveth the righteous.

Tafsir

Existing Peace Treaties remained valid until the End of Their Term Allah says; إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْيًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّواْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَى مُدَّتِهِمْ Except those of the Mushrikin with whom you have a treaty, and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor have supported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty for them until the end of their term. This is an exception regulating the longest extent of time for those who have a general treaty - with out time mentioned - to four months. They would have four months to travel the lands in search of sanctuary for themselves wherever they wish. Those whose treaty mentioned a specific limited term, then the longest it would extend was to the point of its agreed upon termination date. Hadiths in this regard preceded. So anyone who had a treaty with Allah's Messenger, it lasted until its specific termination date. However, those in this category were required to refrain from breaking the terms of the agreement with Muslims and from helping non-Muslims against Muslims. This is the type whose peace agreement with Muslims was carried out to its end. Allah encouraged honoring such peace treaties, saying, إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ Surely, Allah loves those who have Taqwa. who keep their promises.