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Ayah
Word by Word
أَلَا
Will not
تُقَٰتِلُونَ
you fight
قَوۡمٗا
a people
نَّكَثُوٓاْ
who broke
أَيۡمَٰنَهُمۡ
their oaths
وَهَمُّواْ
and determined
بِإِخۡرَاجِ
to drive out
ٱلرَّسُولِ
the Messenger
وَهُم
and they
بَدَءُوكُمۡ
began (to attack) you
أَوَّلَ
first
مَرَّةٍۚ
time
أَتَخۡشَوۡنَهُمۡۚ
Do you fear them
فَٱللَّهُ
But Allah
أَحَقُّ
(has) more right
أَن
that
تَخۡشَوۡهُ
you should fear Him
إِن
if
كُنتُم
you are
مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
believers
أَلَا
Will not
تُقَٰتِلُونَ
you fight
قَوۡمٗا
a people
نَّكَثُوٓاْ
who broke
أَيۡمَٰنَهُمۡ
their oaths
وَهَمُّواْ
and determined
بِإِخۡرَاجِ
to drive out
ٱلرَّسُولِ
the Messenger
وَهُم
and they
بَدَءُوكُمۡ
began (to attack) you
أَوَّلَ
first
مَرَّةٍۚ
time
أَتَخۡشَوۡنَهُمۡۚ
Do you fear them
فَٱللَّهُ
But Allah
أَحَقُّ
(has) more right
أَن
that
تَخۡشَوۡهُ
you should fear Him
إِن
if
كُنتُم
you are
مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
believers
Translation
Would you not fight against a people who broke their oaths and determined to expel the Messenger, and they had begun [the attack upon] you the first time? Do you fear them? But Allāh has more right that you should fear Him, if you are [truly] believers.
Tafsir
Will you not (a-laa, 'will not' or 'is not', denotes incitement) fight a people who broke, violated, their oaths, their pacts, and intended to expel the Messenger, from Mecca - for they discussed this between them in their council assembly - initiating, combat, against you first?, when they fought alongside Banoo Bakr against Khuzaa'a, your allies? So what is stopping you from fighting them? Are you afraid of them? God is more worthy of your fear, when you fail to fight them, if you are believers.
Encouragement to fight the Disbelievers, and some Benefits of fighting Them
Allah says;
أَلَا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَّكَثُواْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّواْ بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ
Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths and intended to expel the Messenger,
These Ayat encourage, direct and recommend fighting against the idolators who break the terms of their covenants, those who tried to expel the Messenger from Makkah.
Allah said in other Ayat,
وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَـكِرِينَ
And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you; they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the best of those who plot. (8:30)
يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّـكُمْ أَن تُوْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ
and have driven out the Messenger and yourselves (from your homeland) because you believe in Allah your Lord! (60:1)
and,
وَإِن كَادُواْ لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا
And verily, they were about to frighten you so much as to drive you out from the land. (17:76)
Allah's statement,
وَهُم بَدَوُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
while they did attack you first,
refers to the battle of Badr when the idolators marched to protect their caravan. When they knew that their caravan escaped safely, they still went ahead with their intent to fight Muslims out of arrogance, as we mentioned before.
It was also said that these Ayat refer to the idolators breaking the peace agreement with Muslims and aiding Bani Bakr, their allies, against Khuza`ah, the ally of the Messenger of Allah. This is why the Messenger of Allah marched to Makkah in the year of the victory, thus conquering it, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.
Allah said,
أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّوُمِنِينَ
Do you fear them!
Allah has more right that you should fear Him if you are believers.
Allah says here, `Do not fear idolators, but fear Me instead, for I am worthy of being feared by the servants due to My might and punishment. In My Hand lies the matter; whatever I will occurs, and whatever I do not will does not occur.'
Allah next said, while ordering the believers and explaining the wisdom of ordaining Jihad against them, all the while able to destroy their enemies with a command from Him,
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّوْمِنِينَ
Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands, and disgrace them and give you victory over them, and heal the breasts of a believing people.
This Ayah includes all believers, even though Mujahid, Ikrimah and As-Suddi said that it refers to Khuza`ah.
Concerning the believers, Allah said
وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ
and remove the anger of their hearts,
then
وَيَتُوبُ اللّهُ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء
Allah accepts the repentance of whom He wills,
from His servants,
وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ
Allah is All-Knowing,
in what benefits His servants,
حَكِيمٌ
All-Wise,
in His actions and statements, whether narrative or legislative.
Allah does what He wills, decides what He wills, and He is the Just Who never wrongs any. Not even the weight of an atom of good or evil is ever neglected with Him, but rather, He compensates for it in this life and the Hereafter.
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