Towards Understanding the Qur'an. Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi
Whenever they come upon any news bearing upon either security or causing consternation they go about spreading it, whereas if they were to convey it to either the Messenger or to those from among them entrusted with authority, it would come to the knowledge of those who are competent to investigate it.61 But for Allah’s bounty and mercy upon you, (weak as you were), all but a few of you would surely have followed Satan.
(84) So, (O Messenger), fight in the Way of Allah. You are responsible only for yourself. And rouse the believers to fight, for Allah may well curb the might of the unbelievers. Indeed Allah is the Strongest in power and the Most Terrible in chastisement. ▶
61 This was a period of turbulence and upheaval and many rumours were rife in Madinah. Occasionally, baseless and exaggerated reports circulated and seized the whole city and its outlying areas with alarm and consternation. At other times some cunning enemy tried to conceal the dangers threatening the Muslims by spreading soothing reports. The common people were not aware of the far-reaching consequences of rumour-mongering. As soon as they heard something, they ran about spreading it everywhere. This rebuke is addressed to such people. They are warned against spreading rumours and are directed to convey every report they receive to responsible quarters.
178
Al-Nisa’ 4: 85–9
(85) He who intercedes in a good cause shall have a share in its good result, and he who intercedes in an evil cause shall have a share in its burden. Allah watches over everything.
(86) When you are greeted with a salutation then return it with a better one, or at least the same. Surely Allah takes good count of everything. (87) There is no god but Allah. He will certainly gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection – the Day regarding which there can be no doubt. Whose word can be truer than Allah’s?
(88) What has happened to you that you have two minds about the hypocrites even though Allah has reverted them owing to the sins that they earned? Do you want to lead those to the Right Way whom Allah let go astray? And he whom Allah lets go astray, for him you can never find a way. (89) They wish that you should disbelieve just as they disbelieved so that you may all be alike. Do not, therefore, take allies from them until they emigrate in the Way of Allah; ▶
179
Al-Nisa’ 4: 90–1
but if they turn their backs (on emigration), seize them and slay them wherever you come upon them.62 Take none of them for your ally or helper, (90) unless it be such of them who seek refuge with a people who are joined with you by a covenant,63 or those who come to you because their hearts shrink from fighting either against you or against their own people. Had Allah so willed, He would certainly have given them power over you and they would have fought against you. If they leave you alone and do not fight against you and offer you peace, then Allah does not permit you to harm them. (91) You will also find others who wish to be secure from you, and secure from their people, but who, whenever they have any opportunity to cause mischief, plunge into it head-long. ▶
62 This is the verdict on those hypocrites who claimed to be believers but also, in fact, had their affinities with a belligerent, non-Muslim nation; they were the ones who actually participated in acts of hostility against the Islamic state.
63 The exception here does not relate to the injunction that they should not be taken as friends and supporters; it rather relates to the injunction that the believers should seize and slay them. What is meant is that if a hypocrite takes shelter among an unbelieving people with whom the Muslims have an agreement he should not be pursued into that territory.
180
Al-Nisa’ 4: 92
If such people neither leave you alone nor offer you peace nor restrain their hands from hurting you, seize them and slay them wherever you come upon them. It is against these that We have granted you a clear sanction.
(92) It is not for a believer to slay another believer unless by mistake. And he who has slain a believer by mistake, his atonement is to set free from bondage a believing person64 and to pay blood-money to his (that is, the slain person’s) heirs,65 unless they forgo it by way of charity. And if the slain belonged to a hostile people, but was a believer, then the atonement is to set free from bondage a believing person. ▶
64 Since the person killed was a believer, expiation of the sin required the emancipation of a Muslim slave.
65 The Prophet (peace be on him) has fixed the blood-money at either 100 camels, 200 oxen or 2,000 heads of cattle. If someone wished to pay this in another form the amount would be determined with reference to the market value of the animals mentioned above. For instance, for those who wished to pay blood-money in cash, the fixed amount in the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) was 800 dinars (8,000 dirhams). In the time of Caliph [Umar the amount of blood-money was fixed at 1000 golden dinars (12,000 silver dirhams). It should be noted, however, that this amount relates to an unintentional rather than a deliberate homicide.
181
Al-Nisa’ 4: 92
And if the slain belonged to a (non-Muslim) people with whom you have a covenant, then the atonement is to pay the blood-money to his heirs, and to set free from bondage a believing person.66 But he who cannot (free a slave) should fast for two consecutive months.67 This is the penance ordained by Allah.68 Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. ▶
66 The legal injunctions embodied in this verse are as follows:
(1) If the victim was a resident of the Domain of Islam (Dar al-Islam), the assassin is not only required to pay blood-money but also to emancipate a slave by way of expiation.
(2) If the victim was a resident of the Domain of War (Dar al-Harb), the assassin is only required to emancipate a slave.
(3) If the victim was a resident of a non-Muslim country which had treaty relations with an Islamic state, the assassin is required to emancipate a slave and also to pay blood-money. The amount of blood-money, however, depends on the terms stipulated in the treaty between the Muslims and the territory to which the victim belonged.
67 This means that he should observe uninterrupted fasting for the entire period. If a man breaks his fast for just one day without a legally valid reason, he will be required to resume fasting afresh.
68 This shows that what has been prescribed is an act of repentance and expiation rather than a penalty inflicted on a criminal. Penalization is essentially devoid of the spirit of repentance and of the urge to self-reform. A penalty is suffered under duress, usually with resentment, and leaves behind repugnance and bitterness. On the contrary, what God wants is that the believer who has committed a sin should wash away its stain from his soul by supererogatory worship, by acts of charity, and by a meticulous fulfilment of the duties incumbent upon him. Such a person is required to turn to God in remorse and repentance so that his sin may be forgiven and his soul secured against the recurrence of similar errors.
182
Al-Nisa’ 4: 93–4
(93) And he who wilfully slays