"And Be Stern with Them" (Holy Quran 9:73)

Was published in Arabic in October 28, 2015

Translated by Ahmed Fathy

Firstly:

 We have received this email message that we will publish here in this article followed by our reply:

 (…you have said that peaceful people enjoying safety and security within a Muslim society cannot be deemed infidels or unbelievers even if they are non-Muslims. Yet, we find in the Quran that some ''believers'' are described as disbelievers because of their polytheism or lack of true faith, not because they are non-peaceful persons; for instance, in the following verse: "O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Their abode is Hell-what a miserable destination! They swear by God that they said nothing; but they did utter the word of blasphemy, and they renounced faith after their submission. And they plotted what they could not attain. They were resentful only because God and His Messenger have enriched them out of His grace. If they repent, it would be best for them; but if they turn away, God will afflict them with a painful punishment-in this life and in the Hereafter-and they will have on earth no protector and no savior." (9:73-74), we can deduct that God has ordered Prophet Muhammad to be stern with those who uttered words of blasphemy. To quote another verse: "Should you wonder-the real wonder is their saying: "When we have become dust, will we be in a new creation?" Those are they who defied their Lord. Those are they who will have yokes around their necks. Those are the inhabitants of the Fire, where they will remain forever." (13:5), we find here Prophet Muhammad has recited this verse to warn them of being infidels who doubt and utter blasphemy and keep to denial. What do you say about this? Thank you in advance!)

 Our reply:

 Firstly: as for 13:5-6, "Should you wonder-the real wonder is their saying: "When we have become dust, will we be in a new creation?" Those are they who defied their Lord. Those are they who will have yokes around their necks. Those are the inhabitants of the Fire, where they will remain forever. And they urge you to hasten evil before good, though examples have passed away before them. Your Lord is full of forgiveness towards the people for their wrongdoings, yet your Lord is severe in retribution." we find the following.

1- God mentions in the Quran the notions, traits, deeds, and features of disbelief and refutes them. The Quranic text does not name to us non-believers; the focus is on description. The reason: any disbeliever might later on turn into a believer; God accepts true and sincere repentance of the sinners and the non-believers if they return to faith and piety, and their good deeds will be multiplied. We have written a lot of articles on that subject.

2- We have written a lot of articles also on the fact that the Quran quotes deeds and utterances of disbelieve and blasphemy to refute them and forbid us to adhere to them, aiming at repentance of all people in deed and words. As for those bent on shunning repentance and mocking beliefs of the faithful in the Quran, they will face severe judgment before the Almighty; He will judge them and us, believers, to judge among us to settle our differences and decide who have been right and who have been wrong.

Secondly: As for the following verse, "O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Their abode is Hell-what a miserable destination!" (9:73), we say the following:

1- In short, strife, or 'jihad', is akin to an umbrella term in comparison to mere fighting, permissible in Islam only in cases of self-defense. Jihad includes spending money, immigration, the call for worshipping God alone, and finally fighting. Fighting aggressors of the disbelievers is a special type of jihad that has its own rules, orders, commands, situations, and sharia aims in the Quran. Moreover, the terms ''disbelief'' and ''polytheism'' have two meanings in the Quran, in our opinion; either disbelief in one's heart and mind while being peaceful and tolerant towards believers, or disbelief accompanies with violence and military aggression toward peaceful believers. Contexts in the Quranic discourse enable us to differentiate between both meanings. As for 9:73, this verse commands us with jihad, not fighting; jihad against hypocrites and disbelievers who are mentioned in the following verse: "They swear by God that they said nothing; but they did utter the word of blasphemy, and they renounced faith after their submission. And they plotted what they could not attain. They were resentful only because God and His Messenger have enriched them out of His grace. If they repent, it would be best for them; but if they turn away, God will afflict them with a painful punishment-in this life and in the Hereafter-and they will have on earth no protector and no savior." (9:74). This means that if hypocrites and disbelievers do not repent, they will face torment in life and torture in the Afterlife, by God. If they repent, they will be among the believers: "The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the Hell-Fire, and you will find no helper for them. Except those who repent, and reform, and hold fast to God, and dedicate their religion to God alone. These are with the believers; and God will give the believers a great reward." (4:145-146). Hence, those hypocrites are disbelievers judging from their utterances and intention of military aggression against believers. Yet, they did not fight at the time; that is why believers could not fight them. Fighting is permissible only in cases of self-defense when being attacked first. Fighting has its own Quranic rule to face to aggression: "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors." (2:190) "The sacred month for the sacred month; and sacrilege calls for retaliation. Whoever commits aggression against you, retaliate against him in the same measure as he has committed against you. And be conscious of God, and know that God is with the righteous." (2:194). Hence, since the hypocrites did not fight Muslims, what was needed was that Prophet Muhammad would warn them by preaching the Quran: "So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive against them with the Quran, a mighty struggle." (25:52). This type of preaching was stern, because they hated the Quran. Details are found in the following part.

Thirdly: 9:73, being stern:

1- Muhammad is described in the Quran in the following verse: "It is by of grace from God that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you." (3:159) "There has come to you a messenger from among yourselves, concerned over your suffering, anxious over you. Towards the believers, he is compassionate and merciful." (9:128).

2- These were the high values and morals of Prophet Muhammad in his call for Islam in both Mecca and Yathreb and in dealing with disbelievers and hypocrites. Yet, both parties made use of this to try and influence Prophet Muhammad in his call in both cities. For instance, they tried to dissuade him from prayers in Mecca: see 96:9-10 and 96:19. Other instances in Mecca followed successively, and that is why the Quran orders the prophet not to obey them: see 68:8, 76:24, and 18:28. Yet, the prophet was ordered to preach them with the Quran as a jihad allotted to him: "So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive against them with it, a mighty struggle." (25:52). The same command of not obeying them has been repeated in the Quran in Yathreb: "O Prophet! Fear God, and do not obey the unbelievers and the hypocrites. God is Knowledgeable and Wise." (33:1) and "And do not obey the blasphemers and the hypocrites, and ignore their insults, and rely on God. God is a sufficient protector." (33:48). Hypocrites used to falsely swear in the name of God to make Muhammad to believe them, but God in the Quran exposes them: "Had the gain been immediate, and the journey shorter, they would have followed you; but the distance seemed too long for them. Still they swear by God: "Had we been able, we would have marched out with you." They damn their own souls, and God knows that they are lying. May God pardon you! Why did you give them permission before it became clear to you who are the truthful ones, and who are the liars?" (9:42-43). Prophet Muhammad used to be patient with their harm against himself, and the Quran says about that: "And among them are those who insult the Prophet, and say, "He is all ears." Say, "He listens for your own good. He believes in God, and trusts the believers, and is mercy for those of you who believe." Those who insult the Messenger of God will have a painful penalty." (9:61). Prophet Muhammad used to pray for the hypocrites who were disbelievers and used to mock the little military endeavors of the early Muslims, and God says about that in the Quran: "Those who criticize the believers who give charity voluntarily, and ridicule those who find nothing to give except their own efforts-God ridicules them. They will have a painful punishment. Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them-even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, God will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in God and His Messenger. God does not guide the immoral people." (9:79-80). Chapter IV in the Quran is filled with instances mentioned to show the hypocrites' utterances, bad deeds, and mockery against God and Prophet Muhammad, but their deeds did not extent to military aggression in the context of this Chapter, see 9:75-110. In that context, 9:73 is a verse to command Muhammad to preach the Quran to them because they hated it. accordingly, being stern is with preaching the message of the Quran, not with fighting at all. Hypocrites and non-believers could not be fought against at that time, because they did not hold arms against believers. Hence the following Quranic commands: "They will swear to you by God, when you return to them, that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. They are a disgrace, and their destiny is Hell; a reward for what they used to earn." (9:95). This indicates that hypocrites used to tell falsehoods about the prophet and to attribute sayings (hadiths) to him. They used to conspire against him. He never uttered such hadiths at all, of course. He used to preach people using the Quran only. The Quran commands the prophet to ignore them and to leave them unpunished. Quranic revelation exposes them: "They profess obedience, but when they leave your presence, some of them conspire something contrary to what you said. But God writes down what they conspire. So avoid them, and put your trust in God. God is Guardian enough." (4:81). Another Quranic command is to avoid them after preaching them using the Quran: "They are those whom God knows what is in their hearts. So ignore them, and admonish them, and say to them concerning themselves penetrating words." (4:63). Preaching by the Quran for believers in it is a healing and a mercy, but for hypocrites and disbelievers, it used to incite more animosity and antagonism, because they hated the Quran. "…Say, "For those who believe, it is guidance and healing. But as for those who do not believe: there is heaviness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. These are being called from a distant place" (41:44) and "And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, you will recognize disgust on the faces of those who disbelieve. They nearly assault those who recite to them Our Verses. Say, "Shall I inform you of something worse than that? The Fire! God has promised it to those who disbelieve, and what a wretched outcome!"" (22:72). Thus, we now understand 9:73 and 25:52.

Lastly:

 Please try to reflect and contemplate the following verses that describe hypocrites as disbelievers according to their demeanors that reveal their hatred toward the Quran: "Among them are those who listen to you, but when they leave your presence, they say to those given knowledge, "What did he say just now?" Those are they whose hearts God has sealed, and they follow their own desires. As for those who are guided, He increases them in guidance, and He has granted them their righteousness. Are they just waiting until the Hour comes to them suddenly? Its tokens have already come. But how will they be reminded when it has come to them? Know that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for your sin, and for the believing men and believing women. God knows your movements, and your resting-place. Those who believe say, "If only a chapter is sent down." Yet when a decisive chapter is sent down, and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is sickness looking at you with the look of someone fainting at death. So woe to them! Obedience and upright speech. Then, when the matter is settled, being true to God would have been better for them.  If you turn away, you are likely to make mischief on earth, and sever your family ties. Those are they whom God has cursed. He made them deaf, and blinded their sight. Will they not ponder the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts? Those who reverted after the guidance became clear to them-Satan has enticed them, and has given them latitude. That is because they said to those who hated what God has revealed, "We will obey you in certain matters." But God knows their secret thoughts. How about when the angels take them at death, beating their faces and their backs? That is because they pursued what displeases God, and they disliked His approval, so He nullified their works. Do those in whose hearts is sickness think that God will not expose their malice?  Had We willed, We could have shown them to you, and you would have recognized them by their marks. Yet you will recognize them by their tone of speech. And God knows your actions." (47:16-30). God says nothing but the Truth.