Surah 9. At-Tauba, Ayah 12
| وَإِنْ نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ وَطَعَنُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ فَقَاتِلُوا أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ ۙ إِنَّهُمْ لَا أَيْمَانَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنْتَهُونَ |
| Asad | : | But if they break their solemn pledges after having concluded a covenant,18 and revile your religion, then fight against these archetypes of faithlessness19 who, behold, have no [regard for their own] pledges, so that they might desist [from aggression]. |
| Malik | : | But if they violate their treaty once they have sworn it and insult your Deen, then fight with the ringleaders of the unbelief - for their oaths are nothing to them - so that they may be stopped. |
| Pickthall | : | And if they break their pledges after their treaty (hath been made with you) and assail your religion, then fight the heads of disbelief Lo! they have no binding oaths in order that they may desist. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | But if they violate their oaths after their covenant and taunt you for your faith fight ye the chiefs of unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them: that thus they may be restrained. 1260 |
| Transliteration | : | wa- 'in nakatho aymaan -hum min bacdi cahd -him wa- ta.cano fe den -kum fa- qaatilo a'immah al- kufr 'inna -hum laa aymaan la- -hum lacalla -hum yantahon |
Note - 18Lit., "if they break their oaths after their covenant".
This obviously refers to unbelievers who, without having
renounced their own beliefs, have concluded treaties of
friendship with the Muslims. Their subsequent "breaking
of the solemn pledges" is an allusion to the breach of
the truce of Hudaybiyyah by the pagan Quraysh, which, in
turn, led to the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims in the
year 8 H.
|
Note - 19The word imam (of which a'immah is the plural) denotes
not merely a "leader" but also - and primarily - "a
person who is an object of imitation by his followers"
(Taj al-'Arus): hence, a "model", or "exemplar", or
"archetype". The term kufr, which usually signifies a
"denial of [or "refusal to acknowledge"] the truth", is
rendered here as "faithlessness" because it refers,
specifically, to a deliberate breaking of solemn
engagements.
|
Note - 1260Not only did the enemies break their oaths shamelessly,
but they even taunted the Muslims on their Faith and the
"simple-minded" way in which they continued to respect
their part of the treaty, as if they were afraid to
fight!
|
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Lit., "if they break their oaths after their covenant". This obviously refers to unbelievers who, without having renounced their own beliefs, have concluded treaties of friendship with the Muslims. Their subsequent "breaking of the solemn pledges" is an allusion to the breach of the truce of Hudaybiyyah by the pagan Quraysh, which, in turn, led to the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims in the year 8 H. |
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The word imam (of which a'immah is the plural) denotes not merely a "leader" but also - and primarily - "a person who is an object of imitation by his followers" (Taj al-'Arus): hence, a "model", or "exemplar", or "archetype". The term kufr, which usually signifies a "denial of [or "refusal to acknowledge"] the truth", is rendered here as "faithlessness" because it refers, specifically, to a deliberate breaking of solemn engagements. |
