Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:4
Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying: إِلا الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُوكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَى مُدَّتِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (9:4) ("Except those of the polytheists (mushrikīn) with whom you have made a treaty and who have thereafter not been deficient toward you in anything nor supported anyone against you; so fulfill toward them their treaty until their term. Indeed, Allah loves the God-fearing." (9:4))
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: وَأَذَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ بَرِيءٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُ ("And a proclamation from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage (ḥajj), that Allah has nothing to do with the polytheists, and neither does His Messenger"), except from the treaty of those with whom you have made a covenant among the polytheists, O believers =(and who have thereafter not been deficient toward you in anything), of your treaty which you concluded with them =(nor supported anyone against you), against your enemies, by aiding them with themselves and their bodies, nor with weapons, nor with horses, nor with men =(so fulfill toward them their treaty until their term), He says: so fulfill toward them their treaty which you concluded with them, and do not wage war against them until the expiry of the term of their treaty which exists between you and them =(indeed, Allah loves the God-fearing), He says: indeed, Allah loves whoever fears Him by obeying Him, by performing His obligations and avoiding acts of disobedience to Him.
16471 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (so fulfill toward them their treaty until their term), he says: until their appointed time.
16472 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: (except those of the polytheists with whom you have made a treaty): namely the special treaty up to the mentioned term =(and who have thereafter not been deficient toward you in anything), the verse.
16473 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: (except those of the polytheists with whom you have made a treaty and who have thereafter not been deficient toward you in anything nor supported anyone against you), the verse, he said: They are the polytheists of Quraysh, with whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had made a treaty at the time of al-Ḥudaybiya, and there remained of their term four months after the day of the sacrifice (yawm al-naḥr). Allah commanded His Prophet to fulfill toward them their treaty until their term, and as for the one who had no treaty: until the expiry of (the month) al-Muḥarram; and He cast back to every holder of a treaty his treaty, and He commanded him to fight them until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah, and that nothing other than that would be accepted from them.
16474 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The term of whoever had a treaty among the polytheists before the revelation of "Barāʾa" (Sūra 9) was four months, from the day on which "Barāʾa" was proclaimed until the tenth of the month Rabīʿ al-Ākhir, and that is four months. If the polytheists were to break their treaty and aid an enemy, then they had no treaty (any longer). But if they were to fulfill their treaty which existed between them and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and not aid any enemy against him, then it is commanded that one fulfill toward them their treaty and complete it.
