the Holy Qur’ān lays down in express words that no force shall be used in religion. The report begins with the words I am commanded to fight, and surely the commandments of the Holy Prophet were given through Divine revelation and are therefore all of them contained in the Holy Qur’ān. The reference in the report is thus undoubtedly to a Quranic verse. In fact, such a verse is met with in the second section of the chapter entitled “Immunity”: “But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the zakāt, they are your brethren in faith” (9 :11). The subject matter of the report is exactly the same, and clearly the commandment referred to in it is that contained in this verse. One has only to read the context to find out the purport of these words. Some of these verses have already been quoted but, on account of the importance of the subject, four of these are reported below:

V. 10. “They respect neither ties of relationship nor covenant, in the case of a believer; and these are they who go beyond the limits”.

V. 11. “But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the message clear for a people who know.”

V. 12. “And if they break their oaths after their agreement and openly revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief — surely their oaths are nothing — so that they may desist.”

V. 13. “Will you not fight a people who broke their oaths and aimed at the expulsion of the Messenger and they attacked you first? Do you fear them?”

No comment is needed. The context clearly shows that there were certain tribes that had no regard for ties of relationships or for agreements entered into, and they were the first to attack the Muslims and made plans to expel the Holy Prophet. These were the people to be fought against. The 9th chapter was revealed in the year 9 of Hijrah and this was the time when tribe after tribe was coming over to Islām, and so the condition was laid down that if one of the tribes, that had been hostile to Islām, and had broken its agreements, and was at war with the Muslims, came over to Islām, all hostilities against it were to be stopped immediately, because those people became brethren in faith with Muslims. Old wrongs and iniquities had