Paradise itself is depicted essentially as the abode of peace, in the gracious Qur’ān:
Surely this is the path of Your Lord, Straight, We have detailed the verses (thereof); For those people who take heed For them is the abode of peace with their Lord. And He is their Protector for that they were doing… [al-Anʿām 6:126-127]
The ultimate goal to which Islam is calling humanity is to lead them to the abode of peace. God says in the Qur’ān:
And Allah calls to the abode of peace, and leads whom He will to the straight path. [Yūnus 10:25]
War as envisaged in the verses of the sword, and indeed in many other contexts, is far from diminishing this fundamental, unshakable commitment to peace as the permanent, ultimately desirable reality, as a necessary means to ensure and secure the right of everyone to live in peace. But peace cannot be achieved if tyrannical powers, and agents of oppression, evil and ungodly religions and cults are allowed a free hand over the affairs of men. Where such evil powers tend to prevail, then it is the sacred duty of Muslims to resist them and indeed engage them in the battlefield, with the aim of destroying them and their power bases.5
9. THE VERSES OF THE SWORD AND THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
We have alluded to the two aspects of the sharīʿah, the temporal and the eternal. Through its temporal aspect it remains in touch with, concerned with, and interacting with, the changing, fluid human condition of this life. But through the eternal aspect, the sharīʿah expresses God’s last will and purpose for man. Thus it would be a gross mistake to hold the view either that all of sharīʿah rules and injunctions are absolute or that they are all relative in the sense of being history-bound. The right view is the balanced one that both aspects are there together always, thus making it uniquely possible for the sharīʿah to be both the eternal, unchangeable will of God Almighty, and at the same time malleable and flexible, suited to the changing conditions and circumstances of human development on this earth.
What is shocking to many regarding the verses of the sword is that one of them is not directed against the Arab polytheists, towards whom the Qur’ān had adopted a hard, uncompromising attitude from the start, but against the People of the Book, i.e. Jews, Christians and Magians. The prevailing attitude towards Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) is one of tolerance and magnanimity. The Qur’ān enjoins that they be allowed to live in peace, practise their religions in freedom and that they be protected by the Muslims, if they opt to come under the protection of Muslims, by paying a special tax towards that end called al-jizyah. Moreover, the Qur’ān has in fact enjoined pro-active tolerance, charity and love to be shown to those People of the Book, who showed themselves to be peacefully inclined towards the Muslims, and did not initiate any hatred or hostilities against them. This line of policy regarding the People of the Book, is expressed in many verses of the Qur’ān:
God forbids you not, with regard to those who did not fight you on account of your faith, nor did they drive you out of your homes, that you may deal kindly and justly with them. For God loves those who are prone to justice… [al-Mumtaḥinah 60:8]
If they withdraw from you and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then Allah has opened no way for you against them. [al-Nisā’ 4:90]
Far from permitting the Muslims to wage war against the People of the Book, the Qur’ān forbids the Muslims even to utter harsh words, when engaged with them in arguments or polemics.
And argue not with people of the Scripture, save in the fairer manner, except for those of them that do wrong, and say ‘We believe in what has been sent down to us, and has been sent down to you; And our God and your God is one, and unto Him we have surrendered.’ [al-ʿAnkabūt 29:46]
Qur’ānic verses, such as the ones cited above, are expressive of the permanent, overriding norms and rules that govern the relation of Muslims with the People of the Book. The verse of the sword, number 29 of Sūrah al-Tawbah, is thus a departure from those fundamental, permanent norms. The hardened attitude of this verse of the sword pertains more to the temporal aspect of sharīʿah, in the context of inter-communal relations with the People of the Book. This is not to be taken to mean that the verse of the sword is relative. It is perfectly universal; enforceable whenever circumstances demand its enforcement and application. It is an exception to fight the People of the Book rather than the rule. Verse 46 of Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt above, clearly envisages such as exception… ‘except for those of them that do wrong.’
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) first descended on Madīnah, his relations with the People of the Book, namely the Jews, since no Christians or Magians lived there, were very cordial. But soon afterwards they began to sour and tensions began to mount. Then tribe after tribe of the Jews of Madīnah became hostile to the Prophet (peace be upon him), as they saw him rise in power and prosperity, and succeed in spreading the message of Islam far and wide, scoring decisive victories over his enemies. Their place of pride and eminence in Madīnah, and in Arabia at large, were compromised and later undermined. They then embarked on the road of confrontation, and became involved in intrigues and conspiracies against the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims. Not only this, but they waged a war of slant and slander against the Muslims, and ultimately joined hands with the polytheists of the Quraysh in waging direct war against the Muslims, during the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq). Thus, the rules of the game were changed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) unsheathed the sword against them, because that was the path they chose to follow in their relations with the Muslims, in total disregard for the friendly approach and kindness which the Prophet (peace be upon him) had shown towards them, and despite the pact (ṣaḥīfat al-Madīnah) which they signed with him.
The theory proposed by some militant Muslim thinkers on the issue, namely that the verse of the sword in question (No. 29 of al-Tawbah) is in fact overriding, on account of its being revealed later in time than the other more lenient verses, is clearly untenable:
First of all, the verse of the sword indicates that it is directed, not against all the People of the Book without discrimination, but against those whom war is to be waged who are carefully delineated as:
a. Not believing in God and the Hereafter.
b. They do not forbid what God has forbidden.
c. They do not accept the true religion.
d. Furthermore they are pointed out as a group within Ahl al-Kitāb ‘min Ahl al-Kitāb’.
The Arabic article (min) clearly indicates ‘some’, thus, not all the People of the Book are being meant by the verse of the sword.
This line of interpretation is borne out by the actual practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his conflict with the People of the Book.
a. Firstly, he never waged war, nor even threatened war against the Christians of Arabia, especially the Christian Arabian tribe of Banū Taghlub in northern Arabia. It is doubtful if he threatened the Christians of Najrān by the use of force if they did not pay jizyah, although, of course, he had asked for it and they agreed to pay. However, the case with Banu Taghlub was different in this respect, in that they were not even asked to pay jizyah.
b. Secondly, even when open hostilities with the Jews of Madīnah broke out the Prophet (peace be upon him) never attacked them, all at once, nor did he attack them arbitrarily and without a reason. In every case, he attacked only a particular group, in retaliation against their misdeeds and aggressive designs against himself, while sparing the other peaceful groups. There was never an all-out war against all
