Surah Al-Anfal • Ayah 56

Striking Hard against Those Who disbelieve and break the CovenantsAllah states here that the worst moving creatures on the face of the earth are those who disbelieve, who do not embrace the faith, and break promises whenever they make a covenant, even when they vow to keep them, وَهُمْ لاَ يَتَّقُونَ(and they do not have Taqwa) meaning they do not fear Allah regarding any of the sins they commit. فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى الْحَرْبِ(So if you gain the mastery over them in war), if you defeat them and have victory over them in war, فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ(then disperse those who are behind them,) by severely punishing the captured people according to Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ibn `Uyaynah. This Ayah commands punishing them harshly and inflicting casualties on them. This way, other enemies, Arabs and non-Arabs, will be afraid and take a lesson from their end, لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ(so that they may learn a lesson. ) As-Suddi commented, "They might be careful not to break treaties, so that they do not meet the same end."

زمیں کی بدترین مخلوق وعدہ خلاف کفار ہیں ٭٭زمین پر جتنے بھی چلتے پھرتے ہیں ان سب سے بد تر اللہ کے نزدیک بے ایمان کافر ہیں جو عہد کر کے توڑ دیتے ہیں۔ ادھر قول و قرار کیا ادھر پھر گئے، ادھر قسمیں کھائیں ادھر توڑ دیں۔ نہ اللہ کا خوف نہ گناہ کا کھٹکا۔ پس جو ان پر لڑائی میں غالب آ جائے تو ایسی سزا کے بعد آنے والوں کو بھی عبرت حاصل ہو۔ وہ بھی خوف زدہ ہو جائیں پھر ممکن ہے کہ اپنے ایسے کرتوت سے باز رہیں۔صفحہ نمبر3343

آیت 56 اَلَّذِیْنَ عٰہَدْتَّ مِنْہُمْ ثُمَّ یَنْقُضُوْنَ عَہْدَہُمْ فِیْ کُلِّ مَرَّۃٍ وَّہُمْ لاَ یَتَّقُوْنَ ۔یہ اشارہ یہود مدینہ کی طرف ہے۔ رسول اللہ ﷺ جب مدینہ منورہ تشریف لائے تو آپ ﷺ نے آتے ہی یہودیوں سے مذاکرات شروع کیے اور نتیجتاً مدینہ کے تینوں یہودی قبائل سے شہر کے مشترکہ دفاع کا معاہدہ کرلیا۔ پروفیسر منٹگمری واٹ 1909 ء تا 2006 ء نے اس معاہدے کو آپ ﷺ کا ایک بہت بڑا مدبرانہ کارنامہ قرار دیا ہے۔ اس نے اس سلسلے میں آپ ﷺ کی معاملہ فہمی اور سیاسی بصیرت کو شاندار الفاظ میں خراج تحسین پیش کیا ہے۔ ظاہری طور پر اگرچہ یہودی اس معاہدے کے پابند تھے مگر خفیہ طور پر مسلمانوں کے خلاف سازشوں سے بھی باز نہیں آتے تھے۔ انہوں نے ہر مشکل مرحلے پر اس معاہدے کا پاس نہ کرتے ہوئے آپ ﷺ کے دشمنوں کے ساتھ ساز باز کی ‘ حتیٰ کہ غزوۂ احزاب کے انتہائی نازک موقع پر قریش کو خفیہ طور پر پیغامات بھجوائے کہ آپ لوگ باہر سے شہر پر حملہ کردیں ‘ ہم اندر سے تمہاری مدد کریں گے۔

The third verse (56):الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتَّ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ مَرَّ‌ةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَتَّقُونَ ﴿56﴾(those from whom you have taken a pledge, then they break their pledge each time, and they do not fear Allah)is about the Jews of Madinah and those of Banu Qurayzah and Banu Nadir. Mentioned in the previous verses was the descent of Divine punishment on the disbelievers of Makkah in the battle of Badr at the hands of Muslims, as well as their resemblance with disbelievers of past communities. In this verse, mention has been made of the particular group of unjust people who became like serpents in the sleeves of Muslims soon after their migration to Madinah. On the one hand, they claimed to be at peace with Muslims while, on the other, they used to conspire with the disbelievers of Makkah against Muslims. These people were Jews by religion and the way Abu Jahl was the top leader of the disbelievers of Makkah against Islam, similarly, the top anti-Islam leader of the Jews of Madinah was called Ka'b ibn Ashraf.When the Holy Prophet ﷺ graced the blessed city of Madinah after Hijrah, they saw the rise of Muslim power, were impressed, even somewhat overawed by it, but the fire of their anti Muslim feelings kept burning in their hearts all the time.Islamic political wisdom demanded that, as far as possible, the Jews of Madinah should be engaged to go along with Muslims under some sort of bilateral treaty, so that they would not come to the assistance of Makkan disbelievers. Because of their awe of Muslims, the Jews too wished to have this very arrangement.Towards Islamic Nationality: The First StepAfter reaching Madinah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ dill laid the initial foundation of political theory in Islam. The first step he took was to eliminate prejudices of country and tribe from the Muhajirin (Emigrants: those who had migrated from Makkah) and Ansar (Residents of Madinah who helped the Muhajirin). In its place, he established a new nationality in the name of Islam. This turned different tribes from the Muhajirin and Ansar into brothers to each other. Then, it was through him that Allah Ta` ala helped remove mutual differences among Ansars themselves which had been continuing for centuries. Thus, not only did the Ansars enter a new era of brotherhood among themselves, they became brothers to the Muhajirin as well.Treaty with Jews: The Second StepThe background in which the second political step was taken was marked by two adversaries of Muslims. The first were the disbelievers of Makkah whose tortures had compelled them to leave Makkah. The second were the Jews of Madinah who had then become the neighbours of Muslims.Out of these two, a treaty was concluded with the Jews and was duly documented in details. The compliance of this treaty was made incumbent on all Jews living in and around Madinah as well as on all Muhajirin and Ansar. The full text of this treaty can be seen in البدایہ والنھایۃ : Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah of Ibn Kathir and Sirah of Ibn Hisham and elsewhere. The most significant article of this treaty was that, in the event of a mutual difference, the decision of the Holy Prophet ﷺ shall be binding for all. There was another article there which stipulated that the Jews of Madinah shall not provide any assistance to any enemy against Muslims, either overtly or covertly. But, at the time of the battle of Badr, these people committed a breach of trust and supported the disbelievers of Makkah by supplying weapons and other war materials to them. However, when the outcome of the battle of Badr appeared in the form of a clear victory for Muslims and a disgraceful defeat for the disbelievers, they felt cowed down once again. They presented themselves before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and apologized for the mistake they had committed at that time and sought his forgiveness for it on the promise that they would commit no breach of trust in the future.Because Islamic forbearance and generosity was his way, the Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted to renew the treaty once again. But, these people were captives of their peculiar instinctive reflexes. When they heard about the initial defeat and loss of Muslims in the battle of Uhud, their ambitions went high. Their chief, Ka'b ibn Ashraf, himself travelled to Makkah and exhorted the disbelievers of Makkah to mount another attack on Muslims with fresh and full preparation in which the Jews of Madinah will be with them.This was the second breach of trust they committed against Islam. In the present verse, by mentioning this repeated breach of trust, brought into focus is the wickedness of these people, for they were the people who themselves made a treaty with the Holy Prophet ﷺ yet they were the ones who, each time, kept breaking their pledge to abide by the treaty. At the end of the verse, it was said: وَهُمْ لَا يَتَّقُونَ (and they do not fear Allah 56). This could also mean that, since these ill-fated people are drunk with worldly greed having. no concern for the life to come, therefore, they do not fear the punishment of the Hereafter. Then, it could also mean that such characterless people who break pledges do meet their evil end in this world, yet these are the kind of people who, because of their negligence and ignorance, do not fear it.Then, came the time when the whole world saw that these people tasted the punishment for the evil role they played. Like Abu Jahl, the chief of the disbelievers, Ka'b ibn Ashraf, the chief of the Jews, was killed and the rest of the Jews of Madinah were expelled from the city.