Through Force or Faith? — Page 147
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 147 you are strong and that you have taken all precautions. Thereby the enemy would not dare break the agreement and exploit your civility. They should not be able to take undue advantage of your sincerity to those pacts and your faithfulness to agreements. Thus treaties have their place and the preparedness for war has its own place. The readiness for the war should be to the extent of stationing cavalry at the borders. This is implicit in ِ ْل ی رِّبَاط ِ الْخَ (mounted pickets). Where there is danger, the enemies should see your defensive preparations. They should realize that there is no frontier which is vulnerable where you have not put up adequate defences so as to discourage their evil designs. They should not even dream that they can gain some advantage by surprise attack. This is one objective. The other relates to the preceding verse in which it was said: ْ فَشَرِّد ْ بِهِم مَّن ْ خَلْفَهُم inflict such a blow that others might get the message. The motivation in inflicting the blow is not callousness or cruelty but it is to save others from unneces- sary hardships. The objective is totally different from what the critics surmise. If some are punished harshly but, due to it, oth- ers are spared, it would be kindness not cruelty. It is advised that this strategy should not only be employed during the battle but it should be used in defence also. That is, if you guard the frontiers and take strong defensive measures that are manifest to all, the report will reach others who are beyond and as a result they will not even think of attacking you. Therefore you ought to adopt this defensive strategy to establish lasting peace and adopt it in such a fashion that the enemy could see it. (From the Class on the Commentary of the Holy Quran by Khalifatul Masih IV rta November 30, 1995)