The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 680
CH. 8 AL-ANFĀL Surely, "Allah loves not the treacherous. 1146 R. 8. PT. 10 الْخَابِنِيْنَ وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَبَقُوا And let not those who. 60 disbelieve think that they have outstripped Us. Surely, they cannot frustrate purpose. 1147 God's إِنَّهُمْ لَا يُعْجِرُونَ وَاعِدُّوالَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِنْ قُوَّةٍ And make ready for them. 61 وَ مِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُقَ اللهِ of mounted pickets at the whatever you can of force and frontier, whereby you may frighten the enemy of Allah and وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَأَخَرِيْنَ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ ۚ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمْ اللهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا your enemy and others besides cé them whom you know not, but Allah knows them. And 1146. Commentary: a4:108. 3:179. º3:201. If a people with whom Muslims have entered into a covenant begin to commit acts of hostility towards them and it is feared that they are going to play false, then it should be openly and plainly declared to them that the covenant between them and the Muslims had come to an end. Then if, after such a declaration, they should fight the Muslims, the latter should also fight them. Thus Muslims are not allowed to make a surprise attack on any people without due notice. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said bi. e. "Do not exceed the bounds in fighting, nor make a surprise attack on the enemy. " Even in war, Islam enjoins strict justice and mercy. 1147. Commentary: This verse contains the great prophecy that the enemies of Islam who had waged war against the Muslims would never prevail. Such a prophecy could not be made by a human being in the circumstances in which it was made; for it is an established historical fact that at the time when this prophecy was made the Muslims were extremely weak both in number and equipment and no mortal could predict that such a weak and ill-equipped community could vanquish their numerous and powerful enemies. Only God, Who is Almighty and Omniscient, could predict victory for the Muslims in such circumstances; and the promised victory did actually come to pass. 1120