What Oath Did the Idolaters Shatter?
This is according to Hani Chitchian, a member of the Quran and Etrat School of the University of Tehran, speaking in the 35th session in a series on Surah At-Tawbah. Following are excerpts from his remarks in the session:
We can wonder, what oath did the idolaters shatter at the time the Holy Prophet (PBUH)? The answer is that they should not have harmed the nation, but they did some raids and aggression. They were not supposed to circle the Kaaba like the past but they did it. They behaved in a way that shattered the oath.
The first duty of Muslims is to honor their oaths and be virtuous. The second duty is to be firm with the idolaters and to combat polytheism; not to combat them as individuals, but to combat their doctrines. We should all adhere to this principle.
The Prophet cannot disavow the idolaters without being accompanied by believers. He requires the backing of the group of believers. The most vital message of this chapter is that one individual cannot modify the whole society. Disavowing polytheism is not a slogan, rather, it needs to be realized. If someone disavows them and does wicked things himself, there is no distinction between him and them, because he is also an enemy of religion due to the wicked things he has done.
Someone may pray, but still be an enemy of religion. “Have you seen he who belied the Recompense? It is he who turns away the orphan and does not urge others to feed the needy. Woe to those who pray,” reads verses 1-4 of Surah Al-Ma'un.
If someone from the idolaters desires to hear the word of God, we have to ensure he is secure so he can hear everything. It does not matter if he embraces it or not after hearing it: “How can the idolaters have any treaty with Allah and His Messenger, except those with whom you have made treaties by the Sacred Mosque? So long as they are straight with you, so be straight with them. Allah loves the righteous.” (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 7)
This verse also emphasizes we have to honor our oaths. Believers should honor their oaths. One of the causes that make the believers feeble is that they trust what the idolaters utter even when they break their oaths.
