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Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 4 (9:4)

ٱلتَّوْبَة

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَئًْا وَلَمْ يُظَٰهِرُوا۟ …

Quran 9:4 is ayah 4 of Surah At-Tawbah (“The Repentance”), a Medinan surah of 129 ayahs. It is in Juz 10, on page 187 of the Madani Mushaf.

9:4
إِلَّاٱلَّذِينَعَٰهَدتُّممِّنَٱلْمُشْرِكِينَثُمَّلَمْيَنقُصُوكُمْشَئًْاوَلَمْيُظَٰهِرُوا۟عَلَيْكُمْأَحَدًافَأَتِمُّوٓا۟إِلَيْهِمْعَهْدَهُمْإِلَىٰمُدَّتِهِمْ ۚإِنَّٱللَّهَيُحِبُّٱلْمُتَّقِينَ٤
illā alladhīna ʿāhadttum mina l-mush'rikīna thumma lam yanquṣūkum shayan walam yuẓāhirū ʿalaykum aḥadan fa-atimmū ilayhim ʿahdahum ilā muddatihim inna l-laha yuḥibbu l-mutaqīna

Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allāh loves the righteous [who fear Him].(4)

Word by word

  1. إِلَّاillāExcept
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose (with) whom
  3. عَٰهَدتُّمʿāhadttumyou have a covenant
  4. مِّنَminaamong
  5. ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَl-mush'rikīnathe polytheists
  6. ثُمَّthummathen
  7. لَمْlamnot
  8. يَنقُصُوكُمْyanquṣūkumthey have failed you
  9. شَئًْاshayan(in any) thing
  10. وَلَمْwalamand not
  11. يُظَٰهِرُوا۟yuẓāhirūthey have supported
  12. عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumagainst you
  13. أَحَدًاaḥadananyone
  14. فَأَتِمُّوٓا۟fa-atimmūso fulfil
  15. إِلَيْهِمْilayhimto them
  16. عَهْدَهُمْʿahdahumtheir treaty
  17. إِلَىٰilātill
  18. مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚmuddatihimtheir term
  19. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  20. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  21. يُحِبُّyuḥibbuloves
  22. ٱلْمُتَّقِينَl-mutaqīnathe righteous

Tafsir (commentary) of 9:4

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Existing Peace Treaties remained valid until the End of Their Term

This is an exception regulating the longest extent of time for those who have a general treaty - with out time mentioned - to four months. They would have four months to travel the lands in search of sanctuary for themselves wherever they wish. Those whose treaty mentioned a specifec limited term, then the longest it would extend was to the point of its agreed upon termination date. Hadiths in this regard preceeded. So anyone who had a treaty with Allah's Messenger ﷺ, it lasted until its specific termination date. However, those in this category were required to refrain from breaking the terms of the agreement with Muslims and from helping non-Muslims against Muslims. This is the type whose peace agreement with Muslims was carried out to its end. Allah encouraged honoring such peace treaties, saying,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(Surely, Allah loves those who have Taqwa) 9:4, who keep their promises.

Read the full Surah At-Tawbah