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At-Tawbah (The Repentance)

Verse 4of 129

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنقُصُوكُمْ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَمْ يُظَٰهِرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًۭا فَأَتِمُّوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ﴿٤

Translation (Sahih International)

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, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him].

Word-by-word meaning

إِلَّاillāExcept
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose (with) whom
عَـٰهَدتُّمʿāhadttumyou have a covenant
مِّنَminaamong
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَl-mush'rikīnathe polytheists
ثُمَّthummathen
لَمْlamnot
يَنقُصُوكُمْyanquṣūkumthey have failed you
شَيْـًۭٔاshayan(in any) thing
وَلَمْwalamand not
يُظَـٰهِرُوا۟yuẓāhirūthey have supported
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumagainst you
أَحَدًۭاaḥadananyone
فَأَتِمُّوٓا۟fa-atimmūso fulfil
إِلَيْهِمْilayhimto them
عَهْدَهُمْʿahdahumtheir treaty
إِلَىٰilātill
مُدَّتِهِمْ ۚmuddatihimtheir term
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
يُحِبُّyuḥibbuloves
ٱلْمُتَّقِينَl-mutaqīnathe righteous

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Existing Peace Treaties remained valid until the End of Their TermThis 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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