And when it became clear that the disbelievers are the most deserving of non-existence, because falsehood is their example and the reality of their state, it led to His saying: ﴿So when you meet﴾ meaning: O believers ﴿those who disbelieve﴾ even with the slightest types of disbelief, in any place and at any time it may occur. And since the intended meaning was the killing that is overt and fully realized, He expressed it emphatically by mentioning the source indicating the action, portraying it in its most heinous forms, along with the severity towards the disbelievers and the contempt for them. So He, the Exalted, said: ﴿So strike at the necks﴾ meaning: follow your encounter with them without delay by striking their necks with a blow that is true in its striking, which will take their souls. For that is seizing the opportunity and acting with caution. Likewise, the soul, which is the most dangerous enemy, if you gain it, it is obligatory upon you not to leave it any remnant. Al-Qushayri said: If a snake has any remnant left, and a finger is placed upon it, it will inject its poison into it.

And when the estimation was: and that will continue to be your action, He limited it with His saying: ﴿Until﴾ and He gave them glad tidings by expressing it with the tool of realization, so He, the Exalted, said: ﴿When you have inflicted heavy casualties upon them﴾ meaning: you have made the killing severe among them and increased it to the point that they have no movement in them, like one who has become thickened and whose thickness has become excessive; thus, He made that a condition for capturing, as He, the Exalted, said: ﴿It is not for a prophet to have captives until he has inflicted heavy casualties on the earth﴾ [Al-Anfal: 67]. Then He, the Exalted, said, clarifying what comes after the heavy casualties: ﴿So bind﴾ meaning: there is now no obstacle for you to capture ﴿the captives﴾ meaning: the binding that is secured by tying them at their hands gathered to their necks - a metaphor for captivity with the utmost domination and subjugation.

And when the imam was given the choice regarding their captives between four things: killing, releasing them for free, releasing them for a ransom, which is something taken as compensation for their necks, and enslavement, he expressed this by saying in detail: ﴿So either a favor﴾ meaning: that they bestow upon him a favor ﴿afterwards﴾ meaning: in all times after the captivity by keeping them, then after the favor by keeping them, either that is with enslavement or with release, then the release is either for free ﴿or for ransom﴾ with money or with captives from the Muslims and the like. So the expression of favor, which we mean by it is the bestowal, indicates that keeping them is not obligatory in every permissible situation. And there are three forms included in keeping: enslavement, free release, and release for ransom. So He, glorified and exalted is He, explicitly stated the ransom, which we mean by it is taking (p-204) in the sense that it is an alternative to favor. It is known that what is meant by it is keeping along with not taking, so free release is included in it, which is clear, and enslavement; because it is a favor in relation to killing. And the expression of favor, which we mean by it is the bestowal from the Bestower, which is His name, glorified and exalted is He, and its meaning is the giver, initially allows [killing] because the bestowal is a choice in it, not obligatory; because if it were obligatory, it would be a right, not a favor. Thus, the four surahs entered into the expression of these two words. And Allah is the guide, and all of this is based on what the imam or his deputy sees as beneficial. Al-Qushayri said: Likewise is the case of striving against the self when there is a need for a moment of rest and breaking the fast of a day, as it is a relief for the soul from toil and strength for the effort in what is to come, based on what is obtained through the approval of the sheikh of the seeker and the fatwa of the time or the insight of the one striving.

This context has made it clear that this ruling is established and not abrogated. The command to kill alone in other verses is general and not specific to what the purpose has indicated, which is that the jihad in this manner remains and continues with every ruler, whether righteous or wicked. There will always be a group from the ummah standing firm in it, manifestly upon the truth, unharmed by those who abandon them until the command of Allah comes. And Allah knows best what is meant by His saying: "until" meaning, do what I have commanded you according to what I have renewed for you until "the war lays down its burdens"; these are its weights, meaning the tools that burden those engaged in it from expenses, weapons, and armor, and this will not happen while there is a disbeliever on earth. This will be at the time of Jesus, blessings and peace be upon him, when the earth brings forth its blessings, and the religion will be one, which is Islam for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. People will take iron weapons as plows, sickles, and axes, benefiting from them in their livelihoods, as has been reported in the hadith: "Jihad will continue from the time Allah has sent me until the last of my ummah fights the Dajjal," narrated in Al-Firdaws from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him. "Jihad is obligatory upon you with every righteous and wicked person," narrated by Abu Dawood from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him.

And since war is distasteful to souls and extremely burdensome, He emphasized its command with what we mean: this matter has been settled. He said, "That" meaning: the great matter, high in goodness, beneficial, and obligatory for all good. And since this might imply that the emphasis in this matter is because the situation cannot be organized except by it, He followed it with what removes this implication, saying: "And if". And since if he had expressed it in the past, it would have implied that it was and no longer remains, he expressed it in the present tense indicating the state and what follows it, saying: "Allah wills," meaning: the greatest King who possesses all attributes of perfection and the ability to do what is possible. "He would have avenged Himself from them," meaning: by Himself, without anyone, a great vengeance by not leaving any of them. "But" this has been made obligatory upon you "to test".

And since the test is not specific to one group among them but is general for both groups; because it reveals the people of virtues and the people of vices from each of them, He said: "Some of you" from the group of believers by rebuking them from the group of the tyrants until they have by that a white hand. "With some" meaning: He acts in that like the tester so that the reward is arranged according to what you are accustomed to from the habits.

And since this has made it clear that the test is between two groups through jihad, He said, adding to what you estimate: "So those who fought or were killed in the way of Satan, He has wasted their deeds." "And those who were killed" and in the reading of the Basri and Hafs: "killed" which is more encouraging, while the first is of greater preference, "in the way of Allah," meaning: for the sake of facilitating the path of the greatest King, who possesses all attributes of perfection.

And when it was in the context of encouragement, he coupled the news with 'fa' to indicate that their deeds are the cause of it. So Allah, the Most High, said: 'So He will not lead astray' meaning: He will not let their deeds go to waste or be invalidated, as they are not dependent on evidence. Rather, He will make them see the evidence and guide them to follow it. This is the meaning of His saying, the Most High, as a reason: