And when he negated their oaths by negating their faith, he began to establish evidence for that with matters they committed. Each of them was due to a reason that incited them to act upon it. He urges to fight them in a manner of astonishment from those who hesitate in it. So he said: ﴿Ala﴾, which is a particle of presentation, and its meaning here is an encouragement to enter the Hamzat of denial upon the negator, so it negated him and thus its entry became an affirmation in the manner of urging it, and it is more eloquent than if it were affirmed without this method. ﴿You fight a people﴾ means: even if they are of great strength. ﴿They broke their oaths﴾ means: in the story of Asim and his companions, and Al-Mundhir and his companions, and the assistance against Khuzā'ah and others. Thus, breaking oaths became a habit and character for them. This indicates that fighting the breakers of oaths is more deserving than fighting others, so that may deter from the breach. The story of Khuzā'ah is that there was a killing between them and Banu Bakr ibn Abd Manat ibn Kinānah in the pre-Islamic period. Khuzā'ah had entered into the covenant of the Prophet ﷺ at Hudaybiyyah due to the love they had for him from their Muslims and non-Muslims because of the alliance between them, as previously mentioned at the end of Al-Anfal. Banu Bakr entered into the covenant of Quraysh, and a period passed over that. Then Anas ibn Zunaim Al-Dili insulted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and a boy from Khuzā'ah heard him, so he attacked him and wounded him. He went back to his people and showed them his wound, and evil arose along with what was between them. And what Banu Bakr sought from the blood of Khuzā'ah. Banu Nufāthah from Banu Bakr spoke with the nobles of Quraysh, and they found the people hastening to that, so they assisted them with weapons, cavalry, and men. Then Nawfal ibn Muawiyah Al-Dili emerged, and on that day he was their leader; Ibn Ishaq said: Not all of Banu Bakr pledged allegiance to him - and Al-Waqidi said: And Banu Mudlij abstained, so they did not break the covenant - until they besieged Khuzā'ah while they were at the watering place of water for them. They struck a man from them and surpassed them, and they fought and fought alongside them from Quraysh those who fought at night, hiding, disguised: Safwan ibn Umayyah, Mikraz ibn Hafs ibn Al-Akhyaf, Huwaitib ibn Abd Al-Uzza, and Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl, and they brought with them their slaves. And Khuzā'ah was safe due to the place of the covenant and the truce.

And when he reminded them of their absolute breach of trust regarding him in general, and reminded them of what they specifically did to their master, indeed the master of all creation, he said: ﴿And they intended to expel the Messenger﴾ meaning: from Makkah during the Umrah of Al-Qada, rather they commanded him to leave when the three days were over and they insisted on that. And although he judged them for that, Ibn Ishaq and others have narrated in the story of the call with Surah At-Tawbah that it was in the matter and the covenant that was between him and them that no one who came to him as a visitor should be prevented from the House. And perhaps they intended to expel him before the three days due to the envy that entered them when they witnessed the vigor of his companions, their abundance, and their good condition. And that is not far from their actions, and their showing of disavowal of him ﷺ until they dared - he who is the highest of creation in rank, and the most manifest in appearance and light, and the purest in form and traces - to insist on him to leave the land of his fathers and grandfathers, who have more right to it, and the place of his origin and the location of his upbringing. However, I did not see him explicitly stating that, and in my view, what is in it is more deserving than what they mentioned of the concern for expelling him at the time of migration, as is not hidden, or it could be that what is meant is what Ibn Ubayy the hypocrite and those who followed him from his companions intended regarding expelling the Prophet ﷺ from Al-Madinah when he said in the battle of Al-Muraysi: ﴿If we return to Al-Madinah, the honorable will surely expel the lowly from it﴾ [Al-Munafiqun: 8] after giving them the covenants of shelter, support, and Islam. And this is to remind the believers of their hastening to breach after he established that they are united in plotting against Islam like a single body. So he seems to be saying: If these abandon their faith, then those are more likely to break their oaths. And it is a call for the believers to disavow the disbelievers, whether they are hypocrites or openly hostile, or close or distant.

And when he reminded them of betrayal in general and specifically, he followed it with what confirmed it through fighting, saying: ﴿And they began with you﴾ meaning: with a consensus of their inner thoughts and outward appearances ﴿the first time﴾ meaning: with fighting and preventing at Al-Hudaybiyah after informing you that you did not come for fighting and that you came only as visitors to the Sacred House, which the people are equal in, and you have more right to it than them. And that is the first in relation to this second like his saying: ﴿Indeed, you were content to remain behind the first time﴾ [At-Tawbah: 83]. And some of the commentators said: What is meant by the first time is their fighting of Khuzah. And this is clear because it was after the conclusion of the truce. And it was said: At Badr after their caravan was safe, and they said: We will not return until we eradicate Muhammad and his companions. And it was said: What is meant by it is the absolute fighting; because the Prophet ﷺ came to them with the illuminating Book and called them with utmost gentleness, and challenged them with it when they denied it. So they turned away from that to fighting, and they are the initiators, and the initiator is more unjust.

And when He commanded them to fight, and it was something that was disliked by their souls in every case, He began to clarify the reasons that lead to their hesitation in fighting them. He limited these reasons to fear and affection. He divided affection into that which is caused by closeness in the goodness of deeds and that which is caused by closeness in lineage and marriage ties. He refuted all of it and clarified that none of it is suitable for causation. He began with fear because it is the greatest reason for leaving confrontation, denying them and reproaching them so that it would be more effective in urging them to fight. He alerted them that hesitating from them justifies the description of cowardice and weakness of faith: "Do you fear them?" meaning: Do you fear that they will prevail over you in battle by being more intense in their falsehood than you are in your truth? "So Allah," meaning: He who possesses the essence of greatness, "is more deserving" than them "that you should fear Him," meaning: that He should be feared by you for what you know of His power in taking vengeance on those who oppose Him, even after a long patience. "If you are believers," meaning: for indeed, whoever believes that He is the One who is unique in the attributes of greatness does not look to anyone else's awe.