His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs. And if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise﴾

Qatadah, and Ma'mar ibn Rashid, and others said: The description of the polytheist as unclean is because he is in a state of major impurity, as his washing from major impurity is not a washing. Ibn Abbas and others said: Rather, the meaning of polytheism is what has made him unclean, like the impurity of wine. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: Whoever shakes hands with a polytheist should perform ablution.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

Whoever said: "Because of major impurity," made washing obligatory upon one who greets the polytheists. And whoever said the other saying did not make washing obligatory. The prevailing view is that washing is obligatory except for Ibn Abd al-Hakam, for he said: It is not obligatory.

Abu Haywah read: "Unclean" with a kasrah on the noon and a sukoon on the jeem.

And Allah, exalted and majestic is He, stated in this verse about the polytheists and about the Sacred Mosque. Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, and others compared all disbelievers from the People of the Book and others to the polytheists. They compared all mosques to the Sacred Mosque and prohibited the entry of all into all mosques. Likewise, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz wrote to his governors, and he based his writing on this verse. This is supported by His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿In houses which Allah has permitted to be raised﴾ [An-Nur: 36]. Al-Shafi'i said: It is general for disbelievers and specific for the Sacred Mosque. He permitted the entry of Jews and Christians and polytheists into other mosques. Among his evidence is the hadith of the binding of Thumamah ibn Athal. Abu Hanifah said: It is specific for the worshippers of idols and in the Sacred Mosque. He permitted the entry of Jews and Christians into the Sacred Mosque and elsewhere, and the entry of idol worshippers into other mosques. Ata said: The description of the mosque as sacred and the prohibition of approaching it necessitates their prohibition from all of the sanctuary.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And the strength of His saying: ﴿So let them not approach﴾ necessitates the command to the Muslims to prohibit them. And Jabir ibn Abdullah and Qatadah said: No polytheist should approach the Sacred Mosque except if he is a holder of a treaty or a servant of a Muslim. And the idol worshippers are polytheists by consensus.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the People of the Book. The view of Abdullah ibn Umar and others is that they are polytheists. The majority of scholars said: They are not polytheists. The benefit of this disagreement becomes clear in the jurisprudence of their marriages and their slaughtered animals and other matters.

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿After this year of theirs﴾ means: After the year nine of the Hijrah, which is the year Abu Bakr performed Hajj with the people and Ali announced the Surah of Bara'ah.

And as for His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿And if you fear poverty﴾, Amr ibn Fa'id said: The meaning is: And when you fear.

And this is a foreignness, and the meaning is excellent with 'and if.' The Muslims, when the polytheists were prevented from the pilgrimage while they were bringing food and trade, the devil cast fear of poverty into their hearts. They said: 'From where will we live?' So Allah promised them that He would enrich them from His bounty. Al-Dahhak said: So He opened for them the door of taking the jizyah from the people of dhimmah, by His saying: 'Fight those who do not believe' [At-Tawbah: 29] until His saying: 'while they are subdued' [At-Tawbah: 29]. And Ikrimah said: He enriched them by sending down rain upon them.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And the Arabs embraced Islam, so their pilgrimage and trade continued, and Allah enriched them from His bounty through jihad and triumph over the nations.

And 'ailah' means poverty. It is said: 'Ala al-rajul ya'il 'ailah' if he becomes poor. The poet said:

And the poor does not know when he will be rich, ∗∗∗ and the rich does not know when he will be in need.

And Alqamah and others from the companions of Ibn Mas'ud read 'ailah' which is a source like 'qailah' from qala yaqilu, and like 'aqibah' and 'afiyah.' It is possible that it is an adjective for something omitted, the estimation of which is: 'in a state of need.' And Al-Tabari reported that it is said: 'Ala ya'ul' if he becomes poor.