Permission Granted to Fight Those Who Have Been Wronged The Messenger of Allah ﷺ dealt with the Jews of Madinah and concluded a treaty with them. Thus, the city came to contain three groups: * Muslims, from among the Muhājirūn (Emigrants) and the Anṣār (Helpers). * Jews (the People of the Book). * Hypocrites. As for the areas surrounding Madinah, they were filled with many peoples and different religions. Some secretly supported Quraysh, while outwardly avoiding hostility toward the Muslims out of fear of their strength. Others secretly sympathized with the Muslims, but feared Quraysh and therefore did not openly show their support. After seven months had passed, Allah granted permission for fighting. News had reached the Muslims that Quraysh had seized all of their property in Makkah. Even the house of the Prophet ﷺ had been taken over by ʿAqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib (the Prophet’s cousin and the brother of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه), who sold it so that he would not later be obliged to return it. Reports of this reached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. Some of the Prophet’s Companions, such as Ḥamzah, ʿAlī, and others, sought permission to fight Quraysh and recover their property. Furthermore, there were still vulnerable Muslims in Makkah who had been detained and prevented from emigrating. But the Prophet’s response was: “Allah has not given me permission.” This situation continued for seven months. Until that point, fighting had been prohibited. The principle by which the Muslims lived in Makkah was the command of Allah: “And turn away from the polytheists.” Then Allah revealed: “Permission [to fight] has been granted to those who are being fought, because they have been wronged. And indeed, Allah is capable of granting them victory.” (Qur’an 22:39) The meaning of Allah’s words, “because they have been wronged,” is that Allah granted the Muslims permission to fight in order to remove the injustice inflicted upon them—whether through the confiscation of their wealth and homes, or through the imprisonment, torture, and persecution of the vulnerable Muslims in Makkah in attempts to turn them away from their faith. Allah revealed to His Prophet a clear passage that expressed the feelings of the Muslims and opened for them a door of relief: “Permission [to fight] has been granted to those who are being fought because they have been wronged. And indeed, Allah is capable of giving them victory—those who were expelled from their homes without right, only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah.’ Had Allah not checked one people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques—in which the name of Allah is mentioned abundantly—would surely have been demolished. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Mighty. Those who, if We establish them in the land, establish prayer, give zakāh, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of all affairs.” (Qur’an 22:39–41) This was Allah’s permission to the Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions to begin training for combat and to defend themselves. This marked a contrast with the Makkan period. In Makkah, Allah had commanded His Prophet ﷺ to endure patiently: “So be patient as the Messengers of firm resolve were patient, and do not seek to hasten [the punishment] for them.” The Prophet ﷺ would likewise encourage his Companions to remain steadfast, saying: “Be patient and persevere, by Allah.” To be continued… The First Expedition: Sīf al-Baḥr (The Seashore Expedition).