The Quran

194

Preface

الشَّهرُ الحَرامُ بِالشَّهرِ الحَرامِ وَالحُرُماتُ قِصاصٌ ۚ فَمَنِ اعتَدىٰ عَلَيكُم فَاعتَدوا عَلَيهِ بِمِثلِ مَا اعتَدىٰ عَلَيكُم ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعلَموا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ المُتَّقينَ

Yusuf Ali

The prohibited month for the prohibited month¹,- and so for all things prohibited,- there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, Transgress ye likewise against him. But fear God, and know² that God is with those who restrain themselves.

Haram = prohibited, sacred. The month of Pilgrimage (Dhu al Hijjah) was a sacred month, in which warfare was prohibited by Arab custom. The month preceding (Dhu al Qa'dah) and the month following (Muharram) were included in the prohibition, and Muharram was specially called al Haram. Possibly Muharram is meant in the first line, and the other months and other prohibited things in “all things prohibited.” In Rajab, also, war was prohibited, If the pagan enemies of Islam broke that custom and made war in the prohibited months, the Muslims were free also to break that custom but only to the same extent as the others broke it. Similarly the territory of Mecca was sacred, in which war was prohibited. If the enemies of Islam broke that custom, the Muslims were free to do so to that extent. Any convention is useless if one party does not respect it. There must be a law of equality. Or perhaps the word reciprocity may express it better. (Cf, 9:2).
At the same time the Muslims are commanded to exercise self-restraint as much as possible. Force is a dangerous weapon. It may have to be used for selfdefence or self-preservation, but we must always remember that self-restraint is pleasing in the eyes of God. Even when we are fighting, it should be for a principle, not out of passion.