The Quran

Preface

إِلَّا الَّذينَ عاهَدتُم مِنَ المُشرِكينَ ثُمَّ لَم يَنقُصوكُم شَيئًا وَلَم يُظاهِروا عَلَيكُم أَحَدًا فَأَتِمّوا إِلَيهِم عَهدَهُم إِلىٰ مُدَّتِهِم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ المُتَّقينَ

Yusuf Ali

(But the treaties are) not dissolved¹ with those Pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided any one against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for God loveth the righteous.

The sacred duty of fulfilling all obligations of every kind, to Muslims and non Muslims, in public as well as private life, is a cardinal feature of Muslim ethics. The question of what is to be done with those who abuse this principle by failing in their duty but expect the Muslims to do their part is not to be solved (in the case of treaties) by a general denunciation of treaties but by a careful consideration of the cases where there has been fidelity and not treachery. There we are enjoined to give the strictest fidelity, as it is a part of righteousness and our duty to God.