At-Tawba (The Repentance)

37. “Verily postponing (of the sacred month) is only an addition unto infidelity whereby the infidels go astray; they allow it (fight) one year and forbid it another year, that they may adjust the number of months Allah has forbidden, thus they allow what Allah has forbidden. The evil of their deeds has been made fair seeming to them. And Allah does not guide the unbelieving people.”

In this verse, the Qur’ān points to a wrong custom which was usually accomplished at the Age of Ignorance. It was customary among them to change the place of sacred months, about which this verse says:

“Verily postponing (of the sacred month) is only an addition unto infidelity…”1

The reason of this meaning is that, besides their disbelief and ‘creedal infidelity’, by ignoring this commandment, they also committed ‘practical infidelity’, and by means of this action, the faithless persons might incure a greater aberration. The verse continues saying:

“…whereby the infidels go astray...”

Then, in the continuation of the verse, the Qur’ān implies that they considered one month in a year lawful and in another year they forbade the same month. They did so in order that, as they imagined, they adapted it with the months Allah had assigned. The verse says:

“…they allow it (fight) one year and forbid it another year, that they may adjust the number of months Allah has forbidden…”

That is, when they omitted one month of the Sacred Months, they substituted another month in its place, so that the figure ‘four’ became full.

But, by this ridiculous and hideous action of theirs, they utterly wasted the philosophy of the prohibition of Sacred Months and toyed with the ordinance of Allah for their low desires. Strange! They were very happy and pleased with their own action, because:

“…The evil of their deeds has been made fair seeming to them…”

They used to say that the long peaceful time between two wars, decreased the war skillfulness, therefore, they should light the fire of war.

Allah also leaves to themselves those people who are not worthy to be guided, and does not guide them. The verse says:

“…And Allah does not guide the unbelieving people.”