Transliteration:( Faseehoo fil ardi arba'ata ashhurinw wa'lamoooannakum ghairu mu'jizil laahi wa annal laaha mukhzil kaafireen )
"Then travel freely in the land for four months, and know that you cannot weaken Allah, and Allah will disgrace the disbelievers [2]."
This verse grants the polytheists of Arabia a four-month grace period to travel freely without fear of Muslim retaliation. It was issued to those who had violated their treaties with the Muslims. Only a few tribes, such as Banu Hamzah and Banu Kinanah, had remained faithful to their agreements.
The Muslims were ordered to warn the violators, giving them four months to either:
Accept Islam, or
Prepare for battle.
This declaration came in the ninth year after Hijrah, a year after the Conquest of Makkah, and was publicly announced during that year’s Hajj. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (RA) and Hazrat Ali Murtaza (RA) were sent to Makkah to proclaim this declaration, which also stated that:
Polytheists would no longer be allowed to perform Hajj or Tawaf.
After the grace period, no Jizyah would be accepted from these polytheists; the only two options would be Islam or armed confrontation.
The verse emphasizes that no one can escape Allah’s power, and He will humiliate the disbelievers who persist in defiance.
The tafsir of Surah Taubah verse 1 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Taubah ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 2.
(9:2) “You may go about freely in the land, for four months,[3] but know well that you will not be able to frustrate Allah, and that Allah will bring disgrace upon those who deny the Truth.”
3. The respite of four months from the tenth of Zil-Haj (the date of the proclamation) to the tenth of Rabi-uththani was granted to give time to the mushriks so that they should consider their position carefully and decide whether to make preparation for war or to emigrate from the country or to accept Islam.
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