"Will you not fight a people who have broken their oaths?"—meaning: they broke their covenant. "And plotted to expel the Messenger"—Al-Hasan said: from Medina. "And they began the attack on you the first time"—by declaring the fighting of your allies to be lawful. "Do you fear them?"—posed as a question; so you do not fight them? "But Allah is more entitled"—more worthy— "that you should fear Him, if you are believers"—meaning: if you are indeed believers.
Surah at-Tawbah from verse (14) to verse (16).
﴿أَلا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَكَثُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ﴾ نَكَثُوا عَهْدَهُمْ ﴿وَهَمُّوا بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ﴾ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ ﴿وَهُمْ بدءوكم أول مرّة﴾ فاستحلوا قتال حلفائكم ﴿أتخشونهم﴾ عَلَى الاسْتِفْهَامِ؛ فَلا تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ ﴿فَاللَّهُ أَحَق﴾ أَوْلَى ﴿أَنْ تَخْشَوْهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤمنين﴾ يَعْنِي: إِذا كُنْتُم مُؤمنين.
سُورَة التَّوْبَة من الْآيَة (١٤) إِلَى الْآيَة (١٦).
