Are we to adhere to the unconditional command...

Are we to adhere to the unconditional command, and assume any conditional command was limited to that special instance it was provided for? Or should we interpret the unconditional as the conditional, which means adhering to what is conditional? Let me cite a simple example. On two separate occasions we are given a command by someone who has the authority to command us, and whose authority we respect.

On one occasion, he tells us to respect such and such a person, and we understand this as an unconditional command. On another occasion, he commands us to respect that person if he does some particular task, such as taking part in a meeting. The second time the command contains an “if.” The command is now conditional. We are not asked to unconditionally respect someone, in all situations and all states. Rather, the “if” signifies a prerequisite attached to our respect of such an individual.

The first command had no condition; we were simply told to respect him. Assuming we had ears and heard this command, we would obey it and comply, regardless of whether the person attended meetings or was too lazy to bother. But when we hear the other command, we understand that we are to respect the person provided he comes to the meeting, and, if he refrains from doing so, we are not to respect him.

The ulama’ say that the rule requires us to interpret the unconditional as the conditional, meaning that we must assume the aim of the unconditional to be exactly that of the conditional.

Now, among the unconditional and conditional verses of the Qur’an pertaining to jihad, is one that we have seen: « Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger »(9:29) In another verse, we are told: « Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you » (2:190) What are the meanings of these verses? Do they mean that we must fight these people regardless of whether they are about to attack us?

Is the command unconditional so that we must fight them whether they intend to attack us or not, or whether they are guilty of aggression or not? There are two possible views. One is that the command remains unconditional. Under this view, the People of the Book are not Muslims, so we are allowed to fight them, but only until we subdue them. If they are neither Muslims nor People of the Book, we should fight them until either they become Muslims or we kill them.