Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum, is verse 16:126 abrogated by sura 9:5? Is the narration regarding Ibn Abbas’ opinion sahih? Can we forgive the non-believer for any wrongdoing whether Muslims are the in majority or minority?
Answer:
Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.
I pray you are well.
No, verse 16:126 is not abrogated by 9:5. They have very different contexts. The verse in Sura al-Tawba refers to specific tribes of the Arab pagans who treacherously broke their treaties with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), so a declaration of war was made. The ruling was specific to that scenario. [Alusi, Ruh al-Ma’ani]
I could not find a narration from Ibn ‘Abbas stating this in the tafsir works I consulted. There are a number of differences of opinion regarding this verse, just not what you mentioned.
Yes, it is permissible to forgive non-Muslims, especially in personal dealings. As for political matters, there are rulings which pertain to the ruler of the Muslims, but that is a longer discussion for another context.
Please refer to this answer for more details.
May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani