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[quote]Here is a copy/paste from another forum on this topic:

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Sura Tauba (or Bar'aat as it is also called) has a historical context and contains specific instructions for a specific period. During and/or around 9AH when almost 1/3rd Arabia was under Islamic influence, and was spreading rapidly after the peace treaty of Sulah-Hudaibiya, the enemies of the prophet were getting more and more frustrated and jealous. After conquest of Mecca, there were still many angry mushriks in Mecca who kept on plotting against Muslims. Some of them used a masjid as a meeting place to scheme and make strategies on how to prevent Muslims from going on Ghuzwa-e-Tabuk against Romans. The prophet sent Ali and Abu-Bakr (rta) to Mecca (from Medina) with this order (that after the 4 month of respite, no mushrik will be spared). The prophet later burned down the house of one of the mushriks in Mecca and destroyed their masjid where they used to plot. The four sacred months was a time given to mushriks to either accept Islam or get out of the Arabian peninsula. The tactics of the hypocrites had become well known after the mission of Tabuk, and they had been identified as those who were not willing to do jihaad against the Roman threat despite being able to do so, or those who stopped other Muslims from going on the expedition. After Mecca's conquest there was no room for 'shirk' or those who practised it or did any kind of idol worship in and around the Kaaba. This order gave them four months to either accept Islam completely or get out of the country. They were not welcome any more. They had opposed the prophet on many fronts for so long, and now they had been defeated. This was their chance to either reform or leave.

The reference to the 'four sacred months' should make it clear that these verses refer to a specific time period and people.

A little more history about Tabuk: The prophet had sent envoys to other countries with message of Islam. During that time the two great empires were the Roman and the Persian empires. I remmember reading that both of them killed the Muslim envoys. Even at that time, doing such a thing was against all diplomatic norms. There used to be squirmishes at the borders of Islamic state and the Romans and Persians. One such border area was present day Syria and Israel. News was spreading   that the Ceaser of Rome was gathering a huge army of several hundred thousand soldiers to crush the fledgling Islamic state. The prophet decided to take preemptive action against this threat. He managed to gather about 30,000 men who marched at a very difficult time to meet the Romans. It was difficult because it was harvest time and if they left then, they would loose their crops and have no food for the whole year. Also it was extrememly hot. This was a true litmus test and it came out who was a hypocrite and who really was devoted to the cause. The prophet's enemies had from the outside become Muslims because Mecca was lost to them and they had been defeated. But inside they still harbored great hatred and jealousy. They hoped that the Romans would crush the Muslims once and for all. They hatched their schemes and prepared for civil war after the return of the defeated Muslims. Later the prohet burned down one of the houses used for the such gatherings where these people used to plot. The prophet was a great strategists and his preemptive scheme worked well. The Ceaser never got enough time to gather his huge army because the Muslims had already arrived a the battle front. So the Romans never showed up for encounter. Also prior a 100,000 Roman army had been routed by a small band of 3000 Muslims. They really did not want to confront a 30,000 strong Muslim force, even with several 100,000 of their own. Hence the Muslims were able to show who is stronger and made a political statement without spilling any blood. Many of the Syrian tribes sweared allegiance to the prophet. When the Muslims returned victorious, it was time to clean the house and remove the hypocrites, the mushriks and pagans.[/quote]

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