The Position of the [declaration of] Repudiation to the Polytheists in the Foreign policy of the Islamic Government from the Perspective of Islamic Fiqh

Islam have issued different verdicts regarding the relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. On the one hand, Islam has not permitted infidels and polytheists to have power and authority (dominance) over any Muslim individuals, and considered benevolence and good conduct towards non-Muslims who do not wish to go to war against Muslims as something ideal on the other. Nevertheless, it urges Muslims to go to holy war against those enemies who violate any agreements and treaties, asking them not to show any respect to their agreements and treaties anymore thereof, and to declare repudiation to them. This declaration of repudiation to polytheists as well as the holy war (jihÁd) is one of the Divine Commandments that is recounted as one of the principles of the Islamic government’s foreign policy. The fact is that the issue of the declaration of repudiation to the infidels and enemies of Islam is the one which has been neglected in the history of Islam, but it was revived when the Islamic Revolution gained victory especially with respect to the approach Imam Khomeini developed towards it. This verdict is supported strongly by numerous jurisprudential arguments based on the Qur’anic verses of which one can refer to the ones purporting to suggest repudiating polytheists, staying clear of the worship of the Rebel, the necessity of preparing against the enemies of Allah, arousing their anger, and raising petition. The concept of polytheism, and the idea of treating a polytheistic system of government as the one which rises against or opposes Islam are among the issues which have escaped notice and which the present article seeks to explain; for repudiating polytheists is often interpreted from a narrow view of repudiating personal and creedal polytheism and the duty of the Islamic government is overshadowed in this regard.