Quran Universe
9:4

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ عَٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَنقُصُوكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَمۡ يُظَٰهِرُواْ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَحَدٗا فَأَتِمُّوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡ عَهۡدَهُمۡ إِلَىٰ مُدَّتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ

Illa allatheena AAahadtum mina almushrikeena thumma lam yanqusookum shayan walam yuthahiroo AAalaykum ahadan faatimmoo ilayhim AAahdahum ila muddatihim inna Allaha yuhibbu almuttaqeena

Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him].

Word by word
  1. إِلَّاExcept
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose (with) whom
  3. عَٰهَدتُّمyou have a covenant
  4. مِّنَamong
  5. ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَthe polytheists
  6. ثُمَّthen
  7. لَمۡnot
  8. يَنقُصُوكُمۡthey have failed you
  9. شَيۡـٔٗا(in any) thing
  10. وَلَمۡand not
  11. يُظَٰهِرُواْthey have supported
  12. عَلَيۡكُمۡagainst you
  13. أَحَدٗاanyone
  14. فَأَتِمُّوٓاْso fulfil
  15. إِلَيۡهِمۡto them
  16. عَهۡدَهُمۡtheir treaty
  17. إِلَىٰtill
  18. مُدَّتِهِمۡۚtheir term
  19. إِنَّIndeed
  20. ٱللَّهَAllah
  21. يُحِبُّloves
  22. ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَthe righteous
At-Tawbah · 9:4Madinah

Those who kept their word kept their treaty.

Honoring agreements to the last day

The exception
treaty partnersnever broke terms
never helped attackersstayed true
so
complete their termto the agreed date
Who Allah loves here
the new policy winsold promises void
the promise keepersAllah loves the muttaqin

Some tribes had treaties with a fixed end date and had never broken them or helped anyone against the Muslims. For them, the treaty stood until its last day. Ibn Kathir explains the muttaqin here as those who keep their promises.

You agreed to a contract, a rent, a shift swap, a favor for a friend. Then things changed and a better deal appeared. Allah loves the one who finishes the term anyway, even when no one would blame you for wriggling out.

When circumstances change, my old promises bend with them.

A promise to someone who kept faith with me runs until its end.

Try this

Find one commitment you are tempted to drop early. Finish it as agreed.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Except those of the Mushrikin with whom you have a treaty, and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor have supported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty for them until the end of their term. Surely, Allah loves those who have Taqwa (4)

Existing Peace Treaties remained valid until the End of Their Term

This is an exception regulating the longest extent of time for those who have a general treaty - with out time mentioned - to four months.

They would have four months to travel the lands in search of sanctuary for themselves wherever they wish. Those whose treaty mentioned a specifec limited term, then the longest it would extend was to the point of its agreed upon termination date. Hadiths in this regard preceeded. So anyone who had a treaty with Allah's Messenger ﷺ, it lasted until its specific termination date. However, those in this category were required to refrain from breaking the terms of the agreement with Muslims and from helping non-Muslims against Muslims. This is the type whose peace agreement with Muslims was carried out to its end. Allah encouraged honoring such peace treaties, saying,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(Surely, Allah loves those who have Taqwa)[9:4], who keep their promises.