The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Literally ‘eat’.
Battle Gains
115
8: 75

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9. REPENTANCE
A Medinan sura whose title is taken from verse 
104. The sura opens by giving
notice of the severance of the treaty with the idolaters because they had broken
it, but the bulk of the sura deals with preparations and recruitment for
the expedition to Tabuk, which took place in the heat of the summer of 
ah
9
(
631
ce
). The hypocrites and those who stayed behind and failed to support
the Prophet are all censured. This is the only sura not to begin with the formula
‘In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy’; there is an
opinion that suras 
8 and 9 are in fact just one sura.
1A release by God and His Messenger from the treaty you
[believers] made with the idolaters [is announced] ––
2you [idolaters]
may move freely about the land for four months, but you should
bear in mind both that you will not escape God, and that God will
disgrace those who defy [Him].
a
3On the Day of the Great Pilgrim-
age [there will be] a proclamation from God and His Messenger
to all people: ‘God and His Messenger are released from [treaty]
obligations to the idolaters. It will be better for you [idolaters] if
you repent; know that you cannot escape God if you turn away.’
[Prophet], warn those who ignore [God] that they will have a pain-
ful punishment. 
4As for those who have honoured the treaty you
made with them and who have not supported anyone against you:
ful
fil your agreement with them to the end of their term. God loves
those who are mindful of Him.
5When the [four] forbidden months are over, wherever
b
you
encounter the idolaters,
c
kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait
for them at every lookout post; but if they turn [to God], maintain
the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, let them go on their way, for
God is most forgiving and merciful. 
6If any one of the idolaters
should seek your protection [Prophet], grant it to him so that he may
hear the word of God, then take him to a place safe for him, for they
are people with no knowledge [of it]. 
7How could there be a treaty
a
‘Kafara bi (something)’ in Arabic can mean ‘disown (something)’ (al-Mu
 jam
al-Wasit), so ku
ffar here could also mean ‘those who disown [the treaty]’.
b
Inside or outside the Sanctuary in Mecca. See note d to 
2: 191.
c
In this context, this de
finitely refers to the ones who broke the treaty. The article
here is ahdiya (speci
fic) referring to what has already been stated.

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with God and His Messenger for such idolaters? But as for those
with whom you made a treaty at the Sacred Mosque, so long as they
remain true to you, be true to them; God loves those who are mind-
ful of Him. 
8[How,] when, if they were to get the upper hand over
you, they would not respect any tie with you, of kinship or of treaty?
They please you with their tongues, but their hearts are against you
and most of them are lawbreakers. 
9They have sold God’s message
for a tri
fling gain, and barred others from His path. How evil their
actions are! 
10Where believers are concerned, they respect no tie of
kinship or treaty. They are the ones who are committing aggression.
11If they turn to God, keep up the prayer, and pay the prescribed
alms, then they are your brothers in faith: We make the messages
clear for people who are willing to learn. 
12But if they break their
oath after having made an agreement with you, if they revile your
religion, then 
fight the leaders of disbelief–– oaths mean nothing to
them –
– so that they may stop. 
13How could you not fight a people
who have broken their oaths, who tried to drive the Messenger out,
who attacked you 
first? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear
if you are true believers. 
14Fight them: God will punish them at your
hands, He will disgrace them, He will help you to conquer them, He
will heal the believers’ feelings 
15and remove the rage from their
hearts. God turns to whoever He will in His mercy; God is all
knowing and wise. 
16Do you think that you will be left untested
a
without God identifying which of you will strive for His cause and
take no supporters apart from God, His Messenger, and other
believers? God is fully aware of all your actions.
17It is not right for the idolaters to tend God’s places of worship
while testifying to their own disbelief: the deeds of such people will
come to nothing and they will abide in Hell. 
18The only ones who
should tend God’s places of worship are those who believe in God
and the Last Day, who keep up the prayer, who pay the prescribed
alms, and who fear no one but God: such people may hope to be
among the rightly guided. 
19Do you consider giving water to pil-
grims and tending the Sacred Mosque to be equal to the deeds of
those who believe in God and the Last Day and who strive in
God’s path? They are not equal in God’s eyes. God does not guide
such benighted people. 
20Those who believe, who migrated and