قَـٰتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ 14
Translations
Fight them; Allāh will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts [i.e., desires] of a believing people
Transliteration
Qatiluhum yu'aththibhumu-llahu bi-aydeekum wa yukhzihim wa yansurukum 'alaihim wa yashfi sudura qawmin mu'mineen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers to fight against those who have broken their covenants, assuring them that Allah will punish the enemy through their hands, humiliate them, grant victory to the Muslims, and heal the hearts of the believing people who have suffered oppression and betrayal. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that this verse provides divine reassurance and psychological comfort to the believers, emphasizing that their struggle is not in vain but part of Allah's plan to establish justice and vindicate the oppressed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), a Medinan surah revealed during the later stages of the Prophet's life, addressing the conflicts between the Muslim state of Medina and various tribal groups and polytheists who violated their treaties. The context here specifically addresses those who broke their covenants with the Muslims, necessitating military response as a matter of self-defense and covenant enforcement.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3:46:724) where the Prophet ﷺ said, 'I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah,' relates to the divine command to fight mentioned in this ayah. Additionally, the principle of healing hearts through justice is reflected in various hadiths about the reward of defending Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
For modern believers, this ayah teaches that standing against injustice and broken agreements, when done in obedience to Allah's command, brings both material victory and spiritual healing to the community; it reminds us that our struggles for truth have divine backing and purpose beyond the immediate conflict.
Related Ayahs
لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةًۢ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ
Make no excuse; you have disbelieved [i.e., rejected faith] after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Do they not know that it is Allāh who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allāh who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful?
أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] ʿAad and Thamūd and the people of Abraham and the companions [i.e., dwellers] of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allāh would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَـٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.