فَسِيحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْزِى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 2
Translations
So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allāh and that Allāh will disgrace the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Fasīḥū fī al-arḍi arbaʿata ashhurin waʿlamū annakum ghayru muʿjizī allāhi wa anna allāha mukhzī al-kāfirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah grants the polytheists (mushrikūn) of Arabia a four-month grace period to travel freely in the land before the enforcement of the prohibition on their entry into the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this was a merciful warning allowing them time to prepare, repent, or depart peacefully. The verse concludes with a stern warning that they cannot escape Allah's power (muʿjizī = able to escape/thwart), and that Allah will humiliate the disbelievers—either through military defeat or eternal punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Tawbah's opening proclamation, revealed in the 9th year of Hijrah after the expedition of Tabūk. It relates to the declaration of immunity (barāʿah) from polytheists and their contracts, marking the final stage before the complete prohibition of polytheists from the sacred precincts of Mecca. The four-month period (Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qaʿdah, Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and Muḥarram) allowed safe passage for those wishing to leave or settle their affairs.
Related Hadiths
The principle of giving respite is reflected in Surah At-Tawbah 4-5, where Allah permits those with whom covenants were made to complete their term. The hadith in Sahih Bukhari regarding the announcement of this proclamation by Abu Bakr and Ali describes the practical implementation of this ayah during the Hajj season.
Themes
Key Lesson
Allah's punishment, though certain and inescapable, comes only after clear warning and opportunity for repentance, demonstrating that divine justice is never arbitrary but always merciful in its deliberateness. For believers, this teaches the importance of maintaining sacred boundaries and recognizing that true honor comes from submission to Allah, not from worldly resistance.
Related Ayahs
لَّقَد تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Allāh has already forgiven the Prophet and the Muhājireen and the Anṣār who followed him in the hour of difficulty after the hearts of a party of them had almost inclined [to doubt], and then He forgave them. Indeed, He was to them Kind and Merciful.
وَمِنْهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ ۚ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And among them are those who abuse the Prophet and say, "He is an ear." Say, "[It is] an ear of goodness for you that believes in Allāh and believes the believers and [is] a mercy to those who believe among you." And those who abuse the Messenger of Allāh - for them is a painful punishment.
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?
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.