قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ ٱلْحَقِّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُوا۟ ٱلْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَـٰغِرُونَ 29
Translations
Fight against those who do not believe in Allāh or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allāh and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth [i.e., Islām] from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
Transliteration
Qatilu alladhina la yu'minuna billahi wa la bil-yawmi al-akhiri wa la yuharrimuna ma harrama allahu wa rasuluh wa la yadinuna dina al-haqqi min alladhina utul-kitaba hatta yu'atu al-jizyata an yadin wa hum saghirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands fighting against People of the Book (Christians and Jews) who reject belief in Allah and the Last Day, do not uphold Islamic law, and refuse to recognize the truth of Islam—until they either accept Islam or agree to pay the Jizyah (poll tax) in a state of submission. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this ruling applies specifically to those who actively oppose Islam and reject its message, and that payment of the Jizyah grants them protected status (dhimmi) with rights and obligations under Islamic law.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9) is the final surah revealed in Madinah, primarily addressing the status of treaties, warfare, and covenants during the Islamic state's consolidation. This ayah reflects the period after the Meccan polytheists' repeated treaty violations and follows the command to fight those who broke their covenants with Muslims. It establishes the Islamic legal framework for relations with non-Muslim monotheistic communities.
Related Hadiths
Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever kills a person under covenant (dhimmi) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.' (Sahih Bukhari 3166). Additionally, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's pact with Christian communities of the Levant exemplifies the practical implementation of this ayah regarding Jizyah and protection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah establishes that Islamic warfare has specific conditions and limits: it targets those who reject divine guidance and break covenants, not civilians indiscriminately. For modern contexts, it reminds us that Islamic law historically provided structured legal frameworks protecting religious minorities—a principle emphasizing responsibility in governance and the protection of those under Islamic authority's covenant.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنَكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْكُفْرَ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا۟ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْـًٔا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allāh is over all things competent.
ٱنفِرُوا۟ خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allāh. That is better for you, if you only knew.
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
Then Allāh sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers [i.e., angels] whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers.