فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 5
Translations
And when the inviolable months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Fa-idha ansalakha al-ashhuru al-hurum faqtuloo al-mushrikeen haythu wajadtumohum wa-khudohum wa-ahsurohum wa-aqAAdu lahum kulla marssad. Fa-in taboo wa-aqamoo al-salata wa-ataw al-zakat fa-khalluu sabılahum. Inna Allaha ghafoorun raheem.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands fighting polytheists after the expiration of the sacred months (when truces expired), permitting believers to pursue them wherever found, capture them, and besiege them. However, the verse provides a crucial condition: if the polytheists repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, they must be released, emphasizing that Islam offers the path to salvation and divine mercy. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this represents the final abrogation of earlier peaceful verses regarding pagans who refused to accept Islam, applying specifically to those who rejected the final message despite being given time to respond.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed during the 9th year of Hijrah (the Year of Delegations) after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah had expired and polytheists continued breaking treaties. It follows the declaration of Bara'ah (immunity from obligations to polytheists) and represents the command for the final military expeditions in Arabia to establish Islamic authority. The sacred months mentioned refer to the four sacred months (Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab) when fighting was traditionally prohibited by Arab custom.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding similar commands: 'I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah' (Sahih Muslim 1/61). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet commanded gentle treatment even in war, showing that fighting was always constrained by ethical limits.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah demonstrates that Islam balances firmness in defending its message with compassion, always leaving the door open for repentance and peace—the true goal was never endless warfare but the acceptance of monotheism and moral submission. For modern readers, this teaches that righteous struggle must always maintain ethical boundaries and offer genuine opportunities for reconciliation and reformed conduct.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ نَفَقَةً صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً وَلَا يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِيًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Nor do they spend an expenditure, small or large, or cross a valley but that it is registered for them that Allāh may reward them for the best of what they were doing.
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allāh and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِى كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
Do they not see that they are tried every year once or twice but then they do not repent nor do they remember?
يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allāh is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people.