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
بَرَآءَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
[This is a declaration of] disassociation, from Allāh and His Messenger, to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists.
۞ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَـٰهَدَ ٱللَّهَ لَئِنْ ءَاتَىٰنَا مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And among them are those who made a covenant with Allāh, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous."
۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَٱلْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلْغَـٰرِمِينَ وَفِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed for it and for bringing hearts together [for Islām] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allāh and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allāh. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَىٰكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ ٱنصَرَفُوا۟ ۚ صَرَفَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
And whenever a sūrah is revealed, they look at each other, [as if saying], "Does anyone see you?" and then they dismiss themselves. Allāh has dismissed their hearts because they are a people who do not understand.