Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty or those who come to you, their hearts strained at [the prospect of] fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allāh had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allāh has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them.
لَسَلَّطَهُمۡsurely He (would have) given them powerlasallaṭahum
عَلَيۡكُمۡover youʿalaykum
فَلَقَٰتَلُوكُمۡۚand surely they (would have) fought youfalaqātalūkum
فَإِنِSo iffa-ini
ٱعۡتَزَلُوكُمۡthey withdraw from youiʿ'tazalūkum
فَلَمۡand (do) notfalam
يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡfight against youyuqātilūkum
وَأَلۡقَوۡاْand offerwa-alqaw
إِلَيۡكُمُto youilaykumu
ٱلسَّلَمَ[the] peacel-salama
فَمَاthen notfamā
جَعَلَ(has) madejaʿala
ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
لَكُمۡfor youlakum
عَلَيۡهِمۡagainst themʿalayhim
سَبِيلٗاa waysabīlan
Tafsir
But you cannot act like this with those of them who join a people with whom you have a peace treaty or those who come to you reluctant to fight against you or their own people. If Allah willed to give them power over you, He would have done so and they would have fought you. Therefore, accept the safety that Allah has given you and do not interfere with them by killing or taking any one of them as captives. If they stay away without fighting you and they come to you to make peace, then Allah has not given you any authority to fight them or take any of them as prisoners.