Skip to content

At-Tawbah 5

Ayah 5 of 129 · Medinan

فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡهُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ كُلَّ مَرۡصَدٖۚ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٥

And when the inviolable months1 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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The four months mentioned in verse 2, in which the disbelievers were allowed free movement within the land. Other scholars have interpreted them as "the sacred months," i.e., Muḥarram, Rajab, Dhul-Qaʿdah and Dhul-Ḥijjah.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. فَإِذَاThen whenfa-idhā
  2. ٱنسَلَخَhave passedinsalakha
  3. ٱلۡأَشۡهُرُthe sacred monthsl-ashhuru
  4. ٱلۡحُرُمُthe sacred monthsl-ḥurumu
  5. فَٱقۡتُلُواْthen killfa-uq'tulū
  6. ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَthe polytheistsl-mush'rikīna
  7. حَيۡثُwhereverḥaythu
  8. وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡyou find themwajadttumūhum
  9. وَخُذُوهُمۡand seize themwakhudhūhum
  10. وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡand besiege themwa-uḥ'ṣurūhum
  11. وَٱقۡعُدُواْand sit (in wait)wa-uq'ʿudū
  12. لَهُمۡfor themlahum
  13. كُلَّ(at) everykulla
  14. مَرۡصَدٖۚplace of ambushmarṣadin
  15. فَإِنBut iffa-in
  16. تَابُواْthey repenttābū
  17. وَأَقَامُواْand establishwa-aqāmū
  18. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayerl-ṣalata
  19. وَءَاتَوُاْand givewaātawū
  20. ٱلزَّكَوٰةَthe zakahl-zakata
  21. فَخَلُّواْthen leavefakhallū
  22. سَبِيلَهُمۡۚtheir waysabīlahum
  23. إِنَّIndeedinna
  24. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  25. غَفُورٞ(is) Oft-Forgivingghafūrun
  26. رَّحِيمٞMost Mercifulraḥīmun

Tafsir

With the ending of the sacred months (Dhū Al-Qa‘dah, Dhū Al-Ḥijjah, Muḥarram and Rajab), during which you assured your enemies of safety, kill the idolaters wherever you meet them. Besiege them in their fortresses and lie in wait for them on their paths. If they repent to Allah from their idolatry, establish the prayer and give the Zakat from their wealth, they become your brothers in Islam and you must not fight them any longer. Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate towards those of His servants who repent to Him.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran