سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 217
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّهْرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌۢ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِۦ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿217﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar). Say "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allâh is to prevent mankind from following the Way of Allâh, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid-Al-Harâm (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing. And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islâmic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ
yasalūnaka
They ask you
عَنِ
ʿani
about
ٱلشَّهْرِ
l-shahri
the month
ٱلْحَرَامِ
l-ḥarāmi
[the] sacred
قِتَالٍۢ
qitālin
(concerning) fighting
فِيهِ ۖ
fīhi
in it
قُلْ
qul
Say
قِتَالٌۭ
qitālun
Fighting
فِيهِ
fīhi
therein
كَبِيرٌۭ ۖ
kabīrun
(is) a great (sin)
وَصَدٌّ
waṣaddun
but hindering (people)
عَن
ʿan
from
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَكُفْرٌۢ
wakuf'run
and disbelief
بِهِۦ
bihi
in Him
وَٱلْمَسْجِدِ
wal-masjidi
and (preventing access to) Al-Masjid
ٱلْحَرَامِ
l-ḥarāmi
Al-Haraam
وَإِخْرَاجُ
wa-ikh'rāju
and driving out
أَهْلِهِۦ
ahlihi
its people
مِنْهُ
min'hu
from it
أَكْبَرُ
akbaru
(is) greater (sin)
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ
wal-fit'natu
And [the] oppression
أَكْبَرُ
akbaru
(is) greater
مِنَ
mina
than
ٱلْقَتْلِ ۗ
l-qatli
[the] killing
وَلَا
walā
And not
يَزَالُونَ
yazālūna
they will cease
يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ
yuqātilūnakum
(to) fight with you
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَرُدُّوكُمْ
yaruddūkum
they turn you away
عَن
ʿan
from
دِينِكُمْ
dīnikum
your religion
إِنِ
ini
if
ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ ۚ
is'taṭāʿū
they are able
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَرْتَدِدْ
yartadid
turns away
مِنكُمْ
minkum
among you
عَن
ʿan
from
دِينِهِۦ
dīnihi
his religion
فَيَمُتْ
fayamut
then dies
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
while he
كَافِرٌۭ
kāfirun
(is) a disbeliever
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
for those
حَبِطَتْ
ḥabiṭat
became worthless
أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ
aʿmāluhum
their deeds
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
the world
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ
wal-ākhirati
and the Hereafter
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
wa-ulāika
And those
أَصْحَـٰبُ
aṣḥābu
(are) companions
ٱلنَّارِ ۖ
l-nāri
(of) the Fire
هُمْ
hum
they
فِيهَا
fīhā
in it
خَـٰلِدُونَ
khālidūna
(will) abide forever
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
217. 1 Rajab, Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. These four months were also considered sacred in the time of ignorance, during which fighting and conflict were disliked. Islam also maintained their sanctity. In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, a disbeliever was killed by a Muslim military detachment in the month of Rajab, and some disbelievers were taken captive. The Muslims were not aware that Rajab had begun. The disbelievers taunted the Muslims, saying, "Look, they do not even respect the sanctity of the sacred month." Upon this, this verse was revealed, and it was said that indeed, fighting in the sacred month is a great sin, but those who cry out for sanctity do not see their own actions. They themselves are guilty of even greater crimes; they prevent people from the path of Allah and from al-Masjid al-Haram, and they force Muslims to leave from there. Moreover, disbelief and polytheism themselves are greater sins than killing. Therefore, if a Muslim happened to kill someone in the sacred month, so what? Instead of making a hue and cry over this, they should also look at their own black record.
217. 2 When these people are not going to desist from their mischief, conspiracies, and attempts to make you apostatize, then why do you refrain from fighting them because of the sacred month?
217. 3 Whoever turns away from the religion of Islam, that is, becomes an apostate (if he does not repent), his worldly punishment is death, as is mentioned in the hadith, and in this verse his punishment in the Hereafter is being stated. From this, it is understood that righteous deeds performed in the state of faith will also be nullified due to disbelief, and just as accepting faith causes a person's previous sins to be forgiven, in the same way, disbelief destroys all good deeds. However, from the words of the Quran, it is clear that the nullification of deeds will only occur if death comes upon disbelief; if he repents before death, then this will not happen, meaning the repentance of the apostate is accepted.
217. 2 When these people are not going to desist from their mischief, conspiracies, and attempts to make you apostatize, then why do you refrain from fighting them because of the sacred month?
217. 3 Whoever turns away from the religion of Islam, that is, becomes an apostate (if he does not repent), his worldly punishment is death, as is mentioned in the hadith, and in this verse his punishment in the Hereafter is being stated. From this, it is understood that righteous deeds performed in the state of faith will also be nullified due to disbelief, and just as accepting faith causes a person's previous sins to be forgiven, in the same way, disbelief destroys all good deeds. However, from the words of the Quran, it is clear that the nullification of deeds will only occur if death comes upon disbelief; if he repents before death, then this will not happen, meaning the repentance of the apostate is accepted.
