سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 190
وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ ﴿190﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And fight in the Way of Allâh those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allâh likes not the transgressors. [This Verse is the first one that was revealed in connection with Jihâd, but it was supplemented by another (9:36)].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟
waqātilū
And fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ
yuqātilūnakum
fight you
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ ۚ
taʿtadū
transgress
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يُحِبُّ
yuḥibbu
like
ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ
l-muʿ'tadīna
the transgressors
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
190. And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you [250], but do not transgress [251]. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.
[250] Permission for Defensive War: In Makkah, Muslims were continuously instructed to be patient in the face of the oppression and cruelty of their opponents. After migrating to Madinah, when a small Islamic state was established, Muslims were granted permission to fight, and the first verse revealed in this regard was this verse from Surah Al-Hajj:
﴿اُذِنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ يُقٰتَلُوْنَ بِاَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوْا وَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَليٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيْرُ﴾ [39: 22]
“Permission (to fight) is given to those against whom war is being waged, because they have been wronged, and Allah is surely able to help them.” However, it was also emphasized that you should only fight those who fight you, because you have no material interest attached to war, and from this verse, permission for defensive war was granted.
[251]
Etiquettes of War:
That is, do not fight those who do not hinder the path of the true religion, nor should you use ignorant methods in battle, meaning do not attack women, the elderly, children, and the wounded. Do not mutilate the bodies of the enemy, and do not unnecessarily destroy crops and livestock, etc., all of which are prohibited in the hadiths. In other words, use force only where it is needed and only as much as is needed.
[250] Permission for Defensive War: In Makkah, Muslims were continuously instructed to be patient in the face of the oppression and cruelty of their opponents. After migrating to Madinah, when a small Islamic state was established, Muslims were granted permission to fight, and the first verse revealed in this regard was this verse from Surah Al-Hajj:
﴿اُذِنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ يُقٰتَلُوْنَ بِاَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوْا وَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَليٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيْرُ﴾ [39: 22]
“Permission (to fight) is given to those against whom war is being waged, because they have been wronged, and Allah is surely able to help them.” However, it was also emphasized that you should only fight those who fight you, because you have no material interest attached to war, and from this verse, permission for defensive war was granted.
[251]
Etiquettes of War:
That is, do not fight those who do not hinder the path of the true religion, nor should you use ignorant methods in battle, meaning do not attack women, the elderly, children, and the wounded. Do not mutilate the bodies of the enemy, and do not unnecessarily destroy crops and livestock, etc., all of which are prohibited in the hadiths. In other words, use force only where it is needed and only as much as is needed.
