سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 123
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا۟ فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةً ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿123﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you; and know that Allâh is with those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you who believe
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
O you who believe
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
O you who believe
قَـٰتِلُوا۟
qātilū
Fight
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يَلُونَكُم
yalūnakum
(are) close to you
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكُفَّارِ
l-kufāri
the disbelievers
وَلْيَجِدُوا۟
walyajidū
and let them find
فِيكُمْ
fīkum
in you
غِلْظَةًۭ ۚ
ghil'ẓatan
harshness
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟
wa-iʿ'lamū
And know
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
مَعَ
maʿa
(is) with
ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
l-mutaqīna
those who fear (Him)
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.
123. O you who believe! Fight those disbelievers [140] who are near to you, and let them find harshness [141] in you. And know that Allah is with those who are mindful of Him [142].
[140]
First, Jihad Against the Disbelievers of the Adjacent Region, Then Sequentially Further Ahead:
That is, if this war is for the purpose of removing obstacles from the path of Islam, or in other words, to eliminate fitnah, then first, war should be waged against the disbelievers of the region adjacent to your own state, and then after that, against those who are connected to it. This is because if, leaving the adjacent region, war is started with the next region, then the disbelievers of the intermediate region can attack the Muslims from both the front and the rear, thus exposing them to dangers. And if the war is of a defensive nature, such as when Russia attacked Afghanistan, then first and foremost, participation in jihad would be obligatory upon Afghanistan, and then upon those regions or countries that share a border with Afghanistan, i.e., Pakistan and Iran, etc.
[141] That is, one should confront them with full determination and should not show any leniency towards them at all; rather, one should deal with them with such severity that they do not dare to rise again. This subject has come in several places in the Quran, that the characteristic of the believers is that they are very merciful and kind among themselves, but very stern-hearted towards the disbelievers.
[142]
It is Necessary to Observe the Rules of War:
This severity does not mean that you forget all those rules and commands which Allah and His Messenger have given you for the time of war. For example, the women, children, monk-like people of the disbelievers, or those who are not actually participating in the battlefield, should not be killed. The mutilation of any corpse should not be done. The violation of a treaty should not be committed at any cost. The enemy’s trees, crops, and livestock should not be destroyed, except if the trees, etc., are obstructing the path of war, and so on. In all such matters, one should remain fearful of Allah, and Allah only is with, and helps those who are fearful of Him.
[140]
First, Jihad Against the Disbelievers of the Adjacent Region, Then Sequentially Further Ahead:
That is, if this war is for the purpose of removing obstacles from the path of Islam, or in other words, to eliminate fitnah, then first, war should be waged against the disbelievers of the region adjacent to your own state, and then after that, against those who are connected to it. This is because if, leaving the adjacent region, war is started with the next region, then the disbelievers of the intermediate region can attack the Muslims from both the front and the rear, thus exposing them to dangers. And if the war is of a defensive nature, such as when Russia attacked Afghanistan, then first and foremost, participation in jihad would be obligatory upon Afghanistan, and then upon those regions or countries that share a border with Afghanistan, i.e., Pakistan and Iran, etc.
[141] That is, one should confront them with full determination and should not show any leniency towards them at all; rather, one should deal with them with such severity that they do not dare to rise again. This subject has come in several places in the Quran, that the characteristic of the believers is that they are very merciful and kind among themselves, but very stern-hearted towards the disbelievers.
[142]
It is Necessary to Observe the Rules of War:
This severity does not mean that you forget all those rules and commands which Allah and His Messenger have given you for the time of war. For example, the women, children, monk-like people of the disbelievers, or those who are not actually participating in the battlefield, should not be killed. The mutilation of any corpse should not be done. The violation of a treaty should not be committed at any cost. The enemy’s trees, crops, and livestock should not be destroyed, except if the trees, etc., are obstructing the path of war, and so on. In all such matters, one should remain fearful of Allah, and Allah only is with, and helps those who are fearful of Him.
