سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 5
فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلْأَشْهُرُ ٱلْحُرُمُ فَٱقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ وَٱقْعُدُوا۟ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا۟ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّوا۟ سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then when the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikûn (See V.2:105) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, then leave their way free. Verily, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
Then when
ٱنسَلَخَ
insalakha
have passed
ٱلْأَشْهُرُ
l-ashhuru
the sacred months
ٱلْحُرُمُ
l-ḥurumu
the sacred months
فَٱقْتُلُوا۟
fa-uq'tulū
then kill
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
l-mush'rikīna
the polytheists
حَيْثُ
ḥaythu
wherever
وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ
wajadttumūhum
you find them
وَخُذُوهُمْ
wakhudhūhum
and seize them
وَٱحْصُرُوهُمْ
wa-uḥ'ṣurūhum
and besiege them
وَٱقْعُدُوا۟
wa-uq'ʿudū
and sit (in wait)
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
كُلَّ
kulla
(at) every
مَرْصَدٍۢ ۚ
marṣadin
place of ambush
فَإِن
fa-in
But if
تَابُوا۟
tābū
they repent
وَأَقَامُوا۟
wa-aqāmū
and establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَءَاتَوُا۟
waātawū
and give
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
l-zakata
the zakah
فَخَلُّوا۟
fakhallū
then leave
سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ
sabīlahum
their way
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
غَفُورٌۭ
ghafūrun
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٌۭ
raḥīmun
Most Merciful
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.
5. Then, when the sacred [4] months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and seize them, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakat [5], then let them go their way. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[4] Here, the sacred months refer to the four-month period from 10th Dhul-Hijjah, 9 AH to 10th Rabi' al-Thani, 10 AH, which was given to the polytheists for reflection. Here, the sacred months do not mean Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, which were considered sacred even in the Age of Ignorance and whose sanctity was also upheld by Islam.
[5]
Conditions for Not Fighting the Polytheists:
The following hadith further clarifies this. Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "I have been commanded to fight the people until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and pay zakat. When they do this, they have protected their lives and property from me except for the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah." [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب فان، تابوا۔۔ مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب الامر بقتال الناس حتي۔۔]
That is, for these polytheists, merely declaring acceptance of Islam or repentance is not sufficient; rather, it is also necessary for them to establish prayer and pay zakat to prove the truth of their claim. And if any polytheist outwardly fulfills these three conditions, then he will not be confronted, even if there is still corruption in his intention. And if such is the case, Allah will deal with such people both in this world and in the Hereafter. From this verse, the principle is derived that any Muslim, whether he is a hereditary Muslim or a new convert, if he establishes prayer and pays zakat, he can receive the rights of citizenship in an Islamic government, and if he does not, then he cannot receive rights like those of Muslims.
The Jihad of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ Against Apostates and Those Who Did Not Actually Pay Zakat:
In the Prophetic era ﷺ, after this declaration, the polytheists only adopted the third way, that is, they accepted Islam. However, after the Prophet's ﷺ demise, such polytheists again raised their heads. Some of them completely apostatized from Islam, and some were those who refused to pay zakat. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ convened a consultative assembly regarding fighting such people. In such delicate circumstances, he consulted about waging jihad against those who withheld zakat. In this assembly, most of the Companions, considering the sensitivity of the situation, advised not to confront them for the time being, and some said, "How can you fight those who have entered Islam by reciting the testimony of faith?" Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ؓ, reasoning from this very verse, proved to the consultative assembly that just as the establishment of prayer is a condition for the truthfulness of the claim of Islam, so is the payment of zakat. Thus, the assembly had to be convinced of this, and he waged jihad against those who withheld zakat just as he did against the disbelievers and polytheists.
[4] Here, the sacred months refer to the four-month period from 10th Dhul-Hijjah, 9 AH to 10th Rabi' al-Thani, 10 AH, which was given to the polytheists for reflection. Here, the sacred months do not mean Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, which were considered sacred even in the Age of Ignorance and whose sanctity was also upheld by Islam.
[5]
Conditions for Not Fighting the Polytheists:
The following hadith further clarifies this. Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "I have been commanded to fight the people until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and pay zakat. When they do this, they have protected their lives and property from me except for the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah." [بخاري۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب فان، تابوا۔۔ مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب الامر بقتال الناس حتي۔۔]
That is, for these polytheists, merely declaring acceptance of Islam or repentance is not sufficient; rather, it is also necessary for them to establish prayer and pay zakat to prove the truth of their claim. And if any polytheist outwardly fulfills these three conditions, then he will not be confronted, even if there is still corruption in his intention. And if such is the case, Allah will deal with such people both in this world and in the Hereafter. From this verse, the principle is derived that any Muslim, whether he is a hereditary Muslim or a new convert, if he establishes prayer and pays zakat, he can receive the rights of citizenship in an Islamic government, and if he does not, then he cannot receive rights like those of Muslims.
The Jihad of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ Against Apostates and Those Who Did Not Actually Pay Zakat:
In the Prophetic era ﷺ, after this declaration, the polytheists only adopted the third way, that is, they accepted Islam. However, after the Prophet's ﷺ demise, such polytheists again raised their heads. Some of them completely apostatized from Islam, and some were those who refused to pay zakat. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ convened a consultative assembly regarding fighting such people. In such delicate circumstances, he consulted about waging jihad against those who withheld zakat. In this assembly, most of the Companions, considering the sensitivity of the situation, advised not to confront them for the time being, and some said, "How can you fight those who have entered Islam by reciting the testimony of faith?" Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ؓ, reasoning from this very verse, proved to the consultative assembly that just as the establishment of prayer is a condition for the truthfulness of the claim of Islam, so is the payment of zakat. Thus, the assembly had to be convinced of this, and he waged jihad against those who withheld zakat just as he did against the disbelievers and polytheists.
