9al-TawbahRepentanceسُورَةُ التوبة

Disavowal by Allah and His Apostle [is herewith pronounced] to those who assign divinity/authority to any beside Allah, [and] with whom you [O committed muslims] have [previously] enacted a treaty.

[Announce to them], “Go, then, [freely, without hostilities] about the earth [and throughout the land] for four months — but know that you can never challenge Allah, and that, verily, Allah shall bring disgrace upon all who refuse to acknowledge the truth [of His power and authority]!”

And a proclamation from Allah and His Apostle [is herewith made] to all mankind on this day of the Greatest Pilgrimage, “Allah disavows all who attribute divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Him, and [so does] His Apostle. Hence, if you repent, it shall be for your own good; and if you turn away, then know that you can never surpass Allah!” And to those who are bent on denying the truth [when it comes to Allah’s power and authority] give you [O Prophet] the obvious news of grievous chastisement.

But excluded — from among those who attribute divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Allah — shall be [people] with whom you [O committed muslims] have signed an agreement and who thereafter did not fail to fulfill their obligations toward you, and neither have [militarily] aided anyone against you: observe, then, your treaty with them until the end of the term agreed [upon] with them. Verily, Allah loves those who are conscious of His power bearing.

And so, when the sacred [four] months [in the Islamic lunar calendar] are over, do away with those who assign divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Allah wherever you may come upon them, and take control [of their high society] and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place. Yet if they repent, and take to ṣalāh, and render the zakāh [purifying dues], let them go their way: for, behold, Allah is much-forgiving, merciful.

And if any of those who impute divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Allah seeks your protection, grant him protection, so that he might [be able to] listen to the word of Allah [coming from you]; and thereupon escort him to a place where he can feel secure: this, because they [may be] people who [sin only because they] do not know [the truth relating to Allah’s authority and control].

How could they who arrogate divinity/authority to a person or thing beside Allah be granted a pact by Allah and His Apostle, unless it be those [of them] with whom you [O committed muslims] have entered into a treaty in the vicinity of the Inviolable House of Reverence [al-Masjid al-Ḥarām]? [As for the latter], so long as they remain true to you, be true to them: for, verily, Allah loves those who are conscious of Him [as an immediate power and ultimate authority].

How [else could it be]? — since, if they [who are hostile to you] were to overcome you, they would not respect any agreement [with you], nor any obligation to protect [you]. They seek to please you with their mouths, the while their hearts remain averse [to you]; and most of them are [character] degenerates.

[It is] Allah’s messages they have bartered away for a trifling gain, and have thus turned away from His path: pernicious, behold, is all they are accustomed to do,

They respect no accord and no protective obligation [of conscience] with regard to a committed muslim; and it is they, they who are offensive transgressors.

Yet if they repent, and take steady ṣalāh, and [consistently] render the zakāh [purifying dues], they become your brethren in faith and commitment: and clearly do We spell out these implications to people of [definite] knowledge!

But if they break their solemn pledges after having concluded a formal agreement, and deligitimize your dīn, then engage in a fight against those chief executives of kufr who, behold, have no [regard for their own] pledges, so that they might desist [from aggression].

Would you, perchance, fail to fight against people who have broken their solemn pledges, and have done all they could to drive the Apostle [Muhammad] away, and have been [the] first to attack you? Do you hold them in awe? No, it is Allah alone of whom you ought to stand in awe, if you are [truly] committed muslims!

Engage them in battle! Allah will deal with them severely via your hands, and will bring disgrace upon them, and will support you against them; and He will soothe the bosoms of those who are committed [to Him],

And will remove the wrath that is in their hearts. And Allah will turn in His mercy to whom He wills: for, Allah is all-knowing, wise.

Do you [O committed muslims] think that you will be left alone [in your struggle] without Allah being cognizant of those of you who strive hard [in His cause] without seeking help from any but Allah and His Apostle and those who are committed to Him? For, Allah is aware of all that you do.

It is not for those who ascribe divinity/authority to anyone/anything besides Allah to bring to life Allah’s houses of reverence, the while [by their beliefs] they bear witness against themselves that they are denying the truth [about Allah’s right and influence]. It is they whose works shall come to nothing and they who in the Fire shall abide!

Only he shall bring to life Allah’s houses of reverence who is practically committed to Allah and the Last Day, and standardizes the ṣalah, and systemizes the zakāh, and stands in awe of none but Allah: for [only such as] these may hope to be among the right-guided!

Do you, perchance, regard the [mere] giving of water to pilgrims and the erection of the Inviolable House of Reverence as being equal to [the works of] one who is committed to Allah and the Last Day and strives hard in Allah’s cause? These [things] are not equal in the sight of Allah. And Allah does not grace with His guidance people who [deliberately] do wrong.

Those who are committed to Allah, and who have forsaken the jurisdiction of evil and have striven hard in Allah’s cause with their possessions and their lives have the highest rank in the sight of Allah; and it is they, they who shall triumph [in the end]!

Their Sustainer gives them the good news of the grace [that flows] from Him, and of [His] goodly acceptance, and of the gardens that await them, full of lasting bliss,

Therein to abide beyond the count of time. Verily, with Allah is a mighty reward!

O you who are committed [to Allah]! Do not assume your fathers and your brothers as [ideological] allies if a denial of the truth [pertaining to Allah’s power and authority] is dearer to them than a commitment to Allah: for those of you who ally themselves with them — it is they, they who are wrong and unjust!

Say, “If your fathers and your sons and your brothers and your spouses and your clan, and the worldly goods you have acquired, and the commerce whereof you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you take pleasure — [if all these] are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and the struggle in His cause, then wait until Allah confirms His will; and [know that] Allah does not grace [degenerate] iniquitous folk with His guidance.”

Indeed, Allah has supported you on many battlefields, [when you were few]; and [He did so, too], on the Day of Ḥunayn, when you took pride in your great numbers and they proved of no avail whatever to you — for the earth, despite all its vastness, became claustrophobic for you and you turned back, retreating:

Whereupon Allah bestowed from on high His [gift of] inner peace upon His Apostle and upon the committed muslims, and bestowed [upon you] from on high forces you could not see, and punished those who were bent on denying the truth: for such is the payback of all who deny the truth [about Allah’s control and command].

But with all this, Allah will turn in His mercy to whom He wills: for Allah is much forgiving, very merciful.

O you who are safely committed [to the Almighty]! Those who impute divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Allah are nothing but noxious: and so they shall not approach the Inviolable House of Reverence [al-Masjid al-Ḥarām] from this year onward. And should you fear poverty [because of this], then [know that] in time Allah will enrich you out of His bounty, if He so wills: for, verily, Allah is all-knowing, wise!

[And] fight against those who — despite having been vouchsafed revelation [aforetime] — do not [truly] commit to Allah [as sole sovereign and the highest authority in man’s affairs] and [do not affirm the eventuality of] the Last Day [as a permanent feature of civic life], and do not consider unlawful that which Allah and His Apostle have stated to be unlawful, and do not follow the dīn of truth [that Allah has enjoined upon them], until they [agree to] pay the exemption tax (jizyah) with a willing hand, after having been humbled [in war].

And the Jews [at one time] said, “Ezra is God’s son,” while the Christians say, “The Christ is God’s son.” Such are the sayings they utter with their mouths, following, in spirit, assertions made in earlier times by people who denied the truth [of Allah’s power and authority]! [They deserve the imprecation], “May God take them on!”

They have taken their rabbis and their monks — as well as the Christ, son of Mary — for their lords beside God, although they had been bidden to comply and conform to none but the One God, besides whom there is no deity: the One who is completely remote, in His limitless glory, from anything to which they may ascribe a share in His divinity and authority!

They want to extinguish Allah’s [guiding] light with their utterances: but Allah will not allow [this to pass], for He has willed to spread His light in all its fullness, however hateful this may be to all who deny the truth [of Allah’s authority and power].

He it is who has sent forth His Apostle [Muhammad] with the [task of spreading] guidance and the dīn of truth, to the end that He may cause it to prevail over all [false] dīn — however hateful this may be to those who ascribe divinity to anyone/anything beside Allah.

O you who are firmly committed [to Allah]! Behold, many of the rabbis and reverends do indeed wrongfully devour people’s possessions and [by doing so] divert [others] away from the path leading to Allah. And for those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend them for the sake of Allah — give them [ironically] the clear news of grievous suffering [in the life to come]:

On the Day when that [hoarded wealth] shall be heated in the fire of Hell and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded therewith, [those religious sinners shall be told], “These are the treasures you have amassed for yourselves! Taste, then, [the evil consequences of] your hoarded treasures!”

Behold, the number of months, in the sight of Allah, is twelve months, [laid down] in Allah’s decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth; [and] out of these, four [months] are sacred: this is the ever-true law [of Allah]. Do not, then, sin against yourselves with regard to these [months]. And take on [in military engagements] those who ascribe divinity/authority to anyone/anything beside Allah, all together — as they declare war against you all together — and know that Allah is with those who are conscious of Him [as the Almighty, the Highest Authority].

The intercalation [of months] is but one more instance of [their] refusal to acknowledge the truth [revealed by Allah] — [a means] by which those who are bent on denying the truth [of Allah’s authority] are led astray. They declare this [intercalation] to be permissible in one year and forbidden in [another] year, in order to correspond [outwardly] to the number of months that Allah has hallowed: and thus they make allowable what Allah has forbidden. Reasonable seems to them the evil of their own doings, since Allah does not grace with His guidance people who refuse to acknowledge the truth [pertaining to His revealed authority and illustrative power].

O you who are firm in your commitment [to Almighty Allah]! What is amiss with you that, when you are called upon, “Mobilize for war in Allah’s cause,” you cling heavily to the earth? Would you content yourselves with [the comforts of] this worldly life in preference to [the good of] the life to come? But the enjoyment of life in this world is but a paltry thing when compared with the life to come!

If you do not mobilize for war [in Allah’s cause], He will penalize you with grievous affliction and will place another people in your stead — whereas you shall in no way harm Him: for, Allah has the power to will anything.

If you do not support the Apostle, then [know that Allah will do so — just as] Allah supported him at the time when those who were bent on denying the truth [of His sovereignty and power] drove him away, [and he was but] one of two: when these two were [hiding] in the cave, [and] the Apostle said to his companion, “Grieve not: verily, Allah is with us.” And thereupon Allah bestowed upon him from on high His [gift of] inner peace and supported him with invisible troops, and brought downright low the cause of those who were in denial [of His dominance and governance], whereas the cause of Allah remained supreme: for Allah is almighty, wise.

Go forth to war, whether it be easy or difficult [for you], and strive hard in Allah’s cause with your possessions and your lives: this is for your own good — if you but knew.

Had there been [a prospect of] immediate gain, and an easy journey, they would certainly have followed you, [O Prophet], but the distance was too great for them. And yet, [after your return, O committed muslims], they will swear by Allah, “Had we been able to do so, we would certainly have set out with you [on your military mission]!” — [and by thus falsely swearing] they will be destroying their own selves: for Allah knows indeed that they are lying!

May Allah pardon you [O Prophet]! Why did you grant them permission [to stay at home] before it had become obvious to you as to who was speaking the truth, and [before] you came to know [who were] the liars?

Those who are [truly] committed to Allah and the Last Day do not ask you for exemption from struggling with their possessions and their lives [in Allah’s cause] — and Allah has full knowledge as to who is conscious [of His supreme and unquestionable power].

Those asking you for exemption are only the ones who do not [truly] commit themselves to Allah [in His infinite power] and the Last Day [and its inevitable justice] and whose hearts have become a prey to doubt, so that in their doubting they waver between one thing and another.

For, had they [the hypocritical muslims] been [truly] desirous of setting out [with you], they would surely have made some preparation therefor — but Allah was averse to their taking the field, and so He caused them to hold back when it was said, “[You may] stay at home with all [the others] who are staying [behind] at home.”

Had these [dual-loyalist, hypocritical muslims] set out with you [for combat duties], [O committed muslims,] they would have added nothing to you save the malfeasance of corruption, and would surely have scurried to and fro in your midst, seeking to stir up discord among you, seeing that there are in your midst such as would have lent them ear: but Allah has full knowledge of the offenders.

Indeed, even before this time have they tried to stir up discord and devised all manner of plots against you [O Prophet], until the truth was revealed and Allah’s will became manifest, however hateful this may have been to them.

And among them [the dual-loyalist muslim hypocrites] there was [many a one] who said, “Grant me permission [to remain at home], and do not put me to too hard a test!” Oh, verily, [by making such a request] they had [already failed in their test and] succumbed to a temptation to trouble: and, behold, Hell will indeed encompass all who refuse to acknowledge the truth [concerning Allah’s supremacy and capacity].

Should good fortune come your way, [O Prophet], it will grieve them; and should misfortune befall you, they will say [to themselves], “We have already taken our precautions beforehand!” — and they will turn away, and will rejoice.

Say, “Never can anything befall us except what Allah has decreed! He is our Lord Supreme; and in Allah let the committed muslims place their trust!”

Say, “Are you [the dual-loyalist hypocritical muslims], perchance, hopefully waiting for something [bad] to happen to us — [the while nothing can happen to us] except one of the two best things? But as far as you are concerned, we are hopefully waiting for Allah to inflict a penalty upon you, [either] from Himself or by our hands! Wait, then, hopefully; behold, we shall confidently and buoyantly wait with you!”

Say [to pretentious muslims giving the appearance of responsibility], “You may spend [anything], willingly or unwillingly, [feigning that you do it for the sake of Allah]: it shall never be accepted from you — for, verily, you are people of a regressive character!”

For, only the following disposition prevents their spending from being accepted from them: they are bent on refusing to acknowledge Allah [as superior] and His Apostle [as leader], and [they] never pray without reluctance, and never spend [on righteous causes] without resentment.

Let not, then, their worldly goods or [the happiness they may derive from] their children excite your admiration: Allah but wants to beset them by these means in this worldly life, and [to cause] their souls to depart while they are [still] denying the truth [about Allah’s preeminence and reign].

And they swear by Allah that they do indeed belong to you — the while they do not belong to you, but are [only] people ridden by [blind] fear [of those who appear to be the superpowers]:

If they could but find a place of refuge, or any cavern, or a crevice [in the earth to run away from their Islamic responsibilities], they would turn toward it in headlong haste.

And among them [the hypocritical dual-loyalist muslims] are such as find fault with you [O Prophet] concerning [the distribution of] the offerings given for the sake of Allah: if they are given something of it, they are well-pleased, but if they are not given anything thereof, notice that they are consumed with anger.

And yet, [it would be but for their own good] if they were to content themselves with what Allah has given them and [instructed] His Apostle [to give them], and would say, “Allah is enough for us! Allah will give us [whatever He wills] out of His bounty, and [will cause] His Apostle [to give us, too]: verily, unto Allah alone do we turn with hope and desire!”

The [financial and budgetary] offerings given for the sake of Allah are [meant] only for the poor and the needy, and those who are [administratively] in charge thereof [of collecting and distributing wealth and resources], and those whose hearts are to be won over [into the fold of divine commitment], and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and [for] those who are overburdened with debts, and [for every struggle] in Allah’s cause, and [for] the homeless: [this is] an ordinance from Allah — and Allah is all-knowing, wise.

And among those [hypocrites-cum-enemies of Allah’s power and authority] there are such as malign the Prophet by saying, “He is all ear [and very much tuned into everything we say].” Say, “[Yes], he is all ear [and very much tuned into all things you say], [listening] to what is good for you! He is committed to Allah, and trusts the committed muslims, and is [a manifestation of Allah’s] grace toward such of you as have [truly] committed themselves [to Allah’s power and authority]. And as for those who malign Allah’s Apostle, grievous suffering awaits them [in the life to come, if not in this life]!”

[The muslim dual-loyalists] swear to you by Allah [that they are acting in good faith], with a view to pleasing you [O committed muslims] — the while it is Allah and His Apostle whose satisfaction [and pleasure] they should seek above all else, if indeed they are dedicated [to Allah and His Apostle]!

Do they not know that for anyone who sets himself against Allah and His Apostle there is in store the fire of Hell, therein to abide — that in and of itself is the most awesome disgrace?

[Some of] the dual-loyalists dread lest a [new] sūrah be revealed [in evidence] against them, making them understand what is [really] in their hearts. Say, “Go on mocking! Behold, Allah will bring to light the very thing you are dreading!”

Yet, indeed, if you were to question them, they would surely answer, “We were only indulging in idle talk, and were playing [with words].” Say, “Were you, then, mocking at Allah and His power demonstrations, and His Apostle?

“Do not offer [empty] excuses! You have indeed denied the truth [about Allah’s ability and control] after [having professed] your commitment [to it]!” Though We may efface the sin of some of you, We shall give a hard time to others — seeing that they were lost in sin.

The dual-loyalists, both men and women, are all of a kind: they sanction the munkar and abolish the ma‘rūf, and withhold their hands [from giving and doing good]. They are oblivious of Allah, and so He is oblivious of them. Verily, the dual-loyalists — it is they, they who are truly regressive [and backsliding]!

Allah has promised the dual-loyalists, both men and women — as well as the [outright] deniers of the truth [pertaining to Allah’s domination and authority] — the fire of Hell, therein to abide: this shall be their allotted portion. For, Allah has rejected them, and long-lasting suffering awaits them.

[Say unto them, “You are] like those [dual-loyalists] who lived before your time. Greater than you were they in power, and richer in wealth and in future generations [progeny] and they enjoyed their share [of happiness]. And you have been enjoying your share — just as those who preceded you enjoyed their share; and you have been indulging in scurrilous talk — just as they indulged [in it]. It is they whose works have come to nothing in this world and in the life to come — and it is they, they who are the lost ones!”

Have, then, the stories of those who preceded them never come to the attention of these [dual-loyalists and deniers of the truth about Allah’s power and authority]? — [the stories] of Noah’s people, and of [the societies of] ‘Ād and Thamūd, and of Abraham’s people, and of the folk of Madyan, and of the cities that were overthrown? To [all of] them their apostles had come with all evidence of the truth, [but they rejected them]: and so it was not Allah who wronged them [by His punishment], but it was they who wronged themselves [by their objection to Allah and His apostles].

And [as for] the committed muslims, both men and women, they are close to one another: they [all] stand for the ma‘rūf and oppose the munkar, and standardize the ṣalāh and institutionalize the zakāh, and defer to Allah and His Apostle. It is they upon whom Allah will bestow His grace: verily, Allah is prominent, wise!

Allah has promised the committed muslims, both men and women, gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and heartening dwellings in gardens of perpetual bliss: but Allah’s ample acceptance is the greatest [bliss of all] — for this, this is the triumph supreme!

O Prophet! Strive hard against the deniers of the truth [concerning Allah’s preponderant power and overwhelming authority] and against the dual-loyalists, and be adamant with them. And [if they do not repent], their place to stay shall be Hell — and how vile a journey’s end!

[The dual-loyalists] swear by Allah that they have said nothing [treacherous or wrong]; yet most certainly have they uttered a saying that amounts to a denial of the truth [pertaining to Allah’s power-presence and authority], and have [thus] denied the truth [of the matter] after [having professed] their self-surrender to Allah: for they were aiming at something [taking on the Prophet in the aftermath of the Battle of Tabūk] that was beyond their reach. And they could find no fault [with the divine covenant] save that Allah had enriched them and [caused] His Apostle [to enrich them] out of His bounty! Hence, if they repent, it will be for their own good; but if they turn away, Allah will cause them to suffer grievous suffering in this world and in the life to come, and they will find no helper on earth, and none to give [them] support.

And among them [the insincere dual-loyalist muslims] are such as vow unto Allah, “If indeed He grants us [something] out of His bounty, we shall most certainly spend in charity, and shall most certainly be among the righteous!”

But as soon as He has given them [anything] out of His bounty, they cling to it ungenerously and turn away in their obstinacy [from all they have vowed]:

Whereupon He causes [functional] hypocrisy to take root in their hearts, [therein to remain] until the Day on which they shall meet Him — because they have failed to fulfill the vow they had made to Allah, and because they were accustomed to lie.

Do they not know that Allah knows [all] their hidden thoughts and their secret confabulations, and that Allah knows, fully, all the things that are beyond the reach of human perception?

[It is these muslim dual-loyalists] who find fault with such of the committed muslims who give for the sake of Allah more than they are duty-bound to give, as well as with those who find nothing [to give] beyond [the meager fruits of] their toil; and who scoff at them [all]. Allah will cause their scoffing to rebound on themselves, and grievous suffering awaits them.

[And] whether you do pray [unto Allah] that they be forgiven or do not pray for them — [it will all be the same: for even] if you were to pray seventy times that they be forgiven, Allah will not forgive them, seeing that they are bent on rejecting Allah and His Apostle. And Allah does not bestow His guidance upon such digressive folk [who fail to honor their divine pledge].

Those [dual-loyalist muslims] who were left behind rejoiced in their staying away [from the warfront] after [the departure of] Allah’s Apostle [toward it], for they hated the thought of striving with their possessions and their lives in Allah’s cause; and they had [even] said [to the others], “Do not go forth to war in this [desert] heat!” Say, “The fire of Hell is hotter by far!” Had they but functionally grasped this truth!

Let them, then, laugh a little — for they will weep a lot in return for what they have earned [and deserved].

Hence, [O Prophet], if Allah brings you again face to face with some of them, and then they ask your leave to go forth [to war with you], say, “Never shall you go forth with me, nor shall you fight an enemy together with me! Behold, you were well-pleased to stay at home on that first occasion: stay at home, then, with those who [are justifiably obliged to] remain behind!”

And never shall you pray over any of them that has died, and never shall you stand by his grave: for, behold they were bent on rejecting [in a practical sense] Allah and His Apostle, and they died in this, their self-destructing iniquity.

And do not let their worldly goods and [the happiness they may derive from] their procreated numbers excite your admiration: Allah but wants to put them to pain by these means in [the life of] this world, and [to cause] their inner selves to depart while they are [still] denying the truth [about Allah’s worldly power and authority].

[They are indeed denying it]: for, when they were called upon through revelation, “Commit to Allah, and strive hard [in His cause] together with His Apostle,” [even] such of them as were well able [to go to war] asked you [O Prophet] for exemption, saying, “Allow us to stay behind with those who remain at home!”

They were well-pleased to remain with those who were left behind — wherefore their hearts have been sealed, so that they cannot grasp the truth [with its practical implication].

The Apostle, however, and all who share his faith-commitment strive hard [in Allah’s cause] with their possessions and their lives: and it is they whom the most excellent things await [in the life to come], and it is they, they who shall attain success!

Allah has readied for them gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide: and this is the triumph supreme!

And there came [to the Apostle] such of the Arabian Bedouins as had some excuse to offer, [with the request] that they be granted exemption [from military service], whereas those who were bent on giving the lie to Allah and His Apostle [simply] remained at home. [And] grievous suffering is bound to befall such of them as are bent on denying the truth [relating to Allah’s power at the warfront and authority in society]!

[But] no blame shall attach to those who are frail, nor to the sick, nor to those who have no means [to equip themselves], provided that they are sincere toward Allah and His Apostle: there is no cause to reproach the doers of good, for Allah is much-forgiving, most merciful.

Nor [shall blame attach] to those who, when they came to you [O Prophet, with the request] that you provide them with mounts, were told by you, “I cannot find anything whereon to mount you” — [whereupon] they turned away, their eyes overflowing with tears out of sorrow that they had no means to spend [on their equipment].1

Only they may rightly be rebuked who asked you for exemption [from military combat missions] even though they were fully able [to go to war]. They were well-pleased to remain with those who were left behind — wherefore Allah has sealed their hearts, so that they do not know [the consequences of what they are doing].

[And] they [the deserters] will [still] be offering excuses to you when you return to them [from the military journey]! Say, “Do not offer [empty] excuses, [for] we shall not believe you: Allah has already enlightened us about you. And Allah will take notice of your [future] deeds, and [so will] His Apostle; and in the end you will be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a mortal’s senses or mind, and then He will make you truly understand what you were doing [in life].”

When you will have returned to them, [O combat committed muslims], they [the deserters] will swear to you by Allah, [repeating their excuses], with a view to your letting them be. Let them be, then: behold, they are loathsome, and Hell is their lodging place in recompense for what they were in the habit of doing.

They will swear to you with a view to making you pleased with them: but [even] should you be pleased with them, verily, Allah shall never be pleased with [morally and civically] degenerate folks.

The vagrant Arabians are more tenacious in [their] refusal to acknowledge the truth [pertaining to Allah’s here-and-now power] and in [their] double-dealings [than are the settled and urbane people], and more liable to ignore the ordinances Allah has bestowed from on high upon His Apostle — but Allah is all-knowing, wise.

And among these vagrant Arabians there are such as regard all that they might spend [in Allah’s cause] as a loss, and wait for misfortune to encompass you, [O committed muslims — but] it is they whom evil fortune shall encompass: for Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

However, among the Arabians there are [also] such as commit themselves to Allah and the Last Day, and regard all that they spend [in Allah’s cause] as a means of drawing them nearer to Allah and of [their being remembered in] the Apostle’s prayers. Oh, verily, it shall [indeed] be a means of [Allah’s] nearness to them, [for] Allah will admit them into His grace: verily, Allah is much-forgiving, very merciful.

And as for the first and foremost of those who have forsaken the jurisdiction of evil and of those who have sheltered and supported [the dīn and its adherents], as well as those who follow them in [the way of] righteousness — Allah is well-pleased with them, and well- pleased are they with Him. And for them has He readied gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time: this is the triumph supreme!

But among the Arabians who dwell around you there are munāfiqs; and among the people of the [Prophet’s] City [too] there are such as have grown insolent in [their] nifāq. You will not [always] know them, [O Muhammad — but] We know them. We shall cause them to suffer doubly [in this world]; and then they will be given over to awesome suffering [in the life to come].

And [there are] others — [people who] have become conscious of their sinning after having done righteous deeds side by side with evil ones; [and] it may well be that Allah will accept their repentance: for, verily, Allah is much-forgiving, very merciful.

[Hence, O Prophet], accept the [part] of their possessions that is offered for the sake of Allah, so that you may cleanse them [of their sins] thereby and nurture and promote them [on a moral scale], and pray for them: behold, your prayer will be [a source of] comfort to them — for Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

Do they not know that it is Allah alone who can accept the repentance of His subjects and is the [true] recipient of whatever is offered for His sake — and that Allah alone is the Acceptor of Repentance, Very Merciful?

And say [to them, O Prophet], “Act! And Allah will view your deeds, and [so will] His Apostle, and the committed muslims: and [in the end] you will be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a person’s senses or mind — and then He will make you understand what you have been doing.”

And [there are yet] others — [people whose military-justice cases are] deferred until Allah wills to judge them: He will either reprimand them or turn again to them in His mercy — for Allah is all-knowing, wise.

And [there are dual-loyalist hypocritical muslims] who have established a [breakaway] masjid in order to create social impairment and to foster kufr and disunity among the committed muslims [who report directly to the Prophet], and to provide an outpost for all who from the outset have been warring against Allah and His Apostle. And they will surely swear [to you, O committed muslims], “We had but the best of intentions!” — the while Allah [Himself] bears witness that they are lying.

Never ever set foot in such a place! Only a masjid founded, from the very first day, upon taqwā is worthy of your setting foot therein — [a house of compliance with Allah] wherein there are persons desirous of cultivating untarnished [character] qualities: for Allah loves all who [in such a manner] purify themselves.

Which, then, is the better: he who has founded his institution on taqwā and [a desire for] His goodly acceptance, or he who has founded his institution on the edge of a water-worn, crumbling riverbank, so that it [is bound to] tumble down with him into the fire of Hell? For, Allah does not grace with His guidance people who [deliberately] do wrong:

The institution they have built will never cease to be a source of deep disquiet in their hearts until their hearts are splintered. And Allah is all-knowing, wise.

Behold, Allah has bought of the committed muslims their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise in return, [and so] they fight in Allah’s cause [when fighting is justified], and kill [enemy combatants] and are killed [by enemy combatants]: a promise that in truth He has willed upon Himself in [the words] of the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Qur’an. And who could be more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Rejoice, then, in the bargain you have made with Him: for this, this is the triumph supreme!

[It is a triumph of] those who turn [to Allah] in repentance [whenever they have sinned], and who conform to and praise [Him], and go on and on [seeking His goodly acceptance], and bow down [before Him] and prostrate themselves in adoration, and enforce the ma‘rūf [any universal self-evident desirable quality] and annul the munkar [any universal self-evident vice] and keep to the [moral and legal] perimeters set by Allah. And give you [O Prophet] this good news [of Allah’s promise] to all committed muslims.

It does not behoove the Prophet and those who are committed [to Allah’s authority and power] to pray for forgiveness for the mushriks — even if they happen to be [their] near of kin — after it has been made clear to them that those [dead sinners] are destined for the pit of fire [because of their premeditated high crimes and misdemeanors].

And Abraham’s prayer that his father be forgiven was but due to a promise he had given the latter [in his lifetime]; but when it was made clear to him that he had been Allah’s enemy, [Abraham] disavowed him — [although], behold, Abraham was most tender-hearted, most forbearing.

And Allah would never — after having invited them to His guidance — condemn people for going astray before He has made [entirely] clear to them what they should beware of. Verily, Allah has full knowledge of everything.

Verily, Allah’s alone is the dominion over the heavens and the earth; He [alone] grants life and deals death; and there is none besides Allah who could protect you or bring you support.

Indeed, Allah has turned in His mercy to the Prophet, as well as to those who have abandoned the jurisdiction of evil and oppression, and those who have sheltered and supported the dīn [in Madinah] — [all] those who followed him [the Prophet] in the hour of [military] distress, when the hearts of some of the other committed muslims had well-nigh swerved [from the dīn]. And once again: He has turned to them in His mercy — for, behold, He is compassionate toward them, exceptionally merciful.

And [He turned in His mercy, too], toward the three who had been left behind, until in the end — after the earth, despite all its vastness, had become [too] confined for them and their souls had become [completely] constricted — they came to know with certainty that there is no refuge from Allah other than [a return] to Him; and thereupon He turned again to them in His mercy, so that they might repent: for, verily, Allah alone is the Acceptor of Repentance, Dispenser of Grace.

O you who are securely committed [to Allah]! Be on guard and avoid Allah [His power retribution], and be among those who are true to their faith and word!

It does not behoove the people of the [Prophet’s] City and the Arabians [who live] around them to hold back from following Allah’s Apostle, or to care for their own selves more than for him — for, whenever they suffer from thirst or weariness or hunger in Allah’s cause, and whenever they take any step that confounds those who reject the truth [relating to Allah’s authority and power], and whenever there comes to them from the enemy whatever may be destined for them — [whenever anything thereof comes to pass], a good deed is recorded in their favor. Verily, Allah does not lose track of the rewards for those who seek perfection!

And whenever they spend anything [for the sake of Allah], be it little or much, and whenever they move on earth [in Allah’s cause] — it is recorded in their favor, and Allah will grant them the best reward for all that they have been doing.

With all this, it is not desirable that all of the committed muslims take to the field [in times of war]. Of every community of them, only a fighting unit [large enough to sustain combat] should go forth [to the warfront], that they [the combatants] may gain sound and practical knowledge of dīn and to warn their folk when they return to them, so that they [who did not go to the warfront] may be on alert [concerning the nature of the enemy and the required response thereof].

O you who are securely committed [to Allah’s power and authority]! Engage in combat against those who deny the truth [about Allah’s power and authority] who are at close quarters with you, and let them find you to be tough; and know that Allah is with those who avoid His corrective power.

Yet whenever a sūrah [of this divine Writ] is bestowed from on high, some of the deniers [of Allah’s authority and power] are prone to ask, “Which of you has this [message] strengthened in his commitment?” Now as for those who are truly committed [to Allah’s power and authority], it does indeed strengthen their commitment, and they rejoice in the good news [that Allah has given them].

But as for those in whose hearts is disease, each new message [revealed from Allah] but adds another [element of] toxic denial to the toxic denial they already harbor, and they die while [still] refusing to acknowledge the truth [of Allah’s power and authority].

Are they, then, not aware that they are being tested year-in, year-out? And yet, they do not repent and do not bethink themselves [of Allah];

And whenever a sūrah is bestowed from on high, they look at one another [and say, as it were], “Is there anyone who can see you [in your private meetings]?” — and then they turn away. Allah has turned their hearts away [from this essential truth] — for they are people who will not grasp it [and its practical implications].

Indeed, there has come to you [O Arabians, and to mankind] an Apostle from among yourselves: heavily weighs upon him [the thought] that you might suffer [in the life to come]; full of concern for you [is he, and] full of compassion and mercy toward the committed muslims.

But if those [who are bent on denying the truth about Allah’s power and authority] turn away, say [O Prophet], “Allah is enough for me! There is no deity/authority save Him. In Him have I placed my trust, for He is the Sustainer, in awesome almightiness enthroned.”