Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Repentance
3 Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve,
5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. {This verse is commonly referred to as “Ayat al Sayf” or the “Verse of the Sword”. It is in essence a decree to Muslims recommending aggression, death and destruction to the idolaters not willing to accept Islam. Verse 29 of this chapter deals with the Jews and Christians.}
14 Fight them! Allah will chastise them at your hands, and He will lay them low and give you victory over them, and He will heal the breasts of folk who are believers. {When you fight the disbelievers Allah will come to your aid to assist in their destruction and your victory.}
17 It is not for the idolaters to tend Allah's sanctuaries, bearing witness against themselves of disbelief. As for such, their works are vain and in the Fire they will abide.
23 O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith. Whoso of you taketh them for friends, such are wrong-doers.
26 Then Allah sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
28 O ye who believe! The idolaters only are unclean. So let them not come near the Inviolable Place of Worship (the Kabbah). {Those who worship idols/deities are unclean and should not be allowed in Mecca. This injunction was later extended to include all non believers.}
29 Fight those who given the Book (Jews & Christians) but do not believe in Allah, nor in the day of judgement, nor prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth (Islam), until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. {This verse deals with the Jews and Christians. Unlike the idolaters who are to be killed unless they accept Islam, the Jews and Christians (People of the Book as Muhammad referred to them) were allowed the luxury of keeping their religion but forced to pay the Jizya (poll tax) with submission. If they were not willing to pay the tax they were to be killed. Living in subjection meant no open practicing of their religion, no construction of religious buildings no carrying of weapons or the riding of horses.}
30 And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. Allah Himself fighteth against them. How perverse are they! {Muhammad incorrectly interprets the Jewish scriptures, which said that Ezra revealed the path of God once more to the people of Israel, by assuming Ezra was the Jewish son of God. Crucially though, Muhammad reveals that his Allah fights against the perverse Jews and Christians for having such blasphemous believes.}
31 They take their priests and Christ the son of Mary to be their lords in derogation of Allah, yet they were commanded to worship but one Allah. Far is He from having the partners they associate with Him. {Here Christians are condemned for associating Jesus and priests (saints) with Allah who apparently has no partners.}
33 He it is who hath sent His messenger with the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, however much the idolaters may be averse. {Islam must prevail over all others.}
34 O ye who believe! Many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) monks devour the wealth of mankind wantonly and debar men from the way of Allah. Unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom.
35 On the day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith
36 The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve; of them four are sacred. So wrong not yourselves therein and wage war on all of the idolaters as they are waging war on all of you. And know that Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him. {Though verse 9:5 says wait until the sacred months are over before you slay the idolators, this verse contradicts that command and recommends that the Muslims not wrong themselves by holding back their killing during the sacred months.}
37 The evil of their deeds is made fairseeming unto them. Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.
39 If ye go not forth He will afflict you with a painful doom. {The new converts to Islam were not keen on going into battle or raids against their fellow Arabians. Therefore the prophet resorted to threats of dire punishments for those unwilling.}
41 Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and fight with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew.
49 Hell verily is all around the disbelievers.
61 Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is a painful doom.
63 Know they not that whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, his verily is fire of hell, to abide therein? That is the extreme abasement.
68 Allah promiseth the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers fire of hell for their abode. It will suffice them. Allah curseth them, and theirs is lasting torment.
73 O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end.
74 They swear by Allah that they said nothing (wrong), yet they did say the word of disbelief, and did disbelieve. Allah will afflict them with a painful doom in the world and the Hereafter, and they have no protecting friend nor helper in the earth.
80 Though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger.
84 And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger.
90 A painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve.
111 Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.
113 It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it hath become clear that they are people of hell-fire.123 O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you.