HOW COULD they who ascribe divinity to aught beside God be granted a covenant by God and His Apostle, unless it be those [of them] with whom you [O believers] have made a covenant in the vicinity of the Inviolable House of Worship? [As for the latter,] so long as they remain true to you, be true to them: for, verily, God loves those who are conscious of Him. 7 How (can there be any treaty for the others) when, if they have the upper hand of you, they regard not pact nor honour in respect of you? They satisfy you with their mouths the while their hearts refuse. And most of them are wrongdoers. 8 They barter away the words of God for a petty price, and obstruct (others) from His path. How evil indeed are the things they do! 9 respecting no tie and no protective obligation with regard to a believer; and it is they, they who transgress the bounds of what is right! 10 Then if they repent and keep the prayer established and pay the charity, they are your brothers in religion; and we explain Our verses in detail for the people of knowledge. 11 And if they break their promises after making a treaty and malign your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief – indeed their promises are nothing – in the hope that they may desist. 12 Would you, perchance, fail to fight against people who have broken their solemn pledges, and have done all that they could to drive the Apostle away, and have been first to attack you? Do you hold them in awe? Nay, it is God alone of whom you ought to stand in awe, if you are [truly] believers! 13 Fight them: God will punish them at your hands, and will disgrace them. He will help you to overcome them and heal the hearts of the faithful; 14 And remove the anger of their (believers') hearts. Allah accepts the repentance of whom He wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 15 Do you think you will get away before God knows who among you fought and did not take anyone but God, His Apostle and the faithful, as their friends? God is cognisant of all that you do. 16