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 covenant with the other polytheists for were they to prevail against you, they will respect neither kinship nor agreement. They seek to please you with their tongues while their hearts are averse to you, and most of them are wicked. 8 They have taken a small price for the communications of Allah, so they turn away from His way; surely evil is it that they do. 9 They do not observe toward a believer any pact of kinship or covenant of protection. And it is they who are the transgressors. 10 But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand. 11 But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and taunt you for your Faith,- fight ye the chiefs of Unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them: that thus they may be restrained. 12 Will you not fight against those who have broken their oaths and conspired to expel the Messenger? They were the first to attack you. Do you fear them? Surely, Allah has better rights that you fear Him, if you are believers. 13 Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people, 14 and will remove the wrath that is in their hearts. And God will turn in His mercy unto whom He wills: for, God is all-knowing, wise. 15 What! do you think that you will be left alone while Allah has not yet known those of you who have struggled hard and have not taken any one as an adherent besides Allah and His Apostle and the believers; and Allah is aware of what you do. 16