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 God's messages have they bartered away for a trifling gain, and have thus turned away from His path: evil, behold, is all that they are wont to 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 If they repent and establish prayer and give the poor-rate, then they are your brethren-in-faith. And we detail the revelations unto a people who know. 11 But if they break their pledges after making them and attack your faith, make war on the leaders of unbelief that they may desist, for they have no regard for their pledged words. 12 Will you not fight against those who broke their pledges and did all they could to drive the Messenger away and initiated hostilities against you? Do you fear them? Surely Allah has greater right that you should fear Him, if you are true believers. 13 Fight them, Allah will punish them with your hands and degrade them. He will grant you victory over them and heal the chests of a believing nation. 14 He will take away all anger from their hearts: Allah turns to whomsoever He will. Allah is 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