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 they be trusted)? If they prevail against you they will neither observe pacts nor good faith with you. They flatter you with their tongues, but their hearts are averse to you, for most of them are iniquitous. 8 They have sold God's revelations for a paltry price and have created obstacles in the way of God. What they have done is evil. 9 And they observe toward a believer neither pact nor honour. These are they who are transgressors. 10 But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion; and We detail the verses for a people who know. 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 Will ye not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and took the aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if ye believe! 13 Fight them so that God may punish them at your hands, and put them to shame, and help you against them, and heal the wounds of the hearts of believers, 14 and appease their anger. God forgives whomever He wants and He is All-knowing and All-wise. 15 Deem ye that ye would be left alone while yet Allah hath not known those of you who have striven hard and have not taken an ally besides Allah and His apostle and the believers? And Allah is Aware of that which ye work. 16