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 bartered the revelations of Allah for a small price, so they keep back from His path. Verily vile is that which they have been working. 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 oaths after their treaty and defame your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief, for indeed, there are no oaths [sacred] to them; [fight them that] they might cease. 12 Will you not fight against those who have broken their oaths and conspired to banish the Messenger? They were the first to attack you. Do you fear them? Surely God is more deserving of your fear, if you are true believers. 13 Fight them, and God will chastise them at your hands and degrade them, and He will help you against them, and bring healing to the breasts of a people who believe, 14 and will remove rage from their hearts, and will enable whomsoever He wills to repent. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 15 Do you think that God will not make any distinction between those of you who have fought for His cause and have relied on no one other than God, His Messenger, and the faithful ones, and other people? God is Well Aware of what you do. 16