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 Therefore how – when they are such that if they gain control over you, they would not have regard for any relations nor for any treaty? They please you with their mouths whereas their hearts contain rejection; and most of them are disobedient. 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 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 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 But if they break their oaths after their covenant and thrust at your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief; they have no sacred oaths; haply they will give over. 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 So fight them – Allah will punish them at your hands, and He will disgrace them and assist you over them, and He will soothe the hearts of the believers. 14 And remove the rage of their hearts; and Allah turns (mercifully) to whom He pleases, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. 15 Do you imagine that you will be spared without being subjected to any test? Know well that Allah has not yet determined who strove hard (in His cause), and has not taken any others instead of His Messenger and the believers as his trusted allies? Allah is well aware of all that you do. 16