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 purchased with the revelations of Allah a little gain, so they debar (men) from His way. Lo! evil is that which they are wont to 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 Then if they repent and keep the prayer established and pay the charity, they are your brothers in religion; and we explain Our verses in detail for the people of knowledge. 11 But if they break faith after pledging it and revile your religion, then fight these leaders of unbelief, so that they may desist, for they have no regard for their pledged word. 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 He will remove the anxiety of their hearts; and Allah may accept the repentance of whomever He wills; and Allah 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