Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 13

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Would you not fight a people who broke their oaths and conspired to expel the Messenger, and it was they who started (fighting) against you for the first time? Do you fear them? But Allah has greater right that you fear Him, if you are believers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Will you not fight those who have broken their oaths, conspired to expel the Messenger ˹from Mecca˺, and attacked you first? Do you fear them? Allah is more deserving of your fear, if you are ˹true˺ believers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Will you not fight people who broke their oaths, conspired to expel the Messenger, and initiated the war against you first? Do you fear them? Rather it is Allah Whom you should fear, if you are [truly] believers.

A. J. Arberry

Will you not fight a people who broke their oaths and purposed to expel the Messenger, beginning the first time against you? Are you afraid of them? You would do better to be afraid of God, if you are believers.

Abdul Haleem

How could you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, who tried to drive the Messenger out, who attacked you first? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear if you are true believers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Will ye not fight a people who have violate their oaths and resolved the expulsion of the apostle and who began against you for the first time? Fear ye them? Allah is more worthy that ye should fear Him, if ye are believers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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!

Abul Ala Maududi

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.

Ahmed Ali

Will you not fight those who broke their pledge and plotted to banish the Apostle, and who were the first to attack you? Are you afraid of them? If you are believers you should fear God more.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Will you not fight the people who broke their promises, and intended to expel the Noble Messenger whereas they had started it? Do you fear them? So Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you have faith.

Ali Quli Qarai

Will you not make war on a people who broke their pledges and resolved to expel the Apostle, and opened [hostilities] against you initially? Do you fear them? But Allah is worthier of being feared by you, should you be faithful.

Ali Ünal

Will you not fight against the people who have broken their pledges and have done all they could to drive the Messenger (from where he chooses to dwell), and initiated hostilities against you? Do you hold them in awe? But, assuredly God has greater right to be held in awe, if you are sincere believers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Will you not fight a people who have broken their solemn oaths and proposed to turn out the Messenger and were the first to commence (the fight) against you. Are you afraid of them? Nay, Allâh is more worthy that you should stand in awe of Him if you be (true) believers.

English Literal

Do you not fight/kill a nation (that) broke/violated their oaths , and they got interested/began by forcing out the messenger, and they started/initiated (the) first time with you, do you fear them? So God (is) more worthy/deserving that you fear Him if you were believing.

Faridul Haque

Will you not fight the people who broke their promises, and intended to expel the Noble Messenger whereas they had started it? Do you fear them? So Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you have faith.

Hamid S. Aziz

Will you not fight a people who broke their solemn pledges, and intended to expel the Messenger and attacked you first? What! Fear you them? Allah is more deserving that you should fear Him if you be believers.

Hilali & Khan

Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths (pagans of Makkah) and intended to expel the Messenger, while they did attack you first? Do you fear them? Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you are believers.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if they break their oaths after their agreement and revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief -- surely their oaths are nothing -- so that they may desist.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

What! will you not fight a people who broke their oaths and aimed at the expulsion of the Apostle, and they attacked you first; do you fear them? But Allah is most deserving that you should fear Him, if you are believers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Will ye not fight a folk who broke their solemn pledges, and purposed to drive out the messenger and did attack you first? What! Fear ye them? Now Allah hath more right that ye should fear Him, if ye are believers

Muhammad Sarwar

Why will you not fight against a people who have broken their peace treaty with you, have decided to expel the Messenger (from his home town), and who were the first to disregard the peace treaty? If you are true believers, you should only have fear of God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Will you not fight against those who have broken their oaths and conspired to expel the Messenger? They were the first to attack you. Do you fear them? Surely, Allah has better rights that you fear Him, if you are believers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths and intended to expel the Messenger while they did attack you first Do you fear them Allah has more right that you should fear Him if you are believers.

Wahiduddin Khan

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.

Talal Itani

Will you not fight a people who violated their oaths, and planned to exile the Messenger, and initiated hostilities against you? Do you fear them? It is God you should fear, if you are believers.

Tafsir jalalayn

Will you not (a-l, `will not' or `is not', denotes incitement) fight a people who broke, violated, their oaths, their pacts, and intended to expel the Messenger, from Mecca -- for they discussed this between them in their council assembly -- initiating, combat, against you first?, when they fought alongside Ban Bakr against Khuz`a, your allies? So what is stopping you from fighting them? Are you afraid of them? God is more worthy of your fear, when you fail to fight them, if you are believers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Encouragement to fight the Disbelievers, and some Benefits of fighting Them

Allah says;

أَلَا تُقَاتِلُونَ قَوْمًا نَّكَثُواْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَهَمُّواْ بِإِخْرَاجِ الرَّسُولِ

Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths and intended to expel the Messenger,

These Ayat encourage, direct and recommend fighting against the idolators who break the terms of their covenants, those who tried to expel the Messenger from Makkah.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَـكِرِينَ

And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to expel you; they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the best of those who plot. (8;30)

يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّـكُمْ أَن تُوْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ
and have driven out the Messenger and yourselves (from your homeland) because you believe in Allah your Lord! (60;1)

and,

وَإِن كَادُواْ لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا

And verily, they were about to frighten you so much as to drive you out from the land. (17;76)

Allah's statement,

وَهُم بَدَوُوكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

while they did attack you first,

refers to the battle of Badr when the idolators marched to protect their caravan. When they knew that their caravan escaped safely, they still went ahead with their intent to fight Muslims out of arrogance, as we mentioned before.

It was also said that these Ayat refer to the idolators breaking the peace agreement with Muslims and aiding Bani Bakr, their allies, against Khuza`ah, the ally of the Messenger of Allah. This is why the Messenger of Allah marched to Makkah in the year of the victory, thus conquering it, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.

Allah said,

أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّوُمِنِينَ




Do you fear them!

Allah has more right that you should fear Him if you are believers.

Allah says here, `Do not fear idolators, but fear Me instead, for I am worthy of being feared by the servants due to My might and punishment. In My Hand lies the matter; whatever I will occurs, and whatever I do not will does not occur.'

Allah next said, while ordering the believers and explaining the wisdom of ordaining Jihad against them, all the while able to destroy their enemies with a command from Him,

قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّوْمِنِينَ