Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 6

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And if any one of the Mushriks seeks your protection, give him protection until he listens to the Word of Allah, then let him reach his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And if anyone from the polytheists asks for your protection ˹O Prophet˺, grant it to them so they may hear the Word of Allah, then escort them to a place of safety, for they are a people who have no knowledge.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If any of the polytheists asks you for protection, give it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah, then escort him to his place of safety; that is because they are a people who do not know.

A. J. Arberry

And if any of the idolaters seeks of thee protection, grant him protection till he hears the words of God; then do thou convey him to his place of security -- that, because they are a people who do not know.

Abdul Haleem

If any one of the idolaters should seek your protection [Prophet], grant it to him so that he may hear the word of God, then take him to a place safe for him, for they are people with no knowledge [of it].

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And should one of the associators seek protection of thee grant him protection, that he may hear the word of Allah, then let him reach his place of security. That is because they are a people who know not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.

Abul Ala Maududi

And if any of those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity seeks asylum, grant him asylum that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then escort him to safety for they are a people who do not know.

Ahmed Ali

If an idolater seeks protection, then give him asylum that he may hear the word of God. Then escort him to a place of safety, for they are people who do not know.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), if a polytheist seeks your protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then transport him to his place of safety; this is because they are an unwise people.

Ali Quli Qarai

If any of the polytheists seeks asylum from you, grant him asylum until he hears the Word of Allah. Then convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.

Ali Ünal

And if any of those who associate partners with God seeks asylum of you (O Messenger), grant him asylum, so that he may hear the Word of God, and then convey him to his place of security. That (is how you should act) because they are a people who have no knowledge (of the truth about Islam).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And if any of the polytheists seeks your protection, grant him protection so that he may hear the word of Allâh, then conduct him to a place where he feels himself safe and secure. That (treatment) is (to be meted out to them) because they are a people who have no knowledge (of Islam).

English Literal

And if any (from) the sharers/takers of partners (with God) seeked your protection/defense so protect/defend him, until he hears God`s speech/conversation (words), then deliver him/make him reach his safety/security, that (is) because they are (E) a nation (that) do not know.

Faridul Haque

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him), if a polytheist seeks your protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then transport him to his place of safety; this is because they are an unwise people.

Hamid S. Aziz

And if any one of the idolaters ask you for protection (or asylum), then aid him, in order that he may hear the word of Allah; then let him reach his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who know not.

Hilali & Khan

And if anyone of the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Quran), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters, wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant him protection till he hears the word of Allah, then make him attain his place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And if anyone of the idolaters seeketh thy protection (O Muhammad), then protect him so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who know not.

Muhammad Sarwar

If any of the pagans ask you to give them refuge, give them asylum so that they may hear the words of God. Then, return them to their towns for they are an ignorant people.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If an idolater seeks asylum with you, give him protection in order that he hears the Word of Allah, and then convey him to his place of safety, because they are a nation who do not know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if anyone of the Mushrikin seeks your protection then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Qur'an) and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.

Wahiduddin Khan

If any one of the polytheists seeks asylum with you, grant him asylum so that he may hear the word of God; then convey him to a place of safety. That is because they are a people who have no knowledge.

Talal Itani

And if anyone of the polytheists asks you for protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of God; then escort him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.

Tafsir jalalayn

And if any one of the idolaters (ahadun, `one', is in the nominative because of the [following] verb [istajraka, `seeks your protection'] that validates it) seeks your protection, requests security from you against being killed, then grant him protection, provide security for him, so that he might hear the words of God -- the Qur'n -- and afterward convey him to his place of security, that is, the dwelling-places of his folk, if he does not believe, so that he might reflect upon his situation -- that, which is mentioned, is because they are a people who do not know, the religion of God, and so they must [be made to] hear the Qur'n in order to [come to] know [religion].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Idolators are granted Safe Passage if They seek It

Allah said to His Prophet, peace be upon him,

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ


And if anyone of the Mushrikin,

whom you were commanded to fight and We allowed you their blood and property,'

اسْتَجَارَكَ

seeks your protection,

asked you for safe passage,

فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَمَ اللّهِ

then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Qur'an)

then accept his request until he hears the Words of Allah, the Qur'an. Recite the Qur'an to him and mention a good part of the religion with which you establish Allah's proof against him,

ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ

and then escort him to where he can be secure,

and safe, until he goes back to his land, his home, and area of safety,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ




that is because they are men who know not.

The Ayah says, `We legislated giving such people safe passage so that they may learn about the religion of Allah, so that Allah's call will spread among His servants.

Ibn Abi Najih narrated that Mujahid said that this Ayah,

"Refers to someone who comes to you to hear what you say and what was revealed to you (O Muhammad). Therefore, he is safe until he comes to you, hears Allah's Words and then proceeds to the safe area where he came from."

The Messenger of Allah used to thereafter grant safe passage to those who came to him for guidance or to deliver a message.

On the day of Hudaybiyyah, several emissaries from Quraysh came to him, such as Urwah bin Mas`ud, Mikraz bin Hafs, Suhayl bin `Amr and several others. They came mediating between him and the Quraysh pagans. They witnessed the great respect the Muslims had for the Prophet, which astonished them, for they never before saw such respect for anyone, kings nor czars. They went back to their people and conveyed this news to them; this, among other reasons, was one reason that most of them accepted the guidance.

When Musaylimah the Liar sent an emissary to the Messenger of Allah, he asked him, "Do you testify that Musaylimah is a messenger from Allah"

He said, "Yes."

The Messenger of Allah said,

لَوْلَا أَنَّ الرُّسُلَ لَا تُقْتَلُ لَضَرَبْتُ عُنُقَك

I would have cut off your head, if it was not that emissaries are not killed.

That man, Ibn An-Nawwahah, was later beheaded when Abdullah bin Mas`ud was the governor of Al-Kufah. When it became known that he still testified that Musaylimah was a messenger from Allah, Ibn Mas`ud summoned him and said to him, "You are not delivering a message now!"

He commanded that Ibn An-Nawwahah be decapitated, may Allah curse him and deprive him of His mercy.

In summary, those who come from a land at war with Muslims to the area of Islam, delivering a message, for business transactions, to negotiate a peace treaty, to pay the Jizyah, to offer an end to hostilities, and so forth, and request safe passage from Muslim leaders or their deputies, should be granted safe passage, as long as they remain in Muslim areas, until they go back to their land and sanctuary