1. For those who disbelieve – among the people of Makka and others – and bar others from the Way of Allah (faith), Allah will make their good actions – such as feeding people and maintaining ties of kinship – go astray and come to nothing. They will find no reward for them in the Next World. They are repaid in this world by the bounty of Allah.

2. But as for those who believe and do right actions – such as the Ansar and others – and believe in what has been sent down to Muhammad (the Qur’an) – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will erase their bad actions from them and forgive them and better their condition so that they do not disobey Him.

3. That – the loss of the actions of the unbelievers and the erasure of the bad actions of the believers – is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood in the form of Shaytan whereas those who believe follow the truth from their Lord (the Qur’an). In that way Allah makes comparisons for mankind – makes it clear to people that the actions of unbelievers come to nothing and that the errors of believers will be forgiven.

4. Therefore when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks – meaning “kill them”. Striking people’s necks generally results in their death. Then when you have slaughtered them – killed many of them – tie their bonds tightly – hold them as prisoners and bind them firmly, and set them free – show grace to them by releasing them without them having to pay anything – or ransom them for money or in exchange for Muslim captives until the war is finally over. The literal translation of this is “war lays down its burdens”, which comes from the combatants laying down their weapons, although it may be brought about by other things such as unbelievers becoming Muslim or entering into a treaty. It marks the end of killing and capture. That command regarding them is how it is to be. If Allah willed, He could avenge Himself on them without any need for fighting, but it (that command) is so that He may test some of you by means of others by their having to fight. Those of you who are killed will go to the Garden and those of them who are killed will go the Fire. As for those who are killed (read as qutilu and also qatalu, in which case the meaning is “those who fight”) in the Way of Allah, He will not let their actions go astray. This ayat was revealed on the day of the Battle of Uhud when a lot of killing and wounds was inflicted on the Muslims.

5. He will guide them in this world and in the Next to what will benefit them and better their condition in both worlds. This is world for those who are not killed, and there will be high degrees in Paradise for those who are …

6. …and He will admit them into the Garden which He has made known and clear to them. They will be guided to their places in it, and to their wives and servants there, without needing to be directed.

7. You who believe, if you help Allah by supporting the din of Allah and His Messenger, He will help you against your enemies and make your feet firm in battle.

8. But those who disbelieve will have utter ruin – destruction and loss from Allah – and He will make their actions go astray and come to nothing.

9. That ruin and misguidance is because they hate what Allah has sent down of the Qur’an which contains obligations, so He has made their actions come to nothing.

10. Have they not travelled about the earth and seen the final fate of those before them? Allah destroyed them utterly. Have you not seen how He destroyed them, their children and their wealth? And those who disbelieved will suffer the same fate.

11. That support of the believers and defeat of the unbelievers is because Allah is the Protector and Helper of those who believe and because those who disbelieve have no protector.

12. Allah will admit those who believe to Gardens with rivers flowing under them. Those who disbelieve have their enjoyment in this world, eating as cattle eat – having no concern other than the filling their bellies and the indulging of their sexual appetites, so that they do not show any concern for the Next World – but the Fire will be their final residence.

13. How many cities We have destroyed – meaning their inhabitants – greater in strength than your city – the population of Makka – which has driven you out, and there was no one to help them against Our destructive power!

14. Is someone on a clear path from his Lord – with clear evidence and proof: in other words, the believers – like those whose bad actions have been made to seem good to them – meaning the unbelievers – and who follow their own desires in respect of worshipping idols? There is no comparison between them.

15. An image of the Garden which is promised to those who are godfearing who will enter it: in it there are rivers of water which will never spoil (read as asin and asin) – unlike water in this world, which changes when something comes into contact with it – and rivers of milk whose taste will never change – unlike milk in this world, which goes sour after a time – and rivers of wine, delightful to all who drink it – unlike wine in this world, which is unpleasant to drink – and rivers of honey of undiluted purity – unlike honey in this world, which emerges from the bellies of bees mixed with wax and other things. In it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord. Is that – people in this bliss – like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels?

16. Among them (the unbelievers) are those who listen to you in the Friday khutba – meaning that they are hypocrites – and then, when they leave your presence, say to those who have been given knowledge – such as Ibn Mas‘ud and Ibn ‘Abbas, out of mockery and derision – ‘What was that he just said about the Last Hour?’ They are those whose hearts Allah has sealed up with unbelief and who follow their own desires in their hypocrisy.

17. He (Allah) increases in guidance those who are already guided (the believers) and makes them godfearing – He inspires them to safeguard themselves against the Fire.

18. What are they (the unbelievers of Makka) awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. Some of its Signs have already come, like the sending of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the splitting of the moon, and the Smoke. What good will their Reminder be to them when it (the Last Hour) does arrive? Then the Reminder will be of no benefit to them.

19. Know, then, that there is no god except Allah – in other words, persist, Muhammad, in your knowledge of that which will be of benefit on the Day of Rising – and ask forgiveness for your wrongdoing – because he was told that, in spite of his immunity and protection from wrong action, it became the sunna for his community. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself did that. He said, “I ask forgiveness of Allah a hundred times every day” – and for the men and women who believe . The believers are honoured by Allah’s command to their Prophet to ask forgiveness for them. Allah knows both your activity and your repose. Allah knows what you do when you are going about in your business in the day and when you retire to your beds in the night. This means that He knows all of your states and none of them are hidden from Him, so fear Allah and show caution. This is addressed both to the believers and others.

20. Those who believe say, when jihad is mentioned, ‘If only a sura could be sent down which speaks of jihad.’ But when a straightforward sura – meaning that none of it is abrogated – is sent down and fighting is mentioned in it as you asked, you see those with sickness in their hearts (the hypocrites) looking at you with the look of someone about to faint from fear of death and dislike of it. This means that they fear and dislike fighting. More fitting for them…

21. … would be obedience and honourable words. They should speak well to you. Once the matter is resolved upon – when it is necessary for them to fight – being true to Allah with respect to faith and obedience would be better for them.

22. Is it not likely (read as ‘asaytum and ‘asitum) that, if you did turn away from faith you would cause corruption in the earth – revert to the behaviour of the Jahiliyya in terms of injustice and fighting – and sever your ties of kinship

23. Such (those who corrupt) are the people Allah has cursed, making them deaf to the truth and blinding their eyes to the Path of guidance.

24. Will they not then ponder the Qur’an and recognise the truth, or are there locks upon their hearts so that they do not understand?

25. Those who have turned back on their tracks through hypocrisy after the guidance became clear to them, it was Shaytan who talked them into it – made that seem good to them – and filled (read as amla and umli) them with false hopes. Shaytan does this by Allah’s will and so he misleads them.

26. That misguidance is because they said to those idolaters who hate what Allah has sent down, ‘We will obey you in part of the affair.’ In other words, they would help them in their opposition to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and try to keep people from doing jihad with him. They said that in secret, but Allah made it public. But Allah knows their secrets (read as asrarahum and israrahum, the first being a plural and the second a verbal noun).

27. How will it (their state) be when the angels take them in death, beating their faces and their backs with iron hammers?

28. That – dying in that state – is because they followed what angers Allah and hated what action is pleasing to Him; so He made their actions come to nothing.

29. Or did those with sickness in their hearts imagine that Allah would not expose their malevolence? They showed their rancour and malice towards the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the believers.

30. If We wished, We would show them to you – acquaint you with them – and you would know them by their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech – the way which they twist words from their proper meanings in order to satirise the Muslims. Allah knows your actions.

31. We will test (read as nabluwanna and yabluwanna, “He will test”) you by means of jihad and other things until We know (read as na‘lama and ya‘lama, “He knows”) with clear knowledge the true fighters among you and those who are steadfast in jihad and other things, and test (read as nablu and yablu, “He tests”) what is reported of you regarding your obedience and disobedience in jihad and other things.

32. Those who disbelieve obstruct the Way of Allah – the way of the truth – and are entrenched in hostility towards the Messenger and opposition to him after the guidance (the Way of Allah) has become clear to them, do not harm Allah in any way; and He will make their actions come to nothing. Their actions, such as the sadaqa they have given, will come to nothing and so they will not see any reward for them in the Next World. This was revealed about those who brought food to the enemy in the Battle of Badr or about the tribes of Qurayza and an-Nadir.

33. You who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger. Do not make your actions of no worth through disobedience.

34. Those who disbelieve and obstruct the Way of Allah and then die as unbelievers, Allah will not forgive them. This was revealed about the people in the well into which the unbelievers killed in the Battle of Badr were thrown.

35. Do not become faint-hearted and call for peace (read as salm and silm) – meaning conclude a peace treaty with the unbelievers when you meet them – when you are uppermost and winning. Allah is with you helping you. He would never cheat you of the reward for your deeds.

36. Occupation with the life of this world is merely a game and a diversion. If you believe and are godfearing – if you have fear of Allah in regard to the events of the Next World – He will pay you your wages and not ask you for all your wealth, but only for the obligatory zakat due on it.

37. If He did ask you for it and put you under pressure – and He asked you for a large amount – you would be tight-fisted and it would bring out your malevolence towards the dın of Islam.

38. Here you are then: people who are called upon to spend what is obligatory for you in the Way of Allah, and then some of you are tight-fisted! But whoever is tight-fisted is only tight-fisted towards himself. Allah is Rich and has no need of your spending, and you are poor and in need of Him. If you turn away from obedience to Him He will replace you with a people other than yourselves who will not turn away from obedience; and they will not be like you but will obey Him.