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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Al-Anfal 8:38-40 [5/10] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
قُلSay
لِّلَّذِينَto those who
كَفَرُوٓاْdisbelieve
إِنif
يَنتَهُواْthey cease
يُغْفَرْwill be forgiven
لَهُمfor them
مَّاwhat
قَدْ[verily]
سَلَفَ(is) past.
وَإِنBut if
يَعُودُواْthey return
فَقَدْthen verily
مَضَتْpreceded
سُنَّتُ(the) practice
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ(of) the former (people).
﴿٣٨﴾
وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمْAnd fight them
حَتَّىٰuntil
لَا تَكُونَthere is no
فِتْنَةٌoppression
وَيَكُونَand is
ٱلدِّينُthe religion
كُلُّهُۥall of it
لِلَّهِ‌ۚfor Allah.
فَإِنِBut if
ٱنتَهَوْاْthey ceased,
فَإِنَّthen indeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
بِمَاof what
يَعْمَلُونَthey do
بَصِيرٌ(is) All-Seer.
﴿٣٩﴾
وَإِنAnd if
تَوَلَّوْاْthey turn away
فَٱعْلَمُوٓاْthen know
أَنَّthat
ٱللَّهَAllah
مَوْلَـٰكُمْ‌ۚ(is) your Protector,
نِعْمَExcellent
ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ(is) the Protector,
وَنِعْمَand Excellent
ٱلنَّصِيرُ(is) the Helper.
﴿٤٠﴾

قُلْ لِّـلَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡۤا اِنۡ يَّنۡتَهُوۡا يُغۡفَرۡ لَهُمۡ مَّا قَدۡ سَلَفَۚ وَاِنۡ يَّعُوۡدُوۡا فَقَدۡ مَضَتۡ سُنَّتُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ‏  وَقَاتِلُوۡهُمۡ حَتّٰى لَا تَكُوۡنَ فِتۡنَةٌ وَّيَكُوۡنَ الدِّيۡنُ كُلُّهٗ لِلّٰهِ​ۚ فَاِنِ انْـتَهَوۡا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِيۡرٌ‏  وَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَاعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَوۡلٰٮكُمۡ​ؕ نِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰى وَنِعۡمَ النَّصِيۡرُ‏ 
Translation
(8:38) [O Prophet!] Tell the unbelievers that if they desist from evil, their past shall be forgiven and if they revert to their past ways, then it is well known what happened with the people of the past. (8:39) And fight against them until the mischief ends and the way prescribed by Allah - the whole of it -prevail31 Then, if they give up mischief, surely Allah sees what they do. (8:40) But if they turn away, then know well that Allah is your Protector - an excellent Protector and an excellent Helper.
Commentary

31. This is a reiteration of the purpose, mentioned earlier in al-Baqarah 2: 193, for which Muslims are required to wage war. The purpose is two-fold. Negatively speaking, the purpose is to eradicate 'mischief'. The positive purpose consists of establishing a state of affairs wherein all obedience is rendered to God alone. This alone is the purpose for which the believers may, rather should, fight. Fighting for any other purpose is not lawful. Nor does it behove men of faith to take part in wars for worldly purposes. (For further explanation see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, (al-Baqarah 2, nn.. 204 and 205, pp. 152-3 - Ed.)