Surah Al-Baqarah 2:193
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 193 of 286
وَقَٰتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌۭ وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِ ۖ فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوْا۟ فَلَا عُدْوَٰنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Translation
Fight them until there is no more persecution, and worship is devoted to God. If they cease hostilities, there can be no [further] hostility, except towards aggressors.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse guides believers on the purpose and conditions of fighting, emphasizing the significance of certain key words. The address is to the believers, giving them clear directives.
The Command to Fight
The verse begins with the command, "وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ" (And fight them). Ibn Ashur notes that this phrase, appearing after earlier commands to fight, serves to introduce a crucial *goal* or *purpose* for the fighting that follows. It's not a mere repetition, but a re-emphasis to frame the specific aims detailed in this verse.
The Goal: No Fitnah
The fighting is prescribed "حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌۭ" (until there is no *fitnah*). The word "حتى" (until/so that) here acts both as a limit to the fighting and an explanation of its reason, as Ibn Ashur points out. The core of this command lies in understanding "فتنة" (fitnah). Because it appears in a context of negation, "no *fitnah*", Ibn Ashur explains it encompasses all forms of *fitnah* from the aggressors against the Muslims, specifically regarding their religion. Al-Razi and al-Jalalayn interpret *fitnah* here primarily as *shirk* (idolatry) and the persecution that pushes people away from Islam. So, the fighting is to remove the oppression and obstacles that prevent people from freely practicing their faith. This *fitnah* ends either by the aggressors embracing Islam, or by their defeat, removing their capacity to persecute.
Religion Wholly for Allah
Connected to the end of *fitnah* is the ultimate objective: "وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِ" (and the religion is entirely for Allah). Ibn Ashur highlights that "الدين" (the religion) here, with its definite article, refers to religion in its general sense, while the "لله" (for Allah) signifies exclusivity. It means that there should be no religion or worship practiced except that which is devoted solely to Allah, free from any *shirk*. As al-Razi observes, this makes clear that the eradication of *shirk* is a primary goal. This purification was particularly intended for the Arabian Peninsula, chosen by Allah to be the heartland of Islam.
The Condition for Ceasefire
The verse concludes with an important condition: "فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوْا۟ فَلَا عُدْوَٰنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ" (But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the wrongdoers). "إن انتهوا" means if they stop their aggression and persecution, or if they embrace Islam, then the fighting must cease. The phrase "فلا عدوان إلا على الظالمين" (then there is no aggression except against the wrongdoers) implies that attacking those who have stopped fighting or accepted Islam would itself be an act of injustice. As Ibn Ashur and al-Razi explain, calling this rightful retribution "عدوان" (aggression) is a rhetorical device, similar to calling the recompense for an evil deed "an evil deed." It clarifies that fighting is solely directed at those who persist in injustice and aggression, not those who cease.
Source: Ibn Ashur, al-Zamakhshari, al-Razi, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran, al-Jalalayn
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:193 is discussed in 13 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:193 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.