HOW COULD they who ascribe divinity to aught beside God be granted a covenant by God and His Apostle, unless it be those [of them] with whom you [O believers] have made a covenant in the vicinity of the Inviolable House of Worship? [As for the latter,] so long as they remain true to you, be true to them: for, verily, God loves those who are conscious of Him. 7 How [else could it be]? - since, if they [who are hostile to you] were to overcome you, they would not respect any tie [with you,] nor any obligation to protect [you]. They seek to please you with their mouths, the while their hearts remain averse [to you]; and most of them are iniquitous. 8 They sell the verses of Allah for a small price and bar others from His Path. Evil is what they have been doing. 9 observing neither bond nor treaty towards a believer; they are the transgressors. 10 If they repent and establish the prayer and pay the obligatory charity, they shall become your brothers in the religion. So We make plain Our verses for a nation that knows. 11 And if they break their promises after making a treaty and malign your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief – indeed their promises are nothing – in the hope that they may desist. 12 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 13 Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people, 14 and will remove rage from their hearts, and will enable whomsoever He wills to repent. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 15 Do you [O believers] think that you will be spared unless God takes cognizance of your having striven hard [in His cause] without seeking help from any but God and His Apostle and those who believe in Him? For, God is aware of all that you do. 16