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 (can there be any treaty for the others) when, if they have the upper hand of you, they regard not pact nor honour in respect of you? They satisfy you with their mouths the while their hearts refuse. And most of them are wrongdoers. 8 God's messages have they bartered away for a trifling gain, and have thus turned away from His path: evil, behold, is all that they are wont to do, 9 With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant! It is they who are the transgressors. 10 Then if they repent and keep the prayer established and pay the charity, they are your brothers in religion; and we explain Our verses in detail for the people of knowledge. 11 And if they violate their oaths after their covenant and revile your religion, fight those leaders of infidelity - verily no oaths will hold in their case that haply they may desist. 12 Will you not fight against those who broke their pledges and did all they could to drive the Messenger away and initiated hostilities against you? Do you fear them? Surely Allah has greater right that you should fear Him, if you are true 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 the wrath that is in their hearts. And God will turn in His mercy unto whom He wills: for, God is all-knowing, wise. 15 Do you [O believers] think that you will be spared without God identifying which of you have struggled and did not take anyone for friends and protectors except God, His Messenger, and the believers? God is fully aware of all your actions. 16