Quran 2:191 — Al-Baqara, verse 191
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Kill them wherever you encounter them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, for persecution is more serious than killing. Do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they fight you there. If they do fight you, kill them- this is what such disbelievers deserve-
وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ ۖ فَإِنْ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ
wa-uq'tulūhum ḥaythu thaqif'tumūhum wa-akhrijūhum min ḥaythu akhrajūkum wal-fit'natu ashaddu mina l-qatli walā tuqātilūhum ʿinda l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi ḥattā yuqātilūkum fīhi fa-in qātalūkum fa-uq'tulūhum kadhālika jazāu l-kāfirīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And slay them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you; persecution is more grievous than slaying. But fight them not by the Holy Mosque until they should fight you there; then, if they fight you, slay them -- such is the recompense of unbelievers --
- Muhammad Asad
- And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away - for oppression is even worse than killing. And fight not against them near the Inviolable House of Worship unless they fight against you there first; but if they fight against you, slay them: such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.
- Sahih International
- And kill them [in battle] wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Ḥarām until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَٱقْتُلُوهُمْwa-uq'tulūhum | And kill them | قتل |
| 2 | حَيْثُḥaythu | wherever | حيث |
| 3 | ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْthaqif'tumūhum | you find them | ثقف |
| 4 | وَأَخْرِجُوهُمwa-akhrijūhum | and drive them out | خرج |
| 5 | مِّنْmin | from | — |
| 6 | حَيْثُḥaythu | wherever | حيث |
| 7 | أَخْرَجُوكُمْ ۚakhrajūkum | they drove you out | خرج |
| 8 | وَٱلْفِتْنَةُwal-fit'natu | and [the] oppression | فتن |
| 9 | أَشَدُّashaddu | (is) worse | شدد |
| 10 | مِنَmina | than | — |
| 11 | ٱلْقَتْلِ ۚl-qatli | [the] killing | قتل |
| 12 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 13 | تُقَـٰتِلُوهُمْtuqātilūhum | fight them | قتل |
| 14 | عِندَʿinda | near | عند |
| 15 | ٱلْمَسْجِدِl-masjidi | Al-Masjid | سجد |
| 16 | ٱلْحَرَامِl-ḥarāmi | Al-Haraam | حرم |
| 17 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 18 | يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْyuqātilūkum | they fight you | قتل |
| 19 | فِيهِ ۖfīhi | in it | — |
| 20 | فَإِنfa-in | Then if | — |
| 21 | قَـٰتَلُوكُمْqātalūkum | they fight you | قتل |
| 22 | فَٱقْتُلُوهُمْ ۗfa-uq'tulūhum | then kill them | قتل |
| 23 | كَذَٰلِكَkadhālika | Such | — |
| 24 | جَزَآءُjazāu | (is the) reward | جزي |
| 25 | ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَl-kāfirīna | (of) the disbelievers | كفر |