Quran 2:217 — Al-Baqara, verse 217
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
They ask you [Prophet] about fighting in the prohibited month. Say, ‘Fighting in that month is a great offence, but to bar others from God’s path, to disbelieve in Him, prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and expel its people, are still greater offences in God’s eyes: persecution is worse than killing.’ They will not stop fighting you [believers] until they make you revoke your faith, if they can. If any of you revoke your faith and die as disbelievers, your deeds will come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter, and you will be inhabitants of the Fire, there to remain.
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَنْ دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا ۚ وَمَنْ يَرْتَدِدْ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
yasalūnaka ʿani l-shahri l-ḥarāmi qitālin fīhi qul qitālun fīhi kabīrun waṣaddun ʿan sabīli l-lahi wakuf'run bihi wal-masjidi l-ḥarāmi wa-ikh'rāju ahlihi min'hu akbaru ʿinda l-lahi wal-fit'natu akbaru mina l-qatli walā yazālūna yuqātilūnakum ḥattā yaruddūkum ʿan dīnikum ini is'taṭāʿū waman yartadid minkum ʿan dīnihi fayamut wahuwa kāfirun fa-ulāika ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati wa-ulāika aṣḥābu l-nāri hum fīhā khālidūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- They will question thee concerning the holy month, and fighting in it. Say: 'Fighting in it is a heinous thing, but to bar from God's way, and disbelief in Him, and the Holy Mosque, and to expel its people from it -- that is more heinous in God's sight; and persecution is more heinous than slaying.' They will not cease to fight with you, till they turn you from your religion, if they are able; and whosoever of you turns from his religion, and dies disbelieving -- their works have failed in this world and the next; those are the inhabitants of the Fire; therein they shall dwell forever.
- Muhammad Asad
- They will ask thee about fighting in the sacred month. Say: "Fighting in it is an awesome thing (grave transgression); but turning men away from the path of God and denying Him, and [turning them away from] the Inviolable House of Worship and expelling its people there from - [all this] is yet more awesome (greater transgression) in the sight of God, since oppression is more awesome (greater transgression) than killing." [Your enemies] will not cease to fight against you till they have turned you away from your faith, if they can. But if any of you should turn away from his faith and die as a denier of the truth - these it is whose works will go for nought in this world and in the life to come; and these it is who are destined for the fire, therein to abide.
- Sahih International
- They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allāh and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Ḥarām and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allāh. And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | يَسْـَٔلُونَكَyasalūnaka | They ask you | سأل |
| 2 | عَنِʿani | about | — |
| 3 | ٱلشَّهْرِl-shahri | the month | شهر |
| 4 | ٱلْحَرَامِl-ḥarāmi | [the] sacred | حرم |
| 5 | قِتَالٍۢqitālin | (concerning) fighting | قتل |
| 6 | فِيهِ ۖfīhi | in it | — |
| 7 | قُلْqul | Say | قول |
| 8 | قِتَالٌۭqitālun | Fighting | قتل |
| 9 | فِيهِfīhi | therein | — |
| 10 | كَبِيرٌۭ ۖkabīrun | (is) a great (sin) | كبر |
| 11 | وَصَدٌّwaṣaddun | but hindering (people) | صدد |
| 12 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 13 | سَبِيلِsabīli | (the) way | سبل |
| 14 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 15 | وَكُفْرٌۢwakuf'run | and disbelief | كفر |
| 16 | بِهِۦbihi | in Him | — |
| 17 | وَٱلْمَسْجِدِwal-masjidi | and (preventing access to) Al-Masjid | سجد |
| 18 | ٱلْحَرَامِl-ḥarāmi | Al-Haraam | حرم |
| 19 | وَإِخْرَاجُwa-ikh'rāju | and driving out | خرج |
| 20 | أَهْلِهِۦahlihi | its people | أهل |
| 21 | مِنْهُmin'hu | from it | — |
| 22 | أَكْبَرُakbaru | (is) greater (sin) | كبر |
| 23 | عِندَʿinda | near | عند |
| 24 | ٱللَّهِ ۚl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 25 | وَٱلْفِتْنَةُwal-fit'natu | And [the] oppression | فتن |
| 26 | أَكْبَرُakbaru | (is) greater | كبر |
| 27 | مِنَmina | than | — |
| 28 | ٱلْقَتْلِ ۗl-qatli | [the] killing | قتل |
| 29 | وَلَاwalā | And not | — |
| 30 | يَزَالُونَyazālūna | they will cease | زيل |
| 31 | يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْyuqātilūnakum | (to) fight with you | قتل |
| 32 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 33 | يَرُدُّوكُمْyaruddūkum | they turn you away | ردد |
| 34 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 35 | دِينِكُمْdīnikum | your religion | دين |
| 36 | إِنِini | if | — |
| 37 | ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ ۚis'taṭāʿū | they are able | طوع |
| 38 | وَمَنwaman | And whoever | — |
| 39 | يَرْتَدِدْyartadid | turns away | ردد |
| 40 | مِنكُمْminkum | among you | — |
| 41 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 42 | دِينِهِۦdīnihi | his religion | دين |
| 43 | فَيَمُتْfayamut | then dies | موت |
| 44 | وَهُوَwahuwa | while he | — |
| 45 | كَافِرٌۭkāfirun | (is) a disbeliever | كفر |
| 46 | فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَfa-ulāika | for those | — |
| 47 | حَبِطَتْḥabiṭat | became worthless | حبط |
| 48 | أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْaʿmāluhum | their deeds | عمل |
| 49 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 50 | ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā | the world | دنو |
| 51 | وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖwal-ākhirati | and the Hereafter | أخر |
| 52 | وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَwa-ulāika | And those | — |
| 53 | أَصْحَـٰبُaṣḥābu | (are) companions | صحب |
| 54 | ٱلنَّارِ ۖl-nāri | (of) the Fire | نور |
| 55 | هُمْhum | they | — |
| 56 | فِيهَاfīhā | in it | — |
| 57 | خَـٰلِدُونَkhālidūna | (will) abide forever | خلد |