فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿۵﴾ وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۶﴾

﴾5﴿ Fa izansalakhal Ashhurul Hurumu faqtulul mushrikeena haisu wajattumoohum wa khuzoohum wahsuroohum waq'udoo lahum kulla marsad; fa-in taaboo wa aqaamus Salaata wa aatawuz Zakaata fakhalloo sabeelahum; innal laaha Ghafoorur Raheem
﴾6﴿ Wa in ahadum minal mushrikeenas tajaaraka fa ajirhu hattaa yasma'a Kalaamal laahi summa ablighhu maa manah; zaalika bi annahum qawmul laa ya'lamoon

﴾5﴿ So when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and seize them, surround them, and lie in wait for them in every ambush So if they repent and establish prayer and give zakat, then leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
﴾6﴿ And if one of the polytheists seeks security from you (to enter the abode of Islam), grant him security so that he may hear the word of Allah, the Exalted So take him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know

[5] In this verse, another ruling regarding the first group (i.e., the warring polytheists) is mentioned.
The message is: once the granted period (four months) ends—particularly the final month, Muḥarram—then fight them.
The phrase (وَخُذُوهُمْ) means to capture them, and then it is at the discretion of the commander whether to kill them, take ransom, or pardon them.
"And besiege them" (وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ) means to lay siege to their forts and surround them.
"And lie in wait for them at every ambush point" (وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ) means to block their travel routes so that they do not roam freely in the land of Islam.
The phrase (تَابُوا) refers to repentance from disbelief and shirk, which is described in ḥadīth as testifying: “Lā ilāha illā Allāh, Muḥammadun Rasūlullāh.”
"And establish prayer" (وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ) indicates that verbal repentance alone is not sufficient; these actions must accompany it to validate their repentance.
"And give zakat" (وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ) — Ibn Kathīr notes that Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used this verse as proof for fighting those who withheld zakat.
"Then let them go their way" (فَخَلُّوا) means their lives and wealth become protected, as stated in the ḥadīths of Bukhārī and Aḥmad.
[6] This verse refers to the third category of polytheists, known as Musta’minīn—those granted temporary protection.
The phrase (يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ)—“so that he may hear the speech of Allah”—is clear evidence that the speech of Allah is audible (masmūʿ).
This supports the belief of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn (pious predecessors) that the speech of Allah is recited (matlū), heard (masmūʿ), and written (maktūb).
It refutes the false claim that the spoken words are merely symbols pointing to an internal “spiritual” speech (kalam nafsī), and that only that internal meaning is the true speech of Allah.
The phrase (أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ)—“convey him to a place of safety”—means that he should be safely escorted back to his secure location.
According to the scholars, such individuals are not granted long-term residence (like a year), but rather only up to four months of temporary stay.