أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ ﴿۳۹﴾ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ﴿۴۰﴾

﴾39﴿ Uzina lillazeena yuqaataloona bi annahum zulimoo; wa innal laaha 'alaa nasrihim la Qaderr
﴾40﴿ Allazeena ukhrijoo min diyaarihim bighairi haqqin illaaa any yaqooloo rabbunallaah; wa law laa daf'ul laahin naasa ba'dahum biba'dil lahuddimat sawaami'u wa biya'unw wa salawaatunw wa masaajidu yuzkaru feehasmul laahi kaseeraa; wa layansurannal laahu mai yansuruh; innal laaha la qawiyyun 'Azeez

﴾39﴿ Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they have been wronged. And indeed, Allah is fully capable of granting them victory
﴾40﴿ They are those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly, only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And if Allah had not repelled some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques—in which the name of Allah is much mentioned—would surely have been destroyed. And indeed, Allah will aid those who aid His cause. Truly, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty

[39] In this verse, a method of defense is taught: that although Allah protects you, you must also protect the religion of Allah and your own lives through fighting (qitāl) when necessary.
Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī mentions that this is the first verse revealed regarding fighting, but here, with the phrase “أُذِنَ” (permission is given), only permission is granted—not obligation.
The obligation of fighting came later with the verse: “قَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ” – Fight in the path of Allah.
In this verse, three reasons are mentioned for the permission to fight: 1. “يُقَاتَلُونَ” – Because they are being fought against, 2. “بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا” – Because they have been wronged, 3. “إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ” – Because Allah is certainly capable of helping them.
Benefit: As Qurṭubī notes, permission (ibāḥah) is a legal ruling in Sharī‘ah, and thus it requires legal evidence (dalīl shar‘ī). This is also supported in Musallam ath-Thubūt, a key text in principles of Islamic jurisprudence.
[40] This verse expresses the oppression faced by the believers, presenting it as another reason for granting them permission to fight, and also as a justification for Allah’s divine support.
The verse proves that the hostility towards monotheists is because of their tawḥīd—as also seen in Surah Al-A‘rāf (7:126), Surah Ghāfir (40:28), and Surah Al-Burūj (85:8).
The phrase “وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ” introduces another reason for the permission to fight and for divine help—namely, that fighting and Allah’s support for the mujahidīn is primarily to protect the centers of tawḥīd.
According to Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, while the wording of the verse is general, it carries broader meanings, such as: – If Allah did not repel the oppressors through just rulers, – If He did not prevent those who abandon mosques through the presence of people devoted to them, – If He did not withhold punishment due to the du‘ās of the righteous, – And if He did not repel shirk, disbelief, innovation, immorality, and sin through the call and efforts of the people of truth, – Then the world would be corrupted.
The word “لَهُدِّمَتْ” (would have been destroyed) carries two meanings:
1. Outward destruction of places of worship,
2. Spiritual emptiness—meaning they would be devoid of true worship based on tawḥīd and Sunnah. Both meanings are intended.
The listed places of worship are those that belonged to followers of earlier divine laws, who used to perform correct worship before their religions were altered—since tawḥīd existed in all of them before distortion.
The word “كَثِيرًا” (much) means frequent remembrance that is established in the Sharī‘ah, even if done a little. If it is not in accordance with the Sharī‘ah, then even if it is plenty, it is considered worthless.
The phrase “مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ” points to the idea that supporting the religion and the Messenger is in fact supporting Allah—and such supporters are included in Allah’s group, even though Allah is not in need of anyone's help.