The Holy Quran 2:191 — Surah Al-Baqarah

Arabic text

وَٱقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ ۚ وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُقَـٰتِلُوهُمْ عِندَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ ۖ فَإِن قَـٰتَلُوكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوهُمْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

Translation

Kill them (the Kaafiroon) wherever you find them, and drive them out of the places from which they drove you out. Corruption (part of which is Shirk, turning away from religion and causing others to do so) is certainly worse than killing. Do not fight them by the Masjidul Haraam unless they fight you in it. If they fight you, then kill them as well (even if it be in Makkah). In this manner are the Kaafiroon repaid.

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

“Wherever you find them”, that is, whether they are in the Sanctuary or outside it; “from where they drove you out”, that is, from Makkah. Spreading fitnah (sedition) is a greater sin than killing: that is, turning away from the religion or turning someone else away from it is a far greater sin than killing within a sacred month.

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