The Quran

Preface

وَدّوا لَو تَكفُرونَ كَما كَفَروا فَتَكونونَ سَواءً ۖ فَلا تَتَّخِذوا مِنهُم أَولِياءَ حَتّىٰ يُهاجِروا في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَخُذوهُم وَاقتُلوهُم حَيثُ وَجَدتُموهُم ۖ وَلا تَتَّخِذوا مِنهُم وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصيرًا

Yusuf Ali

They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee¹ in the way of God (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks;-

Flee: the verbal form from which the noun hijrah is derived. Bukhari interprets this rightly as fleeing from all that is forbidden. This would include hijrah in the technical sense of leaving a place in which the practice of religion is not allowed. But it is more general, in time of war, if a man is willing to submit to discipline and refrains from infringing orders issued, he has proved his fidelity and may be treated as a member of the community at war. On the other hand, if he by false pretences comes into the inner counsels merely to betray them, he may rightly be treated as a traitor or deserter and be punished for his treason or desertion; or if he escapes, he can be treated as an enemy and is entitled to no mercy. He is worse than an enemy; he has claimed to be one of you in order to spy on you, and been all the time helping the enemy.