Exegesis of the Almighty’s words: “And kill them wherever you encounter them.”

They say: This earlier verse implies that fighting is permissible only against those unbelievers who take up arms, and that it is not permissible with respect to those who do not fight, and that it has been abrogated by the Almighty’s words, “And kill them wherever you encounter them.”

We reply: The statement “And kill them wherever you encounter them” appears in two places.

First: in the present context, where He says, “And kill them wherever you encounter them and expel them from where they expelled you,” and this is connected to His words, “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Allah does not love the transgressors (190). And kill them wherever you encounter them and expel them from where they expelled you.”

Thus the pronoun refers to those who fight the believers; it is they about whom He said, “And kill them wherever you encounter them.” This does not contradict the preceding verse. Rather, anyone who belongs to the belligerent forces fighting the believers may be killed wherever he is found; it is not a condition that he be attacked only while actually engaged in combat. It is sufficient that he be one of the combatants.