(1–2) “A declaration of disassociation from Allah and His Messenger to those among the polytheists with whom you made a treaty: Travel freely throughout the land for four months, but know that you cannot thwart Allah and that Allah will disgrace the disbelievers.”

That is, this is a declaration of disassociation from Allah and His Messenger to all the polytheists who had treaties: they would have four months during which they could travel throughout the land as they chose, safe from the believers. After those four months, they would have neither treaty nor covenant.

This applies to anyone whose treaty was unrestricted and had no fixed term, or whose term was four months or less. As for anyone whose treaty was set for longer than four months, Allah must honor His treaty with him in full, provided that no treachery is feared from him and that he did not initiate a breach of the treaty.

Allah then warned those who had treaties that, although they were safe for the duration of their treaties, they could never thwart Allah or elude Him, and that He would inevitably disgrace any of them who persisted in polytheism. This was something that would induce them to enter Islam—except for those who obstinately resisted, persisted, and paid no heed to Allah’s warning.