Allah encourages the believers to show enmity to the idolators and to dissociate from them, affirming that they do not deserve to enjoy a covenant of peace, because of their Shirk in Allah and disbelief in Allah's Messenger .

If these disbelievers have a chance to defeat Muslims, they will cause great mischief, leave nothing unharmed, disregard the ties of kinship and the sanctity of their vows. `Ali bin Abi Talhah, `Ikrimah and Al-`Awfi narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ill means kinship, while, Dhimmah means covenant.'' Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi said similarly.

﴿اشْتَرَوْاْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ - لاَ يَرْقُبُونَ فِى مُؤْمِنٍ إِلاًّ وَلاَ ذِمَّةً وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُعْتَدُونَ - فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَوُاْ الزَّكَوةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَنُفَصِّلُ الاٌّيَـتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

(9. They have purchased with the Ayat of Allah a little gain, and they hindered men from His way; evil indeed is that which they used to do.) (10. With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant! It is they who are the transgressors.) (11. But if they repent, perform the Salah and give the Zakah, then they are your brethren in religion. (In this way) We explain the Ayat in detail for a people who know.) Allah admonishes the idolators and encourages the believers to fight against them because,

﴿اشْتَرَوْاْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً﴾

(They have purchased with the Ayat of Allah a little gain,) idolators exchanged following the Ayat of Allah with the lower affairs of life that they indulged in,

﴿فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ﴾

(and they hindered men from His way), trying to prevent the believers from following the truth,

﴿إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَلاَ يَرْقُبُونَ فِى مُؤْمِنٍ إِلاًّ وَلاَ ذِمَّةً﴾

(evil indeed is that which they used to do. With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant!) ﴿9:9-10﴾. We explained these meanings before, as well as, the meaning of,

﴿فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ﴾

(But if they repent, perform the Salah...)

﴿وَإِن نَّكَثُواْ أَيْمَـنَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ عَهْدِهِمْ وَطَعَنُواْ فِى دِينِكُمْ فَقَـتِلُواْ أَئِمَّةَ الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لاَ أَيْمَـنَ لَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنتَهُونَ ﴾

(12. But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and attack your religion with disapproval and criticism, then fight (you) against the leaders of disbelief -- for surely, their oaths are nothing to them -- so that they may stop (evil actions).)