2.244 – So fight in the way of God

This verse commands the reader or listener to fight, using the Arabic verb qātala. The command to fight seems to be addressed to those who “believe” (see vv. 208, 254), but their enemy and purpose are not clear. In the following story about the Sons of Israel, the people fight because they have been expelled from their homes and children (v. 246).

When the Quran gives commands to fight “in the way (sabīl) of Allah,” it makes a theological claim by associating Allah with human fighting. This association continues in verse 246 in a story of a prophet from the “Sons of Israel.” See the analysis of these expressions at 73.20.