ٱلْأَنْفَال : ٣٨

  • قُل Say
  • لِّلَّذِينَ to those who
  • كَفَرُوٓاْ disbelieve
  • إِن if
  • يَنتَهُواْ they cease
  • يُغۡفَرۡ will be forgiven
  • لَهُم for them
  • مَّا what
  • قَدۡ [verily]
  • سَلَفَ (is) past
  • وَإِن But if
  • يَعُودُواْ they return
  • فَقَدۡ then verily
  • مَضَتۡ preceded
  • سُنَّتُ (the) practice
  • ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ (of) the former (people)
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] - then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place.1
Footnotes
1 - This is a warning that punishment is always the result of rebellion against Allāh and His messengers.
Say to the disbelievers, such as Aboo Sufyaan and his companions, that if they desist, from unbelief and from waging war against the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, that which is past, of their deeds, will be forgiven them; but if they return, to waging war against him, the way of [dealing with] the ancients has already gone before!, that is, Our way [in dealing] with them, by destroying them: We will do the same with these ones.