ٱلْمَائِدَة : ٣٤

  • إِلَّا Except
  • ٱلَّذِينَ those who
  • تَابُواْ repent
  • مِن from
  • قَبۡلِ before
  • أَن that
  • تَقۡدِرُواْ you overpower
  • عَلَيۡهِمۡۖ [over] them
  • فَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ then know
  • أَنَّ that
  • ٱللَّهَ Allah
  • غَفُورٞ (is) Oft-Forgiving
  • رَّحِيمٞ Most Merciful
Except for those who return [repenting] before you overcome [i.e., apprehend] them. And know that Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Except for such, warmongers and waylayers, as repent before you overpower them; for know that God is Forgiving, to them of what they have done, Merciful, to them. This [proviso] is expressed without any statement to the effect 'do not submit them to prescribed legal punishment', to point out that when such a person repents only God's prescribed punishments (hudood) - and not those deriving from the rights of human beings - are waived. This is how I see it. I do not know of any that have tackled this [topic], and God knows best. If, then, a person has killed and stolen property, he should be killed and have his limbs cut off [on opposite sides], but not crucified - this is the more sound of two opinions held by al-Shaafi'ee. However, his repentance is of no avail, once he has been overpowered [by the authorities] - this is also the more sound of two opinions held by him.