{ Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, and do not transgress; indeed Allah does not love those who transgress. And kill them wherever you get to them, and drive them away from where they drove you away; sedition is more severe than killing. But do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight you there, then if they fight you, kill them; such is the retribution of the Disbelievers. If they cease, indeed Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more sedition and religion belongs to Allah; and if they cease, there is no hostility except against those who oppress } Al-baqara 190-193

Abu Ja’far said: The expositors differ regarding interpretation of this verse; some of them say this verse was the first verse to come down ordering the Muslims to fight those who commit shirk [idolatry; worshipping other than Allah alone]. They say: In this verse the Muslims order fighting against the Idolaters [Mushrikun] who fight them, and desisting from those that desist from them; then it was abrogated by { There is absolution, from Allah and His Messenger, regarding the Idolaters with whom you made covenant … } [Al-tawba 1] … Others say that this is instead an order from Allah (may His remembrance be exalted) to the Muslims to fight the Disbelievers [Kuffar], and has not been abrogated; rather the “transgression” that Allah prohibits is His prohibiting the killing of women and children. They say: The prohibition to kill them is firm, His command to this day; nothing of the command in this verse has been abrogated. … The meaning of { And kill them wherever you get to them } : Kill them anywhere you are able to kill them and find a way to kill them. … What is said regarding interpretation of the word of the Most High { If they cease, indeed Allah is forgiving and merciful } ; Abu Ja’far said: He (may His remembrance be exalted) means by this: If the Disbelievers who are fighting you cease from fighting you, and from their disbelief in Allah, and abandon this, and repent, { Indeed Allah is forgiving } : of the sins of those of them who believe, and repent from their idolatry [shirk], and turn to Allah from their past misdeeds and past days. … Qatada related that { And religion belongs to Allah } means that “There is no god but Allah” is to be said. It was mentioned to us that the Prophet of Allah (SAW) said: Indeed Allah has ordered me to fight people until they say “There is no god but Allah”. … Abu Ja’far said: He (may His remembrance be exalted) is saying to His Prophet Muhammad (SAW): Fight the Idolaters, those who fight you, until there is no more sedition, that is, until there is no more shirk with Allah and until no one worships any but Him.