The first verse warns Muslims not to make alliance with the enemies of God.[1] Verses 4—6 provide Abraham as a model for this, as he distanced himself from the pagans of his own tribe, including his own father.[1][3] Verses 7 to 9 declares a possibility that Muslims and their erstwhile enemy might have better relations ("It may be that God will forge affection between you and those of them with whom you are in enmity")[4] if the former enemy stops fighting the Muslims.[1] These verses provide basis for the relations of Muslims and non-Muslims according to the Quran: the basic relation is peace unless the Muslims are attacked, or when war is justified to stop injustice or protect the religion.[5]
The next following verses (10–12) address some matters of Islamic law.[1] They declare marriages between Muslims and polytheists are no longer valid,[1] and instruct Muslims on how to resolve the question of mahr when dissolving such marriages.[6] The status of inter-religious marriages was very relevant at the time of the revelation of these verses, a time when multiple women from Mecca converted to Islam while their husbands did not, or vice versa.[1]
