ðə mˈɑːdɚn sˈælæfi ɹᵻfˈoːɹmɪst skˈɑːlɚ, ˈɛm jˈuː lˌɛɾɚwˈʌnˈiːtˈuːfˈaɪv ɐ ˈɛm ˈɛm ɐ dˈiː ˈæbdʌ dˈiː. wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti θɹˈiː slˈæʃ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈaɪv, "nˈoʊts ðæt mˈoʊst kˈɑːməntˌeɪɾɚz ɑːɹ ɐɡɹˈiːd ðˌɐɾɪt wʌz ɹᵻvˈiːld ɔnðɪ əkˈeɪʒən ʌvðə mˈɪlətˌɛɹi kæmpˈeɪn ɪn tˈæbʌk, ænd ðɪs vˈɜːs spəsˈɪfɪkli dˈiːlz wɪððə pˈiːpəl ʌvðə bˈʊk", ænd ˈɔːlsoʊ ðˈæt "ðɪ ˈoʊnli kˈaɪnd ʌv lədʒˈɪɾᵻmət wˈɔːɹ ˌɔn wˌɪtʃ ðɛɹ ɪz juːnɐnˈɪmᵻɾi ɐmˌʌŋ mˈʊzlɪm skˈɑːlɚz ɪz ðə dᵻfˈɛnsɪv wˈɔːɹ wɛn pɹəklˈeɪmd baɪ ðɪ ɪmˈæm ɪnðɪ ᵻvˈɛnt əvən ɐtˈæk əpˌɑːn mˈʊzlɪm tˈɛɹɪtˌoːɹi".:tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi nˈaɪn dˈæʃ tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn ʌv hɪz dɪsˈaɪpəlz, ðə ɡɹˈænd ɪmˈæm ʌv ˈælˈæʒɑːɹ fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi fˈaɪv tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv, mʌstˈɑːfə ˈælmæɹˈæɡhi, ɛksplˈeɪnz ðæt nˈaɪn:twˈɛnti nˈaɪn mˈiːnz: "fˈaɪt ðoʊz mˈɛnʃənd wɛn ðə kəndˈɪʃənz wˌɪtʃ nəsˈɛsɪtˌeɪt fˈaɪɾɪŋ ɑːɹ pɹˈɛzənt, nˈeɪmli, ɐɡɹˈɛʃən ɐɡˈɛnst juː ɔːɹ jʊɹ kˈʌntɹi, əpɹˈɛʃən ænd pˌɜːsɪkjˈuːʃən ɐɡˈɛnst juː ˌɔn ɐkˈaʊnt ʌv jʊɹ fˈeɪθ, ɔːɹ θɹˈɛʔn̩ɪŋ jʊɹ sˈeɪfti ænd sᵻkjˈʊɹɹᵻɾi, æz wʌz kəmˈɪɾᵻd ɐɡˈɛnst juː baɪ ðə bˈɪzɐntˌiːnz, wˌɪtʃ wʌz wʌt lˈɛd tə tˈæbʌk.
The modern Salafi reformist scholar, Muḥammad 'Abduh (d. 1323/1905), "notes that most commentators are agreed that it was revealed on the occasion of the military campaign in Tabuk, and this verse specifically deals with the People of the Book", and also that "the only kind of legitimate war on which there is unanimity among Muslim scholars is the defensive war when proclaimed by the Imām in the event of an attack upon Muslim territory".:239-240 One of his disciples, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar from 1935 to 1945, Mustafa Al-Maraghi, explains that 9:29 means: "fight those mentioned when the conditions which necessitate fighting are present, namely, aggression against you or your country, oppression and persecution against you on account of your faith, or threatening your safety and security, as was committed against you by the Byzantines, which was what led to Tabuk.