وَلَوْ أَرَادُوا۟ ٱلْخُرُوجَ
لَأَعَدُّوا۟ لَهُۥ عُدَّةً
وَلَـٰكِن كَرِهَ ٱللَّهُ
ٱنۢبِعَاثَهُمْ فَثَبَّطَهُمْ
وَقِيلَ ٱقْعُدُوا۟
مَعَ ٱلْقَـٰعِدِينَ
لَوْ خَرَجُوا۟ فِيكُم
مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا
خَبَالًا وَلَأَوْضَعُوا۟
خِلَـٰلَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ
ٱلْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ
سَمَّـٰعُونَ لَهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ
عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And if they had
intended to march
out, certainly, they
would have made
some preparation
for it; but Allah
was averse to their
being sent forth, so
He made them lag
behind, and it was
said (to them): “Sit
among those who
sit (at home).” Had
they marched out
with you, they would
have added to you
nothing except disorder,
and they would
have hurried about
in your midst
(spreading corruption)
and sowing sedition
among you and
there are some
among you who
would have listened
to them. And
Allah is the All-Knower
of the wrongdoers.
Exposing Hypocrites
Allah said,
وَلَوْ أَرَادُواْ الْخُرُوجَ
And if they had intended to march out
with you to participate in Jihad
لأَعَدُّواْ لَهُ عُدَّةً
certainly, they would have made some preparation for it
they would have prepared for such task,
وَلَـكِن كَرِهَ
اللَّهُ انبِعَاثَهُمْ
but Allah was averse to their being sent forth
Allah hated that they should go with you,
فَثَبَّطَهُمْ
so He made them lag behind, and stay away (from jihad)
وَقِيلَ اقْعُدُواْ
مَعَ الْقَـعِدِينَ
and it was said (to them): “Sit you among those who sit (at home)”
as a part of what was decreed for them ﴿not that He legislated that they stay behind﴾. Allah then explained why He disliked that they march with the believers, saying,
لَوْ خَرَجُواْ فِيكُم
مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلاَّ خَبَالاً
Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder
because they are cowards and failures,
ولاّوْضَعُواْ خِلَـلَكُمْ
يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ
and they would have hurried about in your midst sowing sedition among you
They would have rushed to spread false stories, hatred and discord among you,
وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّـعُونَ لَهُمْ
and there are some among you who would have listened to them
who would have obeyed them, given preference to their speech and words and asked them for advice, unaware of the true reality of these hypocrites. This might have caused corruption and great evil between the believers. Muhammad bin Ishaq said, “Those who sought permission (from the Messenger to lag behind) included some of the chiefs, such as `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul and Al-Jadd bin Qays, who were masters of their people. Allah also made them lag behind because He knew that if they went along with the Messenger they would sow sedition in his army.” There were some in the Prophet’s army who liked these chiefs and were ready to obey them, because they considered them honorable,
وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّـعُونَ لَهُمْ
and there are some among you who would have listened to them
Allah next reminds of His perfect knowledge, saying,
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّـلِمينَ
And Allah is the All-Knower of the wrongdoers
Allah says that He knows what occurred, what will occur and if anything would have occurred, how it would occur, such as,
لَوْ خَرَجُواْ فِيكُم
مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلاَّ خَبَالاً
Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder
indicating what they would have done had they marched, even though they did not. Allah said in similar Ayat,
وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ
لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ
وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ
But if they were returned (to the world), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars (Al-An’am 6:28)
وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ
خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ
أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ
وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth) Al-Anfal 23
and,
وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُواْ
أَنفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُواْ
مِن دِيَـرِكُمْ مَّا
فَعَلُوهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ مِّنْهُمْ
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُواْ مَا
يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ
خَيْراً لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتاً
وَإِذاً لاّتَيْنَـهُمْ مِّن
لَّدُنَّـآ أَجْراً عَظِيماً
وَلَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ صِرَطاً مُّسْتَقِيماً
And if We had ordered them (saying), “Kill yourselves (the innocent ones kill the guilty ones) or leave your homes,” very few of them would have done it; but if they had done what they were told, it would have been better for them, and would have strengthened their conviction. And indeed We would then have bestowed upon them a great reward from Ourselves. And indeed We would have guided them to the straight way (An-Nisa 66-68)