سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ

Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 19

The Clans · Medinan · Juz 21 · Page 420

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أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ ٱلْخَوْفُ رَأَيْتَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدُورُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ كَٱلَّذِى يُغْشَىٰ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ ٱلْخَوْفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ فَأَحْبَطَ ٱللَّهُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًا ﴿19﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Being miserly towards you (as regards help and aid in Allâh’s Cause). Then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like (those of) one over whom hovers death; but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards (spending anything in any) good (and only covetous of booty and wealth). Such have not believed. Therefore Allâh makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allâh.

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

أَشِحَّةً ashiḥḥatan Miserly
عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ ʿalaykum towards you
فَإِذَا fa-idhā But when
جَآءَ jāa comes
ٱلْخَوْفُ l-khawfu the fear
رَأَيْتَهُمْ ra-aytahum you see them
يَنظُرُونَ yanẓurūna looking
إِلَيْكَ ilayka at you
تَدُورُ tadūru revolving
أَعْيُنُهُمْ aʿyunuhum their eyes
كَٱلَّذِى ka-alladhī like one who
يُغْشَىٰ yugh'shā faints
عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi faints
مِنَ mina from
ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ l-mawti [the] death
فَإِذَا fa-idhā But when
ذَهَبَ dhahaba departs
ٱلْخَوْفُ l-khawfu the fear
سَلَقُوكُم salaqūkum they smite you
بِأَلْسِنَةٍ bi-alsinatin with tongues
حِدَادٍ ḥidādin sharp
أَشِحَّةً ashiḥḥatan miserly
عَلَى ʿalā towards
ٱلْخَيْرِ ۚ l-khayri the good
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ulāika Those
لَمْ lam not
يُؤْمِنُوا۟ yu'minū they have believed
فَأَحْبَطَ fa-aḥbaṭa so Allah made worthless
ٱللَّهُ l-lahu so Allah made worthless
أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ۚ aʿmālahum their deeds
وَكَانَ wakāna And is
ذَٰلِكَ dhālika that
عَلَى ʿalā for
ٱللَّهِ l-lahi Allah
يَسِيرًۭا yasīran easy

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

{ اَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ فَاِذَا جَآءَ الْخَوْفُ … : ’’ اَشِحَّةً ‘‘ ’’شَحِيْحٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’اَلشُّحُّ‘‘}, the combination of intense greed and miserliness is called {’’اَلشُّحُّ‘‘}. {’’ حِدَادٍ ‘‘} is the plural of {’’حَدِيْدٌ‘‘}, meaning sharp. {’’ سَلَقُوْكُمْ ‘‘ ’’سَلَقَ يَسْلُقُ‘‘} (n) {’’سَلَقَهُ بِالسَّوْطِ‘‘} means he beat him so much with a whip that he stripped off the skin. {’’سَلَقَ اللَّحْمَ عَنِ الْعَظْمِ‘‘} means he stripped the flesh from the bone. When someone says something very harsh to another, it is said: {’’سَلَقَهُ بِالْكَلَامِ۔‘‘ ’’ الْخَيْرِ ‘‘} refers to war booty. Maulana Muhammad Junagadhi (may Allah have mercy on him) has rendered the Urdu translation of Tafsir Ibn Kathir at this place in a very delightful manner, he writes: "These are very miserly people, neither will you receive any help from them, nor do they have any sympathy for you in their hearts, nor are they happy about your share in the war booty. At the time of fear, the courage of these cowards flies away, their eyes become like buttermilk, they start looking with hopeless gazes, but when the fear is gone, they start wagging their tongues at length and begin to make exaggerated claims, boasting of bravery and manliness, and pounce upon the war booty in an unseemly manner. They start clamoring, 'Give us, give us, we are your companions, we have rendered military services, we have a share,' and at the time of battle, they do not even show their faces, staying ahead of those who flee and behind those who fight. Who could be a more worthless person than one in whom both these faults are combined? Deceit, bad character, foul language in times of peace, and cowardice, trickery, and effeminacy in times of battle. During battle, they separate themselves like menstruating women, and when it comes to taking wealth, they bray like donkeys. Allah says, the fact is that their hearts have been devoid of faith from the very beginning, therefore their deeds are also wasted. This is easy for Allah."

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

19-1. That is, they are stingy in helping you by digging the trench, or in spending in the way of Allah, or in fighting alongside you.
19-2. This describes the state of their cowardice and low resolve.
19-3. That is, they boast about their bravery and manliness, which is entirely based on lies, or at the time of the distribution of spoils, they try to influence people with the sharpness and cleverness of their tongue to obtain as much wealth as possible. Hazrat Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) says, at the time of the distribution of spoils, they are the most stingy and the ones who take the largest share, and at the time of battle, they are the most cowardly and the ones who abandon their companions helpless.
19-3. Or another meaning is that they do not even have the spirit of goodness within them. That is, along with the aforementioned faults and shortcomings, they are also deprived of goodness and virtue.
19-4. That is, not from the heart, rather they are hypocrites, because their hearts are filled with disbelief and stubbornness.
19-5. The nullification of their deeds, or their hypocrisy.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

They are extremely stingy in helping you. Then, when danger comes, you see them looking at you with their eyes rolling (in fear) as if death has overtaken them. But when the danger is over, they lash you with sharp tongues in their greed for the spoils of war [25]. Such people have not truly believed, so Allah will render their deeds void [26], and that is very easy [27] for Allah.

[24]
The Scene of the Cowardice of the Hypocrites:

Their cowardice is such that if they even hear talk of danger or an enemy attack, they begin to faint as if death has already overtaken them. If this is their condition, how can they possibly support the Muslims?
[25] ﴿أشحّة﴾ (root ش ح ح) "Shaheeh" refers to a person who is extremely greedy in accumulating wealth but extremely stingy in spending it. That is, when it comes to supporting you in battle, they act with extreme miserliness. But when the battle is over, the field is in the hands of the Muslims, and it is time to distribute the spoils of war, then these people are desperate for the wealth and want all of it to come into their hands. Then they begin to display all sorts of loyalties and sympathies to prove their entitlement to the spoils of war.
[26] That is, their hearts conceal nothing but disbelief, and for the reward of deeds in the Hereafter, faith is the first condition, which they do not possess at all. Therefore, all their deeds will be wasted, and for their evil deeds, they will certainly be held accountable, and their greatest evil deed is hypocrisy.
[27] That is, these people have no argument to prove the reward of their deeds, nor do they have any power or strength that would make it difficult or noteworthy for Allah to render their deeds void.
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