سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 20
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ ۖ فَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُّحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا ٱلْقِتَالُ ۙ رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ ٱلْمَغْشِىِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ فَأَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ ﴿20﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who believe say: "Why is not a Sûrah (chapter of the Qur’ân) sent down (for us)? But when a decisive Sûrah (explaining and ordering things) is sent down, and fighting (Jihâd - holy fighting in Allâh’s cause) is mentioned (i.e. ordained) therein, you will see those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) looking at you with a look of one fainting to death. But it was better for them (hypocrites, to listen to Allâh and to obey Him).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَقُولُ
wayaqūlu
And say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَوْلَا
lawlā
Why not
نُزِّلَتْ
nuzzilat
has been revealed
سُورَةٌۭ ۖ
sūratun
a Surah
فَإِذَآ
fa-idhā
But when
أُنزِلَتْ
unzilat
is revealed
سُورَةٌۭ
sūratun
a Surah
مُّحْكَمَةٌۭ
muḥ'kamatun
precise
وَذُكِرَ
wadhukira
and is mentioned
فِيهَا
fīhā
in it
ٱلْقِتَالُ ۙ
l-qitālu
the fighting
رَأَيْتَ
ra-ayta
you see
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِهِم
qulūbihim
their hearts
مَّرَضٌۭ
maraḍun
(is) a disease
يَنظُرُونَ
yanẓurūna
looking
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
at you
نَظَرَ
naẓara
a look
ٱلْمَغْشِىِّ
l-maghshiyi
(of) one fainting
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
(of) one fainting
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ
l-mawti
the death
فَأَوْلَىٰ
fa-awlā
But more appropriate
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
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.
(Ayah 20) ➊ { وَ يَقُوْلُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ:} Before this, Allah Almighty described the state of the hypocrites and the believers at the time of hearing those verses which are related to monotheism, the Hereafter, and other matters of belief. Thus, in {’’ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ يَّسْتَمِعُ اِلَيْكَ ‘‘}, the state of the hypocrites was described, and in {’’ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى ‘‘}, the state of the believers was described. Now, regarding the verses related to actions, such as jihad, prayer, and zakat, etc., their attitude is described. That is, sincere believers were always waiting and hoping for the revelation of such commands, so that by acting upon them, they can attain as much closeness to Allah Almighty as possible. When there is a delay in its revelation, they say why has no such verse or surah been revealed? And the state of the hypocrites was that when any such verse or surah involving hardship was revealed, it was very hard on them, especially when jihad was mentioned, their eyes would remain wide open out of fear and terror.
➋ { وَ يَقُوْلُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ:} After migration, although with the verse (39) of Surah Al-Hajj: « اُذِنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ يُقٰتَلُوْنَ بِاَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوْا » (Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they have been wronged), permission to fight the disbelievers had been granted, but the clear command of its obligation had not yet come. The sincere believers, who were extremely distressed by the oppression and persecution of the disbelievers and were desirous of victory or martyrdom, kept saying why has no surah commanding jihad been revealed.
➌ { فَاِذَاۤ اُنْزِلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ مُّحْكَمَةٌ وَّ ذُكِرَ فِيْهَا الْقِتَالُ:} By a decisive surah is meant a surah in which the command given is clear, in which no interpretation can be made, nor is it abrogated. What is meant by this is this very Surah Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is also called Surah Qital, because in it, instead of {’’جَاهِدُوْا‘‘} (strive in jihad) or {’’ قَاتِلُوْا ‘‘} (fight), the command of fighting is given in the absolutely explicit words of {’’ فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ ‘‘}, that when you encounter the disbelievers, strike their necks, and after much bloodshed, take them captive, etc.
➍ { رَاَيْتَ الَّذِيْنَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ … :} That is, when a surah with a clear command of fighting was revealed, this was the state of the hypocrites. Shah Abdul Qadir writes: "The Muslims were asking for a surah, that is, being helpless from the torment of the disbelievers, they wished that Allah would command jihad so that we could do whatever we could. When the command of jihad came, it was heavy on the hypocrites and the weak people, and they began to look at the Prophet with frightened and lifeless eyes, wishing that we might be excused from this command. In extreme fear, even the brightness of the eyes does not remain, just as at the time of death the light of the eyes departs." (Muwadhih) For verses of this subject, see Surah An-Nisa (77) and Surah Al-Ahzab (19).
➎ { فَاَوْلٰى لَهُمْ:} The commentators have given various explanations of this word, among which the clearest and most free from affectation is that it is the superlative form from {’’ وَلِيَ يَلِيْ وَلْيًا ‘‘} (s), which means more deserving, closer, better. Now its construction can be in two ways: one is that it is the predicate of an omitted subject which is understood from the previous sentence, that is, {’’فَالْمَوْتُ أَوْلٰي لَهُمْ‘‘} "So death is better for them, or death is more deserving for them." The second explanation is given by Hafiz Ibn Kathir, that {’’ فَاَوْلٰى لَهُمْ ‘‘} is the preceding predicate and in the next verse {’’ طَاعَةٌ وَّ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوْفٌ ‘‘} is the delayed subject. In his words, the phrase is as follows: {’’ طَاعَةٌ وَّ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوْفٌ أَوْلٰي لَهُمْ، أَيْ وَكَانَ الْأَوْلٰي لَهُمْ أَنْ يَّسْمَعُوْا وَ يُطِيْعُوْا ‘‘} that is, it was better for them that they listened and obeyed.
➋ { وَ يَقُوْلُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ:} After migration, although with the verse (39) of Surah Al-Hajj: « اُذِنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ يُقٰتَلُوْنَ بِاَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوْا » (Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they have been wronged), permission to fight the disbelievers had been granted, but the clear command of its obligation had not yet come. The sincere believers, who were extremely distressed by the oppression and persecution of the disbelievers and were desirous of victory or martyrdom, kept saying why has no surah commanding jihad been revealed.
➌ { فَاِذَاۤ اُنْزِلَتْ سُوْرَةٌ مُّحْكَمَةٌ وَّ ذُكِرَ فِيْهَا الْقِتَالُ:} By a decisive surah is meant a surah in which the command given is clear, in which no interpretation can be made, nor is it abrogated. What is meant by this is this very Surah Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is also called Surah Qital, because in it, instead of {’’جَاهِدُوْا‘‘} (strive in jihad) or {’’ قَاتِلُوْا ‘‘} (fight), the command of fighting is given in the absolutely explicit words of {’’ فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ ‘‘}, that when you encounter the disbelievers, strike their necks, and after much bloodshed, take them captive, etc.
➍ { رَاَيْتَ الَّذِيْنَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ … :} That is, when a surah with a clear command of fighting was revealed, this was the state of the hypocrites. Shah Abdul Qadir writes: "The Muslims were asking for a surah, that is, being helpless from the torment of the disbelievers, they wished that Allah would command jihad so that we could do whatever we could. When the command of jihad came, it was heavy on the hypocrites and the weak people, and they began to look at the Prophet with frightened and lifeless eyes, wishing that we might be excused from this command. In extreme fear, even the brightness of the eyes does not remain, just as at the time of death the light of the eyes departs." (Muwadhih) For verses of this subject, see Surah An-Nisa (77) and Surah Al-Ahzab (19).
➎ { فَاَوْلٰى لَهُمْ:} The commentators have given various explanations of this word, among which the clearest and most free from affectation is that it is the superlative form from {’’ وَلِيَ يَلِيْ وَلْيًا ‘‘} (s), which means more deserving, closer, better. Now its construction can be in two ways: one is that it is the predicate of an omitted subject which is understood from the previous sentence, that is, {’’فَالْمَوْتُ أَوْلٰي لَهُمْ‘‘} "So death is better for them, or death is more deserving for them." The second explanation is given by Hafiz Ibn Kathir, that {’’ فَاَوْلٰى لَهُمْ ‘‘} is the preceding predicate and in the next verse {’’ طَاعَةٌ وَّ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوْفٌ ‘‘} is the delayed subject. In his words, the phrase is as follows: {’’ طَاعَةٌ وَّ قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوْفٌ أَوْلٰي لَهُمْ، أَيْ وَكَانَ الْأَوْلٰي لَهُمْ أَنْ يَّسْمَعُوْا وَ يُطِيْعُوْا ‘‘} that is, it was better for them that they listened and obeyed.
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.
20. 1. When the command for jihad had not yet been revealed, the believers who were filled with the spirit of jihad desired permission for it and would say why is no surah revealed regarding this, meaning one in which the command for jihad is given.
20. 2. That is, a surah which is not abrogated.
20. 3. This refers to those hypocrites upon whom the command of jihad was extremely burdensome; sometimes some weak-in-faith individuals would also be included among them. This subject is also mentioned in Surah An-Nisa, verse 77.
20. 2. That is, a surah which is not abrogated.
20. 3. This refers to those hypocrites upon whom the command of jihad was extremely burdensome; sometimes some weak-in-faith individuals would also be included among them. This subject is also mentioned in Surah An-Nisa, verse 77.
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.
And those who believe say, "Why is a surah (about fighting) not sent down?" But when a decisive surah is revealed, and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at you as if they were fainting from death. So woe [24] to such people!
[24]
The Miserable State of the Hypocrites Upon the Command of Jihad:
In Makkah, the oppression and persecution of the Muslims had reached its peak. But the command from Allah Almighty was to endure everything with patience, and to focus all attention on establishing prayers, paying zakat, and remembering Him. At that time, many courageous Muslims used to wish that they would be granted permission to fight the disbelievers, so that they could take revenge for their oppression. After reaching Madinah, Muslims were granted permission to fight after one year. However, no explicit command had yet been revealed, and they desired that clear commands and instructions regarding jihad be sent down. Then, when such instructions were revealed, by that time many hypocrites had also joined the ranks of the Muslims, and in addition, there were some weak in faith and feeble Muslims as well. When the commands of jihad were revealed, suddenly the fear of death overcame them. And they began to look at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as if death was standing right before them. The hypocrites only wanted a comfortable Islam. They would pray with the Muslims and even fast, but when the time came to risk their lives, they immediately lost courage. And everyone came to know how sincere each person was in their faith.
[24]
The Miserable State of the Hypocrites Upon the Command of Jihad:
In Makkah, the oppression and persecution of the Muslims had reached its peak. But the command from Allah Almighty was to endure everything with patience, and to focus all attention on establishing prayers, paying zakat, and remembering Him. At that time, many courageous Muslims used to wish that they would be granted permission to fight the disbelievers, so that they could take revenge for their oppression. After reaching Madinah, Muslims were granted permission to fight after one year. However, no explicit command had yet been revealed, and they desired that clear commands and instructions regarding jihad be sent down. Then, when such instructions were revealed, by that time many hypocrites had also joined the ranks of the Muslims, and in addition, there were some weak in faith and feeble Muslims as well. When the commands of jihad were revealed, suddenly the fear of death overcame them. And they began to look at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as if death was standing right before them. The hypocrites only wanted a comfortable Islam. They would pray with the Muslims and even fast, but when the time came to risk their lives, they immediately lost courage. And everyone came to know how sincere each person was in their faith.
