سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 167
وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا۟ ۚ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ قَـٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوِ ٱدْفَعُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالًا لَّٱتَّبَعْنَـٰكُمْ ۗ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَٰهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ ﴿167﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allâh or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allâh has full knowledge of what they conceal.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلِيَعْلَمَ
waliyaʿlama
And that He (might) make evident
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
نَافَقُوا۟ ۚ
nāfaqū
(are) hypocrites
وَقِيلَ
waqīla
And it was said
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
تَعَالَوْا۟
taʿālaw
Come
قَـٰتِلُوا۟
qātilū
fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
أَوِ
awi
or
ٱدْفَعُوا۟ ۖ
id'faʿū
defend
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
لَوْ
law
If
نَعْلَمُ
naʿlamu
we knew
قِتَالًۭا
qitālan
fighting
لَّٱتَّبَعْنَـٰكُمْ ۗ
la-ittabaʿnākum
certainly we (would have) followed you
هُمْ
hum
They
لِلْكُفْرِ
lil'kuf'ri
to disbelief
يَوْمَئِذٍ
yawma-idhin
that day
أَقْرَبُ
aqrabu
(were) nearer
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
than [them]
لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ ۚ
lil'īmāni
to the faith
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
saying
بِأَفْوَٰهِهِم
bi-afwāhihim
with their mouths
مَّا
mā
what
لَيْسَ
laysa
was not
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ
qulūbihim
their hearts
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
(is) Most Knowing
بِمَا
bimā
of what
يَكْتُمُونَ
yaktumūna
they conceal
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.
167. 1 That is, the harm that befell you at Uhud, it befell you only by Allah's command (so that in the future you may properly observe obedience to the Messenger). Besides, one of its purposes was also to distinguish and separate the believers from the hypocrites.
167. 2 The meaning of "knowing the fight" is that, in reality, if you were going out to fight, we would have accompanied you, but you are throwing yourselves into destruction instead of fighting. Why should we support you in such a wrong act? Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions said this because their opinion was not accepted, and they said it when they had reached the place of Shawt and were returning, while Abdullah bin Haram Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was trying to persuade them to participate in the battle. (Some details have already passed.)
167. 3 Because of their hypocrisy and the things they did.
167. 4 That is, they expressed with their tongues what has been mentioned, but in their hearts was the thought that by our separation, firstly, weakness would arise among the Muslims, and secondly, the disbelievers would benefit. The purpose was to harm Islam, the Muslims, and the Prophet ﷺ.
167. 2 The meaning of "knowing the fight" is that, in reality, if you were going out to fight, we would have accompanied you, but you are throwing yourselves into destruction instead of fighting. Why should we support you in such a wrong act? Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions said this because their opinion was not accepted, and they said it when they had reached the place of Shawt and were returning, while Abdullah bin Haram Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was trying to persuade them to participate in the battle. (Some details have already passed.)
167. 3 Because of their hypocrisy and the things they did.
167. 4 That is, they expressed with their tongues what has been mentioned, but in their hearts was the thought that by our separation, firstly, weakness would arise among the Muslims, and secondly, the disbelievers would benefit. The purpose was to harm Islam, the Muslims, and the Prophet ﷺ.
