سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 19
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 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.
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.
