سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 13
وَإِذْ قَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمْ فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ ۚ وَيَسْتَـْٔذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ وَمَا هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ ۖ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلَّا فِرَارًا ﴿13﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when a party of them said: "O people of Yathrib (Al-Madinah)! There is no stand (possible) for you (against the enemy attack!) Therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for permission of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying: "Truly, our homes lie open (to the enemy)." And they lay not open. They but wished to flee.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قَالَت
qālat
said
طَّآئِفَةٌۭ
ṭāifatun
a party
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
of them
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ
yāahla
O People
يَثْرِبَ
yathriba
(of) Yathrib
لَا
lā
No
مُقَامَ
muqāma
stand
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ ۚ
fa-ir'jiʿū
so return
وَيَسْتَـْٔذِنُ
wayastadhinu
And asked permission
فَرِيقٌۭ
farīqun
a group
مِّنْهُمُ
min'humu
of them
ٱلنَّبِىَّ
l-nabiya
(from) the Prophet
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
saying
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
بُيُوتَنَا
buyūtanā
our houses
عَوْرَةٌۭ
ʿawratun
(are) exposed
وَمَا
wamā
and not
هِىَ
hiya
they
بِعَوْرَةٍ ۖ
biʿawratin
(were) exposed
إِن
in
Not
يُرِيدُونَ
yurīdūna
they wished
إِلَّا
illā
but
فِرَارًۭا
firāran
to flee
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 13) ➊ { وَ اِذْ قَالَتْ طَّآىِٕفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ يٰۤاَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمْ :} "Yathrib" is the old name of Madinah. After the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), its name became "Madinat an-Nabi (peace be upon him)", which became famous as Madinah for short. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّيْ أُهَاجِرُ مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلٰی أَرْضٍ بِهَا نَخْلٌ، فَذَهَبَ وَهَلِيْ إِلٰی أَنَّهَا الْيَمَامَةُ أَوْ هَجَرُ، فَإِذَا هِيَ الْمَدِيْنَةُ يَثْرِبُ ] [بخاري، المناقب، باب علامات النبوۃ في الإسلام : ۳۶۲۲ ] "I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Makkah to a land that has date palms, so I thought that place was Yamamah or Hajar, but it turned out to be Yathrib, that is, Madinah Munawwarah." Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ أُمِرْتُ بِقَرْيَةٍ تَأْكُلُ الْقُرٰی يَقُوْلُوْنَ يَثْرِبُ وَهِيَ الْمَدِيْنَةُ ، تَنْفِی النَّاسَ كَمَا يَنْفِی الْكِيْرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيْدِ ] [ بخاري، فضائل المدینۃ، باب فضل المدینۃ… : ۱۸۷۱ ] "I have been commanded regarding a town which will consume all other towns; people call it Yathrib, but it is 'al-Madinah.' It will expel (the hypocrites) just as a furnace removes the impurities of iron."
➋ { فَارْجِعُوْا :} A group of the hypocrites began to say this in order to demoralize the Muslims, that between the mountain of Sal‘ and the trench (where the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had his camp), there is no way to stay anymore, so return back. This "return back" could also mean to return to Madinah, and it could also mean to return to your former religion and join the polytheists, so that they do not harm you. That is, they would encourage the Muslims towards apostasy, but in such words that if anyone questioned them, they would say, "We only meant to return to Madinah."
➌ {وَ يَسْتَاْذِنُ فَرِيْقٌ مِّنْهُمُ النَّبِيَّ :} Some of them asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) for permission to return to their homes, saying that our houses are completely unprotected and we fear that Banu Qurayzah might attack and kill our children and women, or that thieves might loot.
➍ { وَ مَا هِيَ بِعَوْرَةٍ :} Whereas in reality, they were not unprotected in any way, because the Muslims had placed all the women and children in the strong fortresses of the city and had set up checkpoints to secure them.
➎ { اِنْ يُّرِيْدُوْنَ اِلَّا فِرَارًا :} That is, the real reason for their asking permission is not this, but rather they want to flee from the battlefield in any way.
➋ { فَارْجِعُوْا :} A group of the hypocrites began to say this in order to demoralize the Muslims, that between the mountain of Sal‘ and the trench (where the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had his camp), there is no way to stay anymore, so return back. This "return back" could also mean to return to Madinah, and it could also mean to return to your former religion and join the polytheists, so that they do not harm you. That is, they would encourage the Muslims towards apostasy, but in such words that if anyone questioned them, they would say, "We only meant to return to Madinah."
➌ {وَ يَسْتَاْذِنُ فَرِيْقٌ مِّنْهُمُ النَّبِيَّ :} Some of them asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) for permission to return to their homes, saying that our houses are completely unprotected and we fear that Banu Qurayzah might attack and kill our children and women, or that thieves might loot.
➍ { وَ مَا هِيَ بِعَوْرَةٍ :} Whereas in reality, they were not unprotected in any way, because the Muslims had placed all the women and children in the strong fortresses of the city and had set up checkpoints to secure them.
➎ { اِنْ يُّرِيْدُوْنَ اِلَّا فِرَارًا :} That is, the real reason for their asking permission is not this, but rather they want to flee from the battlefield in any way.
