سُوْرَةُ الْفَتْحِ
Surah Al-Fath (48) — Ayah 12
بَلْ ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنتُمْ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوْءِ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًۢا بُورًا ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Nay, but you thought that the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the believers would never return to their families, and that was made fair-seeming in your hearts, and you did think an evil thought and you became a useless people going for destruction."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
بَلْ
bal
Nay
ظَنَنتُمْ
ẓanantum
you thought
أَن
an
that
لَّن
lan
(would) never
يَنقَلِبَ
yanqaliba
return
ٱلرَّسُولُ
l-rasūlu
the Messenger
وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
wal-mu'minūna
and the believers
إِلَىٰٓ
ilā
to
أَهْلِيهِمْ
ahlīhim
their families
أَبَدًۭا
abadan
ever
وَزُيِّنَ
wazuyyina
that was made fair-seeming
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that was made fair-seeming
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِكُمْ
qulūbikum
your hearts
وَظَنَنتُمْ
waẓanantum
And you assumed
ظَنَّ
ẓanna
an assumption
ٱلسَّوْءِ
l-sawi
evil
وَكُنتُمْ
wakuntum
and you became
قَوْمًۢا
qawman
a people
بُورًۭا
būran
ruined
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 12) ➊ { بَلْ ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنْ لَّنْ يَّنْقَلِبَ الرَّسُوْلُ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ … :} That is, the real reason for your staying behind was that you thought the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims, who are going while in the state of ihram, are not taking full weapons with them and are going to the enemy who has come from hundreds of miles away and has killed many of their men in Madinah and caused severe harm; they will be slaughtered there, and none will return safely.
➋ { وَ زُيِّنَ ذٰلِكَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِكُمْ:} That is, you did not even feel any regret for staying behind, rather you were happy in your hearts that you did well by not going along. "This matter was made alluring in your hearts"—for this, Allah Almighty used the passive verb {’’ زُيِّنَ ‘‘}. It is not specified who made it alluring, because there are multiple things, such as worldly desires, a person's own self, Satan, and bad companions, etc.
➌ {وَ كُنْتُمْ قَوْمًۢا بُوْرًا: ’’ بُوْرًا ‘‘ ’’بَائِرٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’بَارَ يَبُوْرُ بَوْرًا‘‘}, which is an active participle from (ن), meaning those who are doomed. That is, the real matter is that from the beginning, due to your impotence and cowardice, you were already doomed, because a brave believer dies only once, while a cowardly hypocrite dies every moment, as He said: « يَحْسَبُوْنَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ» [ المنافقون : ۴ ] "(They are so cowardly that) every loud sound they think is a calamity coming upon them."
➋ { وَ زُيِّنَ ذٰلِكَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِكُمْ:} That is, you did not even feel any regret for staying behind, rather you were happy in your hearts that you did well by not going along. "This matter was made alluring in your hearts"—for this, Allah Almighty used the passive verb {’’ زُيِّنَ ‘‘}. It is not specified who made it alluring, because there are multiple things, such as worldly desires, a person's own self, Satan, and bad companions, etc.
➌ {وَ كُنْتُمْ قَوْمًۢا بُوْرًا: ’’ بُوْرًا ‘‘ ’’بَائِرٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’بَارَ يَبُوْرُ بَوْرًا‘‘}, which is an active participle from (ن), meaning those who are doomed. That is, the real matter is that from the beginning, due to your impotence and cowardice, you were already doomed, because a brave believer dies only once, while a cowardly hypocrite dies every moment, as He said: « يَحْسَبُوْنَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ» [ المنافقون : ۴ ] "(They are so cowardly that) every loud sound they think is a calamity coming upon them."
