سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 246
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِنَبِىٍّ لَّهُمُ ٱبْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُّقَـٰتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَـٰتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَـٰرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿246﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Have you not thought about the group of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Mûsâ (Moses)? When they said to a Prophet of theirs, "Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allâh’s Way." He said, "Would you then refrain from fighting, if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "Why should we not fight in Allâh’s Way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children (families have been taken as captives)?" But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, all except a few of them. And Allâh is All-Aware of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
تَرَ
tara
you see
إِلَى
ilā
[towards]
ٱلْمَلَإِ
l-mala-i
the chiefs
مِنۢ
min
of
بَنِىٓ
banī
(the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
(of) Israel
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
Musa
إِذْ
idh
when
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
لِنَبِىٍّۢ
linabiyyin
to a Prophet
لَّهُمُ
lahumu
of theirs
ٱبْعَثْ
ib'ʿath
Appoint
لَنَا
lanā
for us
مَلِكًۭا
malikan
a king
نُّقَـٰتِلْ
nuqātil
we may fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
قَالَ
qāla
He said
هَلْ
hal
Would
عَسَيْتُمْ
ʿasaytum
you perhaps
إِن
in
if
كُتِبَ
kutiba
prescribed
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
upon you
ٱلْقِتَالُ
l-qitālu
[the] fighting
أَلَّا
allā
that not
تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ
tuqātilū
you fight
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
وَمَا
wamā
And what
لَنَآ
lanā
for us
أَلَّا
allā
that not
نُقَـٰتِلَ
nuqātila
we fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَقَدْ
waqad
while surely
أُخْرِجْنَا
ukh'rij'nā
we have been driven
مِن
min
from
دِيَـٰرِنَا
diyārinā
our homes
وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ
wa-abnāinā
and our children
فَلَمَّا
falammā
Yet, when
كُتِبَ
kutiba
was prescribed
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلْقِتَالُ
l-qitālu
the fighting
تَوَلَّوْا۟
tawallaw
they turned away
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
a few
مِّنْهُمْ ۗ
min'hum
among them
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knowing
بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
bil-ẓālimīna
of the wrongdoers
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.
246. Have you not considered the case of the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses? When they said to their prophet [343], "Appoint for us a king so we may fight in the way of Allah." The prophet said to them, "Is it not possible that if fighting is prescribed for you, you would not fight?" They replied, "How could we not fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven out of our homes and separated from our children?" Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah knows well the wrongdoers.
[343]
The Leadership of Prophets Among Bani Israel, i.e., the System of Caliphate:
Among Bani Israel, it was customary that their rulers were also prophets. Legal cases were decided by them, and under their leadership, jihad was undertaken. In other words, the correct system of caliphate was established among these people, and this is the very political system that is an inseparable part of Islam. However, these people, following the example of other nations where the system of monarchy prevailed, demanded from their elderly prophet Samuel ؑ that he appoint a king for them so that they could wage jihad under his leadership. In reality, this demand was merely a way to evade jihad, which indicated their cowardice. They presented it in such a manner that you have grown old and we need a young leader, and in their materialistic view, only someone who possessed the pomp and grandeur of kings could be a leader.
[344] Their prophet Samuel ؑ, since he knew the real ailment, therefore took a firm pledge from them that they would not turn away from jihad if a king was appointed In response, they assured him that they would never do so, and how could they, when they had already become homeless, their enemies had seized their lands, and their wives and children had been made slaves. Therefore, why would they not fight them? But despite this, when jihad was made obligatory upon them, they began to break their pledge through various excuses and specious arguments.
[343]
The Leadership of Prophets Among Bani Israel, i.e., the System of Caliphate:
Among Bani Israel, it was customary that their rulers were also prophets. Legal cases were decided by them, and under their leadership, jihad was undertaken. In other words, the correct system of caliphate was established among these people, and this is the very political system that is an inseparable part of Islam. However, these people, following the example of other nations where the system of monarchy prevailed, demanded from their elderly prophet Samuel ؑ that he appoint a king for them so that they could wage jihad under his leadership. In reality, this demand was merely a way to evade jihad, which indicated their cowardice. They presented it in such a manner that you have grown old and we need a young leader, and in their materialistic view, only someone who possessed the pomp and grandeur of kings could be a leader.
[344] Their prophet Samuel ؑ, since he knew the real ailment, therefore took a firm pledge from them that they would not turn away from jihad if a king was appointed In response, they assured him that they would never do so, and how could they, when they had already become homeless, their enemies had seized their lands, and their wives and children had been made slaves. Therefore, why would they not fight them? But despite this, when jihad was made obligatory upon them, they began to break their pledge through various excuses and specious arguments.
