سُوْرَةُ الْفَتْحِ
Surah Al-Fath (48) — Ayah 15
سَيَقُولُ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا ٱنطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَىٰ مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ۖ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا۟ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّن تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَٰلِكُمْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you." They want to change Allâh’s Words. Say: "You shall not follow us; thus Allâh has said beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, but they understand not except a little.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
سَيَقُولُ
sayaqūlu
Will say
ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ
l-mukhalafūna
those who remained behind
إِذَا
idhā
when
ٱنطَلَقْتُمْ
inṭalaqtum
you set forth
إِلَىٰ
ilā
towards
مَغَانِمَ
maghānima
(the) spoils of war
لِتَأْخُذُوهَا
litakhudhūhā
to take it
ذَرُونَا
dharūnā
Allow us
نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ۖ
nattabiʿ'kum
(to) follow you
يُرِيدُونَ
yurīdūna
They wish
أَن
an
to
يُبَدِّلُوا۟
yubaddilū
change
كَلَـٰمَ
kalāma
(the) Words
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
قُل
qul
Say
لَّن
lan
Never
تَتَّبِعُونَا
tattabiʿūnā
will you follow us
كَذَٰلِكُمْ
kadhālikum
Thus
قَالَ
qāla
Allah said
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah said
مِن
min
before
قَبْلُ ۖ
qablu
before
فَسَيَقُولُونَ
fasayaqūlūna
Then they will say
بَلْ
bal
Nay
تَحْسُدُونَنَا ۚ
taḥsudūnanā
you envy us
بَلْ
bal
Nay
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
لَا
lā
not
يَفْقَهُونَ
yafqahūna
understanding
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
a little
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.
15. When you set out to acquire spoils of war, those who stayed behind will say, "Let us go with you [17]." They wish to change the command of Allah [18]. Say to them, "You shall never go with us [19]; Allah has already said this beforehand." Then they will say, "No, you are just jealous of us." But in fact, they [20] understand little.
[17]
Why Did the Hypocrites Desire to Participate in the Battle of Khaybar?
The event of the conquest of Khaybar took place three months after the expedition of Hudaybiyyah, in Muharram of the 7th year Hijri. The exiled Jews had gathered there and were engaged in activities against the Muslims. Banu Nadir, too, after being exiled from Madinah, had settled there. Their chief, Huyayy bin Akhtab, had incited the chief of Banu Qurayzah, Ka‘b bin Asad, to break the covenant and join the allied disbelievers against the Muslims in the Battle of Ahzab. After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, it became necessary to suppress these people. This journey was also relatively easy, and there was a great expectation of spoils of war from there. About the hypocrites who had stayed behind in the expedition of Hudaybiyyah, Allah Almighty had already informed three months earlier that when you set out on this journey, these people will immediately be ready to go with you, because there would be less risk to life and wealth, and a great expectation of obtaining spoils of war.
[18] Allah’s command or decision is that those who are sincere regarding Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, Allah will grant them victory and help, and also provide them with material benefits. But these hypocrites want that when there is a risk to life and wealth, they make excuses to save their lives and wealth, and only the sincere Muslims step forward in such difficult times. And when there is no fear for life and wealth, and there is hope of gaining wealth, then they too join in. Their desire cannot bring any change in Allah’s command.
[19]
Only Those Muslims Who Participated in the Pledge of Ridwan Were Taken Along in the Battle of Khaybar:
Therefore, when the time comes to march upon Khaybar and they desire to go along with the Muslims, you ﷺ should tell them in clear words that we cannot take you with us, because Allah has already forbidden us from this. Thus, this is exactly what happened in practice: you only took along those noble Companions ؓ in the Battle of Khaybar who had pledged allegiance to you to fight to the death at Hudaybiyyah.
[20]
The Response of the Hypocrites Is Also Based on Injustice:
That is, when you tell these excuse-making hypocrites that you cannot be included among the fighters of Khaybar, they will immediately accuse you further, saying: you do not even want us to get any share from the spoils of war, and you are jealous that we too might become well-off. That is, even at that time, their minds will not turn towards their own fault—that when we are not ready to take any risk to life or wealth, how can we be made partners in the easily obtained spoils of war? Even then, they will blame the Muslims. This is yet another proof of the evil within them.
[17]
Why Did the Hypocrites Desire to Participate in the Battle of Khaybar?
The event of the conquest of Khaybar took place three months after the expedition of Hudaybiyyah, in Muharram of the 7th year Hijri. The exiled Jews had gathered there and were engaged in activities against the Muslims. Banu Nadir, too, after being exiled from Madinah, had settled there. Their chief, Huyayy bin Akhtab, had incited the chief of Banu Qurayzah, Ka‘b bin Asad, to break the covenant and join the allied disbelievers against the Muslims in the Battle of Ahzab. After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, it became necessary to suppress these people. This journey was also relatively easy, and there was a great expectation of spoils of war from there. About the hypocrites who had stayed behind in the expedition of Hudaybiyyah, Allah Almighty had already informed three months earlier that when you set out on this journey, these people will immediately be ready to go with you, because there would be less risk to life and wealth, and a great expectation of obtaining spoils of war.
[18] Allah’s command or decision is that those who are sincere regarding Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, Allah will grant them victory and help, and also provide them with material benefits. But these hypocrites want that when there is a risk to life and wealth, they make excuses to save their lives and wealth, and only the sincere Muslims step forward in such difficult times. And when there is no fear for life and wealth, and there is hope of gaining wealth, then they too join in. Their desire cannot bring any change in Allah’s command.
[19]
Only Those Muslims Who Participated in the Pledge of Ridwan Were Taken Along in the Battle of Khaybar:
Therefore, when the time comes to march upon Khaybar and they desire to go along with the Muslims, you ﷺ should tell them in clear words that we cannot take you with us, because Allah has already forbidden us from this. Thus, this is exactly what happened in practice: you only took along those noble Companions ؓ in the Battle of Khaybar who had pledged allegiance to you to fight to the death at Hudaybiyyah.
[20]
The Response of the Hypocrites Is Also Based on Injustice:
That is, when you tell these excuse-making hypocrites that you cannot be included among the fighters of Khaybar, they will immediately accuse you further, saying: you do not even want us to get any share from the spoils of war, and you are jealous that we too might become well-off. That is, even at that time, their minds will not turn towards their own fault—that when we are not ready to take any risk to life or wealth, how can we be made partners in the easily obtained spoils of war? Even then, they will blame the Muslims. This is yet another proof of the evil within them.
