If the (enemy) had entered the city from every side and asked them to rise in revolt, they would have done so, and not hesitated but a little;
And if the armies had come upon them from the outskirts of Medinah and demanded disbelief from them, they would certainly have given them their demand and would not have hesitated in it except a little.
And if entrance had been forced against them from those quarters, and then they had been asked to apostatise, they would have done so, and but tarried about it briefly.
Now if their town had been stormed, and they had been asked [by the enemy] to commit apos­tasy, [the hypocrites] would have done so without much delay
And if they were to be entered upon from the sides thereof and they were asked to sedition, they would surely have committed it, and they would have tarried therein but slightly.
And if the enemy had entered from all sides (of the city), and they had been exhorted to AlFitnah (i.e. to renegade from Islam to polytheism) they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little.
Had it been invaded from its sides, and they were asked to dissent, they would have done so with little hesitation.
If the enemy were to enter the town from various directions, and they were summoned to act treacherously, they would have succumbed to it and would have shown little reluctance in doing so.
And if the enemy had entered from all sides, and they had been exhorted to Al-Fitnah, they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little.
If the enemy had entered from all sides and they had been exhorted to treachery, they would have committed it, and would have hesitated thereupon but little.
Had they been invaded from its flanks and had they been asked to apostatize, they would have done so with only a mild hesitation,
And if an entrance had been forced against them from its quarters, and then they had been asked to incite, they would have done so, and remained in it (the city) but a little (time).
And if they had been entered upon from all its [surrounding] regions and fitnah had been demanded of them, they would have done it and not hesitated over it except briefly.
Had the army of the enemies invaded their homes and asked them to give-up their religion, they would have yielded to them without delay.
And if an entry were made upon them from the outlying parts of it, then they were asked to wage war, they would certainly have done it, and they would not have stayed in it but a little while.
Walaw dukhilat AAalayhim min aq<u>ta</u>rih<u>a</u> thumma suiloo alfitnata la<u>a</u>tawh<u>a</u> wam<u>a</u> talabbathoo bih<u>a</u> ill<u>a</u> yaseer<u>a</u><b>n</b>
If their town had been stormed, and they had been incited to sedition, they would have rebelled with little hesitation.
And if an entry had been effected to them from the sides of the (city), and they had been incited to sedition, they would certainly have brought it to pass, with none but a brief delay!
وَلَوْ دُخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَقْطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا۟ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ لَءَاتَوْهَا وَمَا تَلَبَّثُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَّا يَسِيرًا
And if the enemy were to enter upon them in Madina from all its sides and ask them to return to disbelieving and associating partners with Allah, they would grant their enemy this, and they would not lag behind from becoming renegade and turning back towards disbelief except a little.
And if the enemy were to enter upon them in Madina from all its sides and ask them to return to disbelieving and associating partners with Allah, they would grant their enemy this, and they would not lag behind from becoming renegade and turning back towards disbelief except a little.
<div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ وَمَا هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلاَّ فِرَاراً</div><p>("Truly, our homes lie open." And they lay not open. They but wished to flee.) If the enemy had entered upon them from every side of Al-Madinah and from every direction, then demanded that they become disbelievers, they would have promptly done so. They would not have adhered to their faith or remained steadfast in it if they were faced with the slightest fear. This is how it was interpreted by Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and Ibn Jarir. This is a condemnation of them in the clearest terms. Then Allah reminds them of the promise they had made to Him before this fear struck them, that they would not turn their backs or flee from the battlefield.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَكَانَ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ مَسْئُولاً</div><p>(and a covenant with Allah must be answered for.) means, Allah will inevitably ask them about that covenant. Then Allah tells them that fleeing from battle will not delay their appointed demise or make their lives any longer; on the contrary, it may be the cause of their being taken sooner, and in a sudden manner. Allah says:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِذاً لاَّ تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً</div><p>(and then you will enjoy no more than a little while!) meaning, `after you run away and flee from battle.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ مَتَـعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى</div><p>(Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is better for him who have Taqwa") (4:77). Then Allah says:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَعْصِمُكُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ سُوءاً أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ رَحْمَةً وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ لَهُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيّاً وَلاَ نَصِيراً </div><p>(Say: "Who is he who can protect you from Allah if He intends to harm you, or intends mercy on you" And they will not find, besides Allah, for themselves any protector or any helper.) meaning, they have no one else except Allah to respond to their cries.</p>
يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ وَمَا هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلاَّ فِرَاراً("Truly, our homes lie open." And they lay not open. They but wished to flee.) If the enemy had entered upon them from every side of Al-Madinah and from every direction, then demanded that they become disbelievers, they would have promptly done so. They would not have adhered to their faith or remained steadfast in it if they were faced with the slightest fear. This is how it was interpreted by Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and Ibn Jarir. This is a condemnation of them in the clearest terms. Then Allah reminds them of the promise they had made to Him before this fear struck them, that they would not turn their backs or flee from the battlefield.وَكَانَ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ مَسْئُولاً(and a covenant with Allah must be answered for.) means, Allah will inevitably ask them about that covenant. Then Allah tells them that fleeing from battle will not delay their appointed demise or make their lives any longer; on the contrary, it may be the cause of their being taken sooner, and in a sudden manner. Allah says:وَإِذاً لاَّ تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً(and then you will enjoy no more than a little while!) meaning, `after you run away and flee from battle.'قُلْ مَتَـعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى(Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is better for him who have Taqwa") (4:77). Then Allah says:قُلْ مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَعْصِمُكُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ سُوءاً أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ رَحْمَةً وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ لَهُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيّاً وَلاَ نَصِيراً (Say: "Who is he who can protect you from Allah if He intends to harm you, or intends mercy on you" And they will not find, besides Allah, for themselves any protector or any helper.) meaning, they have no one else except Allah to respond to their cries.