Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And had entry been made against them from its regions, then they had been asked for the means of denial, they would have given it, and would have tarried therein only a little.

وَلَوْ دُخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ اَقْطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُئِلُوا الْفِتْنَةَ لَاٰتَوْهَا وَمَا تَلَبَّثُوا بِهَٓا اِلَّا يَس۪يراً
Walaw dukhilat AAalayhim min aqtarihathumma su-iloo alfitnata laatawha wamatalabbathoo biha illa yaseera
#wordmeaningroot
1walawAnd if
2dukhilathad been enteredدخل
3ʿalayhimupon them
4minfrom
5aqṭārihāall its sidesقطر
6thummathen
7su-ilūthey had been askedسال
8l-fit'natathe treacheryفتن
9laātawhāthey (would) have certainly done itاتي
10wamāand not
11talabbathūthey (would) have hesitatedلبث
12bihāover it
13illāexcept
14yasīrana littleيسر
  • Aisha Bewley

    If they had been overrun from every side, and had then been asked to revert to kufr, they would have done so and hesitated very little about it.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if the enemy had entered at them from all sides, and then they were asked to betray, they would do so with very little hesitation.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Now if the enemy had invaded the town from all sides and these hypocrites were asked to inflict harm on the believers, they would have done so without delay.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And had entry been made against them from its regions, then they had been asked for the means of denial, they would have given it, and would have tarried therein only a little.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if the enemy had entered at them from all sides, and then they were asked to betray, they would do so with very little hesitation.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If the enemy had entered at them from all sides, and then they were asked to betray, they would do so with very little hesitation.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Had the enemy invaded and asked them to join, they would have joined the enemy without hesitation.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    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;

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And if they had been entered upon from all its regions and fitnah had been demanded of them, they would have done it and not hesitated over it except briefly.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Now if their town had been stormed, and they had been asked to commit apos­tasy, would have done so without much delay

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    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.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    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.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And had the situation been reversed and the forces laid siege on the city and moved into it upon possession and they -the hypocrites- were incited to turn renegades and fight to their -the enemy's side- against the Muslims they would have done it before long. (these were the men* who were forgiven and had promised never to behave this way again).

  • Bijan Moeinian

    If the enemies had conquered the city and had asked them for any kind of treachery , they would have easily committed it without any hesitation.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And if the enemy had entered from all sides (of the city), and they had been exhorted to Al-Fitnah (i.e. to renegade from Islâm to polytheism), they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    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!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Had their city been sacked from all sides and they had been asked to abandon faith, they would have done so with little hesitation.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And if it (Madīnah) is entered (by the enemy, in their presence,) from all its sides and they are asked (to join) the mischief, they would readily commit it, and would not remain in them (their homes) but for a short while

  • Abdul Haleem

    had the city been invaded from all sides, and the enemy invited them to rebel, they would have done so almost without hesitation.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    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.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    But had they been entered upon from its environs and then been asked to show treason they would have done so; but they would only have tarried there a little while.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And when a party of them said, "O people of Yathrib! there is no place to stand for you (here), therefore go back"; and a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying. "Surely our houses are exposed"; and they were not exposed; they only desired to flee.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And if (the city) had been entered upon them from its (adjacent) regions, and thereafter they had been asked sedition, (Literally: temptation; i. e, if the hypocrites had been asked to apostatize from Islam) indeed they would have brought it forth and in no way would they have kept lingering in it except a little while. (Literally: an easy (while)

  • George Sale

    If the city had been entered upon them by the enemy from the parts adjacent, and they had been asked to desert the true believers, and to fight against them; they had surely consented thereto: But they had not, in such case, remained in the same, but a little while.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And if an attack had come upon them from the (sides of the city), and they had been asked to rebel, certainly, they would have quickly made it true, with only a little delay.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And if entry (of the enemy-forces) were effected (in the town of Madînah) against them from its diverse quarters and then they were incited to (treachery and) join in the disturbance (against the Companions) they would have readily gone for it. But (afterwards as it happened) they could not stay there (in their so called undefended houses) but a little while.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Had they been invaded from its flanks and had they been asked to apostatize, they would have done so with only a mild hesitation,