Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And that He might know the waverers. And it was said to them: “Come, fight in the cause of God; or repel.” They said: “Had we known of fighting, we would have followed you.” They were nearer to denial that day than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts; and God is most aware of what conceal

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذ۪ينَ نَافَقُواۚ وَق۪يلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُوا ف۪ي سَب۪يلِ اللّٰهِ اَوِ ادْفَعُواۜ قَالُوا لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لَاتَّبَعْنَاكُمْۜ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ اَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلْا۪يمَانِۚ يَقُولُونَ بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ مَا لَيْسَ ف۪ي قُلُوبِهِمْۜ وَاللّٰهُ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَۚ
WaliyaAAlama allatheena nafaqoowaqeela lahum taAAalaw qatiloo fee sabeeli Allahiawi idfaAAoo qaloo law naAAlamu qitalan lattabaAAnakumhum lilkufri yawma-ithin aqrabu minhum lil-eemaniyaqooloona bi-afwahihim ma laysa fee quloobihim wallahuaAAlamu bima yaktumoon
#wordmeaningroot
1waliyaʿlamaAnd that He (might) make evidentعلم
2alladhīnathose who
3nāfaqū(are) hypocritesنفق
4waqīlaAnd it was saidقول
5lahumto them
6taʿālawComeعلو
7qātilūfightقتل
8in
9sabīli(the) wayسبل
10l-lahi(of) Allah
11awior
12id'faʿūdefendدفع
13qālūThey saidقول
14lawIf
15naʿlamuwe knewعلم
16qitālanfightingقتل
17la-ittabaʿnākumcertainly we (would have) followed youتبع
18humThey
19lil'kuf'rito disbeliefكفر
20yawma-idhinthat day
21aqrabu(were) nearerقرب
22min'humthan [them]
23lil'īmānito the faithامن
24yaqūlūnasayingقول
25bi-afwāhihimwith their mouthsفوه
26what
27laysawas notليس
28in
29qulūbihimtheir heartsقلب
30wal-lahuAnd Allah
31aʿlamu(is) Most Knowingعلم
32bimāof what
33yaktumūnathey concealكتم
  • Aisha Bewley

    and so that He would know the hypocrites. They were told, ‘Come and fight in the Way of Allah or at least help defend us.’ They said, ‘If we knew there would be a fight, we would certainly follow you.’ They were closer to kufr that day than to iman, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah knows best what they are hiding.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And to let those who are hypocrites know, that they were told: "Come fight in the cause of God or defend," they said: "If we knew how to fight we would have followed you. " They are closer to disbelief then they are to belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and God is aware of what they conceal.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And that He might distinguish the hypocrites from the believers. They were told, "Come fight in the Cause of Allah, or at least defend the city." They said, "If we knew that confrontation were forthcoming, we would have joined you." On that day they were closer to disbelief than belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts. Allah is best Aware of what they conceal.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And that He might know the waverers. And it was said to them: “Come, fight in the cause of God; or repel.” They said: “Had we known of fighting, we would have followed you.” They were nearer to denial that day than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts; and God is most aware of what conceal

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And to let those who are hypocrites know, that they were told: "Come fight in the cause of God or defend," they said: "If we knew how to fight we would have followed you." They are closer to rejection than they are to belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and God is aware of what they conceal.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    To let those who are hypocrites know, that they were told: "Come fight in the cause of God or defend," they said, "If we knew how to fight we would have followed you." That day they were closer to rejection then they were to acknowledgement. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and God knows well what they conceal.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    And to expose the hypocrites who were told, "Come fight in the cause of GOD, or contribute." They said, "If we knew how to fight, we would have joined you." They were closer to disbelief then than they were to belief. They uttered with their mouths what was not in their hearts. GOD knows what they conceal.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And may distinguish the hypocrites who were told: "Fight in the way of God, or defend yourselves," and who had replied: "If we knew of the fight we would have followed you. " They were nearer unbelief than faith on that day, and they said with their tongues what was not in their hearts; but God is aware of what they hide.

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

    And that He might make evident those who are hypocrites. For it was said to them, "Come, fight in the way of Allah or defend." They said, "If we had known fighting, we would have followed you." They were nearer to disbelief that day than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah is most Knowing of what they conceal -

  • Muhammad Asad

    and mark out those who were tainted with hypocrisy and, when they were told, "Come, fight in God's cause" - or, "Defend yourselves" - answered, "If we but knew fight, we would indeed follow you. " Unto apostasy were they nearer on that day than unto faith, uttering with their mouths something which was not in their hearts, the while God knew fully well what they were trying to conceal:

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And that He might know the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    and those who are hypocrites. And when these hypocrites were asked: 'Come and fight in the wayof Allah', or (at least) 'defend yourselves', they answered: 'If we but knew that there would be fighting, we would certainly have followed. They were nearer then to infidelity than to faith. They utter from their mouths what is not in their hearts. Allah knows well what they conceal.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He exposes the hypocrites who pretended to be other then they are. When they were asked to join the Muslim forces to fight in the cause of Allah or at least to defend their own interests; they made excuses. They said, "We would gladly follow you if we knew how to fight." They were then furthermost from Allah and their words did not accord to their inmost thoughts. Allah knows best their secret feelings.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When the hypocrites were told: "Come fight in the way of God or for your defense, " they replied: “We would have joined you, if we knew how to fight!” They were much closer to disbelief than belief on that day. Their lip service does not reveal their belief; indeed God knows what they hide inside.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allâh or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allâh has full knowledge of what they conceal.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And the Hypocrites also. These were told: "Come, fight in the way of Allah, or (at least) drive (The foe from your city)." They said: "Had we known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you." They were that day nearer to Unbelief than to Faith, saying with their lips what was not in their hearts but Allah hath full knowledge of all they conceal.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    and expose the hypocrites. When it was said to them, "Come fight in the cause of Allah or ˹at least˺ defend yourselves," they replied, “If we had known there was fighting, we would have definitely gone with you.” They were closer to disbelief than to belief on that day—for saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. Allah is All-Knowing of what they hide.

  • Taqi Usmani

    and in order to know those who are hypocrites. It was said to them, "Come on, fight in the way of Allah, or defend." They said, “Had we known it to be a fight we would have certainly followed you.” That day, they were nearer to disbelief than they were to Belief. They utter from their mouths what is not in their hearts. Allah knows well what they conceal.

  • Abdul Haleem

    when it was said to them, ‘Come, fight for God’s cause, or at least defend yourselves,’ answered, ‘We would follow you if we knew there was going to be fighting.’ On that day they were closer to disbelief than belief. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts: God knows exactly what they conceal.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    and that He might also know the hypocrites when it was said of them, 'Come now, fight in the way of God, or repel!' They said, 'If only we knew how to fight, we would follow you. ' They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief, saying with their mouths that which never was in their hearts; and God knows very well the things they hide;

  • E. Henry Palmer

    and might know those who behaved hypocritically; for it was said to them, 'Come, fight in God's way,' or 'repel (the foe);' they said, 'If we knew how to fight we would surely follow you. ' They were that day far nigher unto misbelief than they were to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, but God doth know best what they hid.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And He might know those who are hypocrites; for it was said to them, "Come, fight in Allah's way," or "Repel (the foe)" But they said, "If we knew how to fight we would surely follow you. " They were that day far nearer unto faithlessness than they were to faith, saying with their mouths what is not in their heart. But Allah does know best what they hide.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And that He might know the ones who acted the hypocrite (Literally: hypocrised) and to whom it was said, "Come, fight in the way of Allah or repel (the enemy). " They said, "If we knew (about) fighting, we would indeed closely follow you." They, upon that day were nearer to disbelief than to belief; they say with their mouths that which is not in their hearts; and Allah best knows whatever (secrets) they keep back.

  • George Sale

    and that he might know the ungodly. It was said unto them, come, fight for the religion of God, or drive back the enemy: They answered, if we had known ye went out to fight, we had certainly followed you. They were on that day nearer unto unbelief, than they were to faith; they spake with their mouths, what was not in their hearts: But God perfectly knew what they concealed;

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And that He may test the hypocrites also, they were told: "Come, fight in the cause of Allah, or (at least) drive (the enemy from the city) and defend yourselves. " They said: "If we had known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you." On that day they were nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their lips what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of all they hide (in their hearts).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And that He might distinguish those who practise hypocrisy. Indeed, it was said to them (- the hypocrites), `Come forward, fight in the cause of Allâh, or at least help the defences.' They said, `If we but knew that it would be a fight we would surely follow you, (but the Muslims were going to a sure destruction).' On that day, they were nearer to disbelief than to belief. They say with their mouths that which is not in their minds. And Allâh knows best all that they conceal.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    and ascertain the hypocrites. they were told: ‘Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend , they said, ‘If we knew any fighting, surely we would have followed you.’ That day they were nearer to unfaith than to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and Allah knows best whatever they conceal.