Al-Ahzab 33:19
The Combined Forces · Juz 21 · Page 420
أَشِحَّةً عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ تَدُورُ أَعۡيُنُهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِي يُغۡشَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلۡسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ فَأَحۡبَطَ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٗا ١٩
Indisposed1 toward you. And when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes revolving like one being overcome by death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good. Those have not believed, so Allāh has rendered their deeds worthless, and ever is that, for Allāh, easy.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "stingy," i.e., unwilling to offer any help. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 33:18–19
هَلُمَّ إِلَيْنَا
(Come here towards us,) meaning, come to where we are in the shade and enjoying fruits. But in spite of that,
وَلاَ يَأْتُونَ الْبَأْسَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً
أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ
(they come not to the battle except a little, being miserly towards you.) i.e., `they are mean and have no love or mercy towards you.' As-Suddi said:
أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ
(Being miserly towards you.) means, with the booty.
فَإِذَا جَآءَ الْخَوْفُ رَأَيْتَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدورُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ كَالَّذِى
يُغْشَى عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ
(Then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like one over whom hovers death;) means, because of the intensity of their fear and terror; this is how afraid these cowards are of fighting.
فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ الْخَوْفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلْسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ
(but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues,) means, when security is restored, they will speak eloquently and nicely, claiming that they were the bravest and most chivalrous of men, but they are lying. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
سَلَقُوكُم
(they will smite you) means, 'they will start to talk about you.\” Qatadah said: 'But when it comes to the booty, the most miserly of people and the worst to have to share the booty with are those who say, `Give us, give us, we were there with you,' but during battle they were the most cowardly and the most likely to fail to support the truth.\” They are miserly towards good, meaning that there is no goodness in them, for they have combined cowardice with lies and little good. Allah says:
أوْلَئِكَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ فَأَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ أَعْمَلَهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ
يَسِيراً
(Such have not believed. Therefore Allah makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allah.)
Page 420
33:16
قُل لَّن يَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلۡفِرَارُ إِن فَرَرۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ أَوِ ٱلۡقَتۡلِ وَإِذٗا لَّا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ١٦
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."
33:17
قُلۡ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَعۡصِمُكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ سُوٓءًا أَوۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ رَحۡمَةٗۚ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيّٗا وَلَا نَصِيرٗا ١٧
Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allāh1 if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allāh any protector or any helper.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., prevent the will of Allāh from being carried out. ↩
33:18
۞ قَدۡ يَعۡلَمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُعَوِّقِينَ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلۡقَآئِلِينَ لِإِخۡوَٰنِهِمۡ هَلُمَّ إِلَيۡنَاۖ وَلَا يَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡبَأۡسَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ١٨
Already Allāh knows the hinderers1 among you and those [hypocrites] who say to their brothers, "Come to us,"2 and do not go to battle, except for a few,3
33:19
أَشِحَّةً عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ رَأَيۡتَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ تَدُورُ أَعۡيُنُهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِي يُغۡشَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلۡسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ فَأَحۡبَطَ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٗا ١٩
Indisposed1 toward you. And when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes revolving like one being overcome by death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good. Those have not believed, so Allāh has rendered their deeds worthless, and ever is that, for Allāh, easy.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "stingy," i.e., unwilling to offer any help. ↩
33:20
يَحۡسَبُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ لَمۡ يَذۡهَبُواْۖ وَإِن يَأۡتِ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ يَوَدُّواْ لَوۡ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ يَسۡـَٔلُونَ عَنۡ أَنۢبَآئِكُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كَانُواْ فِيكُم مَّا قَٰتَلُوٓاْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ٢٠
They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn.1 And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.
1 translator’s note
- In their excessive fear the cowardly hypocrites could not believe the enemy forces had been defeated. ↩
33:21
لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِي رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٞ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا ٢١
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allāh an excellent pattern1 for anyone whose hope is in Allāh and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allāh often.
1 translator’s note
- An example to be followed. ↩
33:22
وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمۡ إِلَّآ إِيمَٰنٗا وَتَسۡلِيمٗا ٢٢
And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allāh and His Messenger had promised us, and Allāh and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy