Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab Verse 19

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(and that too) with a greed against you (i.e. to extract a share of spoils from you). But when fear comes, you will see them looking towards you, rolling their eyes, like the one who gets faint because of death. Then once fear is gone, they assail you with sharp tongues, in greed for the good (i.e. the wealth acquired as spoils). These people did not accept faith (in real terms), therefore Allah has nullified their acts. All this is so easy for Allah.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹They are˺ totally unwilling to assist you. When danger comes, you see them staring at you with their eyes rolling like someone in the throes of death. But once the danger is over, they slash you with razor-sharp tongues, ravenous for ˹worldly˺ gains. Such people have not ˹truly˺ believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds void. And that is easy for Allah.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They are niggardly towards you. When danger comes, you see them looking at you with their eyes rolling like someone in the throes of death. But when danger is over, they slash you with sharp tongues, in greed for gains. Such people have not truly believed, so Allah will render their deeds worthless. That is easy for Allah.

A. J. Arberry

being niggardly towards you. When fear comes upon them, thou seest them looking at thee, their eyes rolling like one who swoons of death; but when the fear departs, they flay you with sharp tongues, being niggardly to possess the good things. Those have never believed; God has made their works to fail; and that is easy for God.

Abdul Haleem

who begrudge you [believers] any help. When fear comes, you [Prophet] see them looking at you with eyes rolling like someone in their death throes; when fear has passed, they attack you with sharp tongues and begrudge you any good. Such men do not believe, and God brings their deeds to nothing- that is all too easy for God.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Being niggardly toward you. Then when the fightin cometh, thou beholdest them look unto thee, their eyes rolling about, like the eyes of him who fainteth unto death. Then when the fighting is over they inveigh against you with sharp tongues, being niggardly of the good things. These have not believed; wherefore Allah hath made their works of none effect, and that is with Allah ever easy.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Covetous over you. Then when fear comes, thou wilt see them looking to thee, their eyes revolving, like (those of) one over whom hovers death; but when the fear is past, they will smite you with sharp tongues, covetous of goods. Such men have no faith, and so Allah has made their deeds of none effect; and that is easy for Allah.

Abul Ala Maududi

They are utterly niggardly (in coming to your aid). Whenever there is danger, you will see them looking at you, their eyes rolling as though they were on the verge of fainting at the approach of death. But when the danger passes away, their greed for wealth prompts them to greet you with their sharp, scissor-like tongues. These are the ones who never truly believed, and so Allah has caused their deeds to be reduced to naught. That is easy enough for Allah.

Ahmed Ali

Being chary of helping you. But when danger appears you will find them looking at you with eyes turning like a man's in the swoon of death. Yet when the danger is past they lash you with sharp tongues, covetous of the best (of booty). Such as these have not come to belief. So God nullifies whatever they have done. This is how (the innate law of) God works inevitably.

Ahmed Raza Khan

They reduce the help towards you; so when a fearful time comes, you will observe them looking at you with eyes rolling like one enveloped by death; then when the time of fear is over, they begin slandering you with sharp tongues in their greed for the war booty; they have not accepted faith, therefore Allah has nullified their deeds; and this is easy for Allah.

Ali Quli Qarai

grudging you [their help]. So when there is panic, you see them looking at you, with their eyes rolling like someone fainting at death. Then, when the panic is over, they scald you with [their] sharp tongues in their greed for the spoils. They never have had faith. So Allah has made their works fail, and that is easy for Allah.

Ali Ünal

Being very miserly (in joining you and reluctant to help you in God’s cause). So when (danger threatens in battle and) fear comes, you see them (O Messenger) looking to you (for help), their eyes rolling (in terror) like the eyes of one who swoons to death. But once (the battle subsides and) fear departs, they assail you with sharp tongues, being avaricious for (a share in) the goods thereof (the gainings of victory). Those have never (truly) believed, and therefore God has caused their deeds to come to nothing. That is ever easy for God.

Amatul Rahman Omar

They are niggardly (having no desire) to help you. But when danger is in sight you can see them looking towards you, their eyes rolling like (the eyes of) one who swoons due to (the agony of) death. But when (the time of) danger passes away they lash you (tauntingly) with the sharp (edges of their) tongues being niggardly of any good (coming to your way). These people have never, infact, believed (sincerely), so Allâh has rendered void all their activities (against Islam). And (doing) that is always an easy thing for Allâh.

English Literal

Miser/stingy/careful on (to) you, so if the fear/fright came, you saw them looking to you, their eyes/sights turn/roll as who makes/becomes unconscious on him from the death/lifelessness (as who faints from fear of death), so if the fear/fright went away they harmed/stabbed you with sharp/hard tongues/speeches , miser/stingy/careful on the good , those they did not believe, so God wasted/invalidated their deeds, and that was on God easy/little .

Faridul Haque

They reduce the help towards you; so when a fearful time comes, you will observe them looking at you with eyes rolling like one enveloped by death; then when the time of fear is over, they begin slandering you with sharp tongues in their greed for the war booty; they have not accepted faith, therefore Allah has nullified their deeds; and this is easy for Allah.

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah knows indeed those among you who hinder others and those who say to their brethren, "Come to us"; and they come not to the fight but a little,

Hilali & Khan

Being miserly towards you (as regards help and aid in Allah's Cause). Then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like (those of) one over whom hovers death, but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards (spending anything in any) good (and only covetous of booty and wealth). Such have not believed. Therefore Allah makes their deeds fruitless, and that is ever easy for Allah.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Being niggardly with respect to you. But when fear comes, thou wilt see them looking to thee, their eyes rolling like one swooning because of death. But when fear is gone they smite you with sharp tongues, being covetous of wealth. These have not believed, so Allah makes their deeds naught. And that is easy for Allah.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Being niggardly with respect to you; but when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes rolling like one swooning because of death; but when the fear is gone they smite you with sharp tongues, being niggardly of the good things. These have not believed, therefore Allah has made their doing naught; and this is easy to Allah.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Being sparing of their help to you (believers). But when the fear cometh, then thou (Muhammad) seest them regarding thee with rolling eyes like one who fainteth unto death. Then, when the fear departeth, they scald you with sharp tongues in their greed for wealth (from the spoil). Such have not believed. Therefor Allah maketh their deeds fruitless. And that is easy for Allah.

Muhammad Sarwar

They are niggardly in spending for you. When fear comes, you can see them looking at you, their eyes rolling about like to faint because of the agony of death. When their fear subsides, they start to bite you with their sharp tongues. They are miserly in spending for a virtuous cause and have no faith. God has turned their deeds devoid of all virtue. This was not at all difficult for God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

being mean towards you. When fear comes to them, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling as though they were on the point of death. But once the fear departs they assail you with their sharp tongues, being greedy to possess good things. Those have never believed; Allah has annulled their deeds. That is easy for Allah.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Being miserly towards you. Then when fear comes, you will see them looking to you, their eyes revolving like one over whom hovers death; but when the fear departs, they will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards good. Such have not believed. Therefore, Allah makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allah.

Wahiduddin Khan

Begrudging you all help, but when danger comes, you can see them looking at you with rolling eyes as if in their death throes; but once their fear has passed, they come to you and do glib-talking in their greed for wealth. Such men have no faith, so God has foiled their actions. This is indeed easy for God.

Talal Itani

Being stingy towards you. And when fear approaches, you see them staring at you—their eyes rolling—like someone fainting at death. Then, when panic is over, they whip you with sharp tongues. They resent you any good. These have never believed, so God has nullified their works; a matter easy for God.

Tafsir jalalayn

grudging to you, in their help (ashihha, `grudging', is the plural of shahh, and is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject [of the verb] ya'tna, `they engage'). And when there is a panic, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling like one, that is, like the look of one, or the rolling of one, fainting at death, in other words, [one] in the throes thereof; but when the panic subsides, and the spoils have been secured, they scald you, they hurt you, or they smite you, with [their] sharp tongues, in their greed for the riches, in other words, for the spoils, which they demand [greedily]. Those, they never believed, really. Therefore God has invalidated their works, and that, invalidation, is easy for God, by His will.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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 جَاء الْخَوْفُ رَأَيْتَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ تَدُورُ أَعْيُنُهُمْ كَالَّذِي 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."

أَشِحَّةً عَلَى الْخَيْرِ

are miserly towards good,

meaning that there is no goodness in them, for they have combined cowardice with lies and little good.

Allah says;

أُوْلَيِكَ لَمْ يُوْمِنُوا فَأَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا




Such have not believed. Therefore Allah makes their deeds fruitless and that is ever easy for Allah