Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Fath Verse 15

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those who remained behind will say, when you will proceed to the spoils (of war) to receive them, “Let us follow you.”They wish to change the words of Allah. Say, “You shall not follow us. Allah had said like this beforehand.” Then they will say, “No, but you are jealous of us.” On the contrary, they do not understand (the reality) but a little.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Those who stayed behind will say, when you ˹believers˺ set out to take the spoils of war, “Let us accompany you.” They wish to change Allah’s promise.[[ Those who pledged allegiance at Ḥudaibiyah were promised by Allah that the spoils of war obtained from the Tribe of Khaibar would be exclusively theirs. ]] Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “You will not accompany us. This is what Allah has said before.” They will then say, “In fact, you are driven by jealousy against us!”[[ Meaning, you only say so to deprive us of our share. ]] The truth is: they can hardly comprehend.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Those who lagged behind will say when you set out to collect the spoils of war, “Let us follow you.” They wish to change the word of Allah. Say, “You will never follow us; this is what Allah has already decreed.” They will then say, “Rather, you are jealous of us.” Rather, they do not understand but a little.

A. J. Arberry

The Bedouins who were left behind will say, when you set forth after spoils, to take them, 'Let us follow you,' desiring to change God's words. Say: 'You shall not follow us; so God said before.' Then they will say, 'Nay, but you' are jealous of us.' Nay, but they have not understood except a little.

Abdul Haleem

When you [believers] set off for somewhere that promises war gains, those who [previously] stayed behind will say, ‘Let us come with you.’ They want to change God’s words, but tell them [Prophet], ‘You may not come with us: God has said this before.’ They will reply, ‘You begrudge us out of jealousy.’ How little they understand!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Those who lagged behind will presently, When ye march forth to take spoils, leave us, we shall follow say you. They intend to change the word of Allah. Say thou: ye shall by no means follow us; thus hath Allah said afore. Then they will say: Aye! ye envy us. Aye! little it is they are wont to understand.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who lagged behind (will say), when ye (are free to) march and take booty (in war); "Permit us to follow you." They wish to change Allah's decree; Say; "Not thus will ye follow us; Allah has already declared (this) beforehand"; then they will say, "But ye are jealous of us." Nay, but little do they understand (such things).

Abul Ala Maududi

When you press forth for the spoils, those who were left behind will say: “Let us accompany you.” They want to change the command of Allah. Say to them (in clear words): “You shall not accompany us. Thus has Allah already said.” Then they will say: “Nay; but you are jealous of us.” The truth is that they understand little.

Ahmed Ali

Those who had stayed behind will say: "When you depart for taking the spoils, allow us to follow you." They wish to change the word of God. Tell them: "You will not follow us. That is what God has already said before." They will say: "You are envious of our gain." The fact is they understand but little.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who had stayed behind will now say, “When you go to receive the war booty, let us also go with you”; they wish to change the Words of Allah; say “You shall never come with us – this is already decreed by Allah”; so they will now say, “But rather you envy us”; in fact they never understood except a little.

Ali Quli Qarai

[In the near future] when you will set out to capture booty, those who stayed behind [in this journey] will say, : ‘Let us follow you.’ They desire to change the word of Allah. Say, ‘You will never follow us! Allah has said thus beforehand.’ Then they will say, ‘You are envious of us.’ Indeed, they do not understand but a little.

Ali Ünal

When you (O believers) set forth for (the campaign during which they think that you are sure) to take gains of war, those who stayed behind (aforetime) will say: "Let us go with you." They desire to alter God’s decree. Say (to them): "You will by no means come with us. That (decision) regarding you is what God declared before." Then they will say: "Rather, you are jealous of us." But the fact is that they are lacking in discernment and understanding, except a very little.

Amatul Rahman Omar

When you are free to set out to take the spoils (of the war of Khaibar), those who (contrived to be) left behind (from joining you at Hudaibiyah) will say, `Permit us to follow you.´ They would like to change the word of Allâh (and His decree). Say, `You shall not follow us. This is what Allâh has declared beforehand.´ They will thereupon say, `(There is no such foreword,) you are infact jealous of us.´ (What they say is in fact wrong.) Little do they understand (that this is the punishment for their not being present at Hudaibiyah).

English Literal

The remaining behind, will say when/if you set out to (for) winnings/spoils of war to take/receive it: "Leave us, we follow you." They want/intend that (E) they exchange/replace God`s speech , say: "You will never/not follow us, as/like that God said from before." So they will say: "But you envy us ."But they were not understanding except little .

Faridul Haque

Those who had stayed behind will now say, “When you go to receive the war booty, let us also go with you”; they wish to change the Words of Allah; say “You shall never come with us - this is already decreed by Allah”; so they will now say, “But rather you envy us”; in fact they never understood except a little.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who are left behind will say when you set forth to capture booty, "Allow us to follow you." They fain would change the verdict of Allah. Say, "By no means shall you follow us; thus did Allah say before." But they will say, "Nay! You are envious of us." Nay! They understand but a little.

Hilali & Khan

Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you," They want to change Allah's Words. Say: "You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, but they understand not except a little.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He pleases. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Those who are left behind will say when you set forth for the gaining of acquisitions: Allow us (that) we may follow you. They desire to change the world of Allah. Say: By no means shall you follow us; thus did Allah say before. But they will say: Nay! you are jealous of us. Nay! they do not understand but a little.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who were left behind will say, when ye set forth to capture booty: Let us go with you. They fain would change the verdict of Allah. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye shall not go with us. Thus hath Allah said beforehand. Then they will say: Ye are envious of us. Nay, but they understand not, save a little.

Muhammad Sarwar

The laggardly Bedouins will say, "When you leave to collect the spoils, let us follow you." They want to alter the command of God (that only the participating believers are entitled to such benefit). Tell them, "You can never follow us for such a purpose. God has said before and He will say again (what type of people you are). In fact, you are jealous of us." The truth is that they understand very little.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When you set forth to take the spoils, those Bedouins who lagged behind will say: 'Let us follow you' They hope to change the Words of Allah. Say: 'Youshall not follow us. Allah has said so before' They will reply: 'No, you are envious of us' Rather, they have only understood a little!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you." They want to change Allah's Words. Say: "You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, but they understand not except a little.

Wahiduddin Khan

When you [believers] set off to gather the spoils, those that stayed behind will say, "Let us come with you." They want to change God's word, but tell them, "You shall not follow us. God has declared this beforehand." Then they will say, "You are jealous of us." But how little they understand!

Talal Itani

Those who lagged behind will say when you depart to collect the gains, “Let us follow you.” They want to change the Word of God. Say, “You will not follow us; God has said so before.” Then they will say, “But you are jealous of us.” In fact, they understand only a little.

Tafsir jalalayn

Those, mentioned, who were left behind will say, when you set forth after spoils, namely, the spoils of Khaybar, in order to capture them, `Let us follow you', that we might [also] take a share of it. They desire, thereby, to change the words of God (kalma'Llhi; a variant reading has kalima'Llhi), in other words, His promising of the spoils of Khaybar exclusively for those who were at al-Hudaybiyya. Say; `You shall never follow us! Thus has God said beforehand', that is, prior to our return. Then they will say, `Nay, but you are envious of us', lest we might acquire a share of the spoils, and therefore you say this [that you say]. Nay, but they never understood, anything of religion, [all] except a few, of them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah says,

سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ

Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you."

Allah characterizes the Bedouins who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah during the Umrah of Hudaybiyyah, saying that when the Prophet and his Companions later went on to conquer Khyber, the Bedouins asked them to take them along. They were hoping to collect war booty, having been absent when it was time to fight the enemy and enduring with patience therein. Allah the Exalted ordered His Messenger to refuse to give them permission to accompany him, being a punishment that is similar to their error.

Allah has promised those who were present at Al-Hudaybiyyah to earn Khyber's war spoils alone, not shared in that with the Bedouins who lagged behind. Therefore, the legislation that Allah gave in this regard was joined to the destiny that He decided, occurring just as He decided.

Allah's statement,

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا كَلَمَ اللَّهِ

They want to change Allah's Words, (which refers to the promise that Allah gave those who were present at Al-Hudaybiyyah),

according to the explanation reported from Mujahid, Qatadah, Juwaybir and which Ibn Jarir preferred.

Allah said,

قُل لَّن تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ

Say;"You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand."

i.e. `when He promised the participants of Al-Hudaybiyyah before you asked to join them,'

فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا

Then they will say;"Nay, you envy us."

i.e. `you do not want us to share the war spoils with you,'

بَلْ كَانُوا لَا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً



Nay, but they understand not except a little.

i.e. the truth is nothing close to what they claimed, but they understand not