Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Fath Verse 16

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say to those of the Bedouins who remained behind, “You will be called against a people possessed of strong fighting power; you will have to fight them until they submit. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, and if you turn away, as you had turned away earlier, He will punish you with a painful punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say to nomadic Arabs, who stayed behind, “You will be called ˹to fight˺ against a people of great might,[[ This refers to Hawâzin and Thaqîf, two pagan Arab tribes. ]] who you will fight unless they submit. If you then obey, Allah will grant you a fine reward. But if you turn away as you did before, He will inflict upon you a painful punishment.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say to the Bedouins who lagged behind, “You will be called against a people of great might, whom you will fight unless they submit. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a goodly reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will afflict you with a painful punishment.

A. J. Arberry

Say to the Bedouins who were left behind: 'You shall be called against a people possessed of great might' to fight them, or they surrender. If you obey, God will give you a goodly wage; but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement.'

Abdul Haleem

Tell the desert Arabs who stayed behind, ‘You will be called to face a people of great might in war and to fight them, unless they surrender: if you obey, God will reward you well, but if you turn away, as you have done before, He will punish you heavily-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou Unto those who lagged behind of the desert Arabs: surely ye shall be summoned against a people endued with exceeding violence then ye will fight them or they will submit. Then if ye obey, Allah will give ye a goodly hire; but if ye turn away even as ye turned away aforetime. He will torment you with a torment afflictive.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind; "Ye shall be summoned (to fight) against a people given to vehement war; then shall ye fight, or they shall submit. Then if ye show obedience, Allah will grant you a goodly reward, but if ye turn back as ye did before, He will punish you with a grievous Penalty."

Abul Ala Maududi

Say to the bedouins who were left behind: “You will be called against those who possess great might and be asked to fight against them unless they surrender. If you obey (the command to fight), Allah will bestow upon you a goodly reward. But if you turn away, as you turned away before, He shall inflict upon you a grievous chastisement.”

Ahmed Ali

Say to the desert Arabs who had stayed behind: "You will be called against a formidable people. You will fight them till they surrender. If you obey, then He will give you a good reward; but if you turn back, as you had done before, He will punish you with a grievous affliction."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say to the ignorant who stayed behind, “You will soon be called against a nation of great military strength – to fight against them or that they become Muslims; so if you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward; and if you turn away, the way you had turned away before, He will mete out a painful punishment to you.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Say to the Bedouins who stayed behind, ‘[Later on] you will be called against a people of a great might: they will either embrace Islam, or you will fight them. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward; but if you turn away like you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.’

Ali Ünal

Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who stayed behind: "Soon you will be called (to fight) against a people of great military power, then either you will fight against them or they will submit to God and become Muslims. If you obey, God will grant you a handsome reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Prophet!) say to those of the desert Arabs who (contrived to be) left behind, `You shall soon be called upon (to take up arms) against a people (- the Byzantine and the Persians) who are fighters of mighty valour. Then you shall fight until they submit. Allâh will grant you a goodly reward if you obey. But if you turn your backs, as you did before, He will punish you, a woeful punishment.´

English Literal

Say to the remaining behind from the Arabs, (often mistranslated as nomads or Bedouins although this verse clearly explains that they are a nation of city dwellers): "You will be called to a nation (owners) of (a) strong (severe) might/power , you fight/kill them or they submit/surrender, so if you obey, God gives/brings you a good/beautiful, reward , and if you turn away as/like you turned away from before, He tortures you a painful torture."

Faridul Haque

Say to the ignorant who stayed behind, “You will soon be called against a nation of great military strength - to fight against them or that they become Muslims; so if you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward; and if you turn away, the way you had turned away before, He will mete out a painful punishment to you.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who were left behind: "You shall soon be invited to fight against a people possessing mighty prowess; you will fight against them or they will submit; then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward; and if you turn back as you turned back before, He will punish you with a painful doom."

Hilali & Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW) to the bedouins who lagged behind: "You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a fair reward, but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful torment."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to acquire gains: Allow us to follow you. They desire to change the word of Allah. Say: You shall not follow us. Thus did Allah say before. But they will say: Nay, you are jealous of us. Nay, they understand not but a little.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who were left behind: You shall soon be invited (to fight) against a people possessing mighty prowess; you will fight against them until they submit; then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward; and if you turn back as you turned back before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say unto those of the wandering Arabs who were left behind: Ye will be called against a folk of mighty prowess, to fight them until they surrender; and if ye obey, Allah will give you a fair reward; but if ye turn away as ye did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

Tell the laggardly Bedouins, "You will be called to face strong people whom you will fight right to the end or who will submit to you. If you obey the Messenger, God will give you a good reward. But if you turn away as you did before, God will make you suffer a painful torment.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say to the Arabs who lagged behind: 'You shall be called upon to fight a mighty nation, unless they embrace Islam. If you are obedient you shall receive agood wage from Allah. But, if you turn away, as you turned your backs before, He will punish you with a painful punishment'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say to the bedouins who lagged behind: "You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a fair reward; but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful torment."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say to the desert Arabs who stayed behind, "You shall be called against a mighty people; then shall you fight, unless they submit. Then if you prove obedient, God will grant you a good reward, but if You turn back as you did before, He will inflict on you a painful punishment --

Talal Itani

Say to the Desert-Arabs who lagged behind, “You will be called against a people of great might; you will fight them, unless they submit. If you obey, God will give you a fine reward. But if you turn away, as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say to those of the Bedouins, mentioned, who were left behind, to test them; `You shall be called against a people possessed of great might -- these are said to have been the [tribe of] Ban Hanfa, the inhabitants of [the region of] al-Yamma; but it is also said that these were the Persians and the Byzantines -- you shall fight them (tuqtilnahum is a circumstancial qualifier referring to an implied [future] situation, which constitutes that to which the `call' will be made); or they will submit, so that you will not [have to] fight. So if you obey, [the command] to fight them, God will give you a good reward; but if you turn away like you turned away before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah conveys the News that there will be Many Cases of Jihad, and that Jihad distinguishes the Ranks of the Believers and exposes the Hypocrites

Allay Say,

قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ الاَْعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أُوْلِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ

Say to the Bedouins who lagged behind;"You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender.

Scholars of Tafsir differ over who the people mentioned here are. They are people experienced at warfare who will be called to fight. There are many opinions,

- first, they are the tribe of Hawazin, as Shu`bah narrated from Abu Bishr from Sa`id bin Jubayr, or Ikrimah, or both of them.

Hushaym narrated this explanation from Abu Bishr, from both Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ikrimah.

Qatadah, as narrated from him in one version, held the same view.

- The second view is that these people are the tribe of Thaqif, according to Ad-Dahhak.

- The third view is that they are Banu Hanifah, according to Juwaybir and Az-Zuhri, as Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated from him.

Similar was narrated from Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ikrimah.

- The fourth opinion is that they are the Persians, according to Ali bin Abi Talhah who reported that from Abdullah bin Abbas.

This is also the view of Ata', Mujahid, and Ikrimah.

- Ka`b Al-Ahbar said that they are the Romans, while Ibn Abi Layla, Ata, Al-Hasan and Qatadah -- in a different narration from him, said that they are the Persians and Romans.

Mujahid also said that they are the idolators.

In another narration Mujahid said, "They are men given to great warfare," and did not specify any particular people. This last explanation is the view preferred by Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Jarir.

Allah's statement,

تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ

Then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender.

means, `you are called to fight them in Jihad, through constant warfare, until you become victorious over them or they surrender. Or, they will embrace your religion without a fight, but with their full consent.'

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said next,

فَإِن تُطِيعُوا

Then if you obey,

i.e. `if you accept the call to Jihad and prepare for it and fulfill your duty in this regard,'

يُوْتِكُمُ اللَّهُ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ

Allah will give you a fair reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before,

i.e. `on the day of Al-Hudaybiyyah, when you were called to Jihad, yet lagged behind,'

يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا



He will punish you with a painful torment.
Acceptable Reasons for not joining Jihad

Allay Says,