Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Hashr Verse 14

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They do not fight you, even assembled together, but in fortified towns, or from behind the walls. Their quarrelling between themselves is severe. You think that they are united, while their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who have no sense.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Even united, they would not ˹dare˺ fight against you except ˹from˺ within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. Their malice for each other is intense: you think they are united, yet their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people with no ˹real˺ understanding.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They will not fight you all together but in fortified towns or from behind walls. Their valor among themselves is great; you think they are united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who do not understand.

A. J. Arberry

They will not fight against you all together except in fortified cities, or from behind walls. Their valour is great, among themselves; you think of them as a host; but their hearts are scattered; that is because they are a people who have no sense.

Abdul Haleem

Even united they would never fight you, except from within fortified strongholds or behind high walls. There is much hostility between them: you think they are united but their hearts are divided because they are people devoid of reason.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They shall not fight against you, not even together, except in fenced townships or from behind walls. Their violence among themselves is strong; thou deemest them enjoined, whereas their hearts are diverse. That is because they are a people who reflect not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They will not fight you (even) together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Strong is their fighting (spirit) amongst themselves; thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided; that is because they are a people devoid of wisdom.

Abul Ala Maududi

They will never fight against you as a body (in an open battlefield); and if they fight against you they will fight only in fortified townships or from behind walls. Intense is their hostility to one another. You reckon them united while their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people devoid of reason.

Ahmed Ali

They will not fight you in a body except in fortified cities, or from behind the walls. Their enmity among themselves is great. You think they are united, but divided are their hearts. That is because these people are devoid of sense,

Ahmed Raza Khan

They will not fight you even if they all come together, except in barricaded cities or from behind walls; they are severe fighters among themselves; you will assume them to be one, whereas their hearts are divided; this is because they are a people who do not have any sense.

Ali Quli Qarai

They will not fight against you together except in fortified townships or from behind walls. Their fierceness is great only within themselves. You suppose them to be united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a lot who do not exercise their reason,

Ali Ünal

They will never fight against you as a united body (in alliance with the Hypocrites, with the Jews of Khaybar and others), unless it be from within fortified strongholds or from behind high walls. Severe is their belligerent discord among themselves (except when not opportunistically allied in warfare against you). You think of them as one body, but in fact their hearts are at odds with one another: This is because they are a people who do not reason (and come to an understanding of the situations they face).

Amatul Rahman Omar

They (- the Jews) will not (even) fight against you offering a joint front. They will fight only (from) within fortified towns or from behind ramparts. Their fighting spirit among themselves is (desperately) severe. You think them to be united but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who do not refrain (from mischief).

English Literal

They do not fight/kill you all/all together, except in fortified/protected villages/urban cities, or from behind walls, their courage/power between them (is) strong (severe), you think/suppose them (to be) all/all together, and their hearts/minds (are) separate/different , that (is) with that they are a nation not reasoning/comprehending .

Faridul Haque

They will not fight you even if they all come together, except in barricaded cities or from behind walls; they are severe fighters among themselves; you will assume them to be one, whereas their hearts are divided; this is because they are a people who do not have any sense.

Hamid S. Aziz

They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified towns or from behind walls; strong is the conflict among themselves. You may think them one body, but their heart are divided; that is because they are a people devoid of sense.

Hilali & Khan

They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided, that is because they are a people who understand not.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Your fear in their hearts is indeed greater than Allah’s. That is because they are a people who understand not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified towns or from behind walls; their fighting between them is severe, you may think them as one body, and their hearts are disunited; that is because they are a people who have no sense.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among themselves is very great. Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are divers. That is because they are a folk who have no sense.

Muhammad Sarwar

They will not fight you united except with the protection of fortified towns or from behind walls. They are strong among themselves. You think that they are united, but in fact, their hearts are divided. They are a people who have no understanding.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They will never fight against you all together except from fortified villages or from behind walls. Their courage is great among themselves; you think them to be united, yet their hearts are not united. That is because they are a people who have no sense.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who understand not.

Wahiduddin Khan

They will never fight against you in a body except from within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. There is much hostility between them. You think they are united, but their hearts are divided, because they are a people devoid of reason.

Talal Itani

They will not fight you all together except from fortified strongholds, or from behind walls. Their hostility towards each other is severe. You would think they are united, but their hearts are diverse. That is because they are a people who do not understand.

Tafsir jalalayn

They, that is, the Jews, will not fight against you together, [all] in a [single] body, except in fortified towns or from behind some wall (jidr; a variant reading has [plural] judur, `walls'), some [kind of protective] fence. Their might, their belligerence, is great among themselves. You [would] suppose them to be all together, united as a [single] body, but their hearts are disunited, scattered, contrary to supposition. That is because they are a people who have no sense;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

لَاا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعًا إِلاَّ فِي قُرًى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَاء جُدُرٍ

They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls.

meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims. They only fight when they have to defend themselves (even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals.

Allah the Exalted said,

بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌ


Their enmity among themselves is very great.

meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense,

It is as said,

وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ

And make you to taste the violence of one another. (6;65)

Allah said in the Ayah,

تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعًا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى

You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided.

meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely.

Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ



That is because they are a people who understand not.

Allah said,

كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيبًا ذَاقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ