Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 83

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Then, if Allah brings you back to a group of them and they seek your permission to march, say to them, “You shall never march with me ever after, and shall never fight an enemy in my company. You were happy with sitting back the first time; now, sit with those remaining behind”.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If Allah returns you ˹O Prophet˺ to a group of them and they ask to go forth with you, say, “You will not ever go forth or fight an enemy along with me. You preferred to stay behind the first time, so stay with those ˹helpless˺ who remain behind.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

If Allah brings you back to a group of them and they ask your permission to go forth with you, say, “You will never go forth with me, nor will you ever fight an enemy with me. You were content to remain behind the first time, so now stay with those who remained behind.”

A. J. Arberry

So, if God returns thee to a party of them and they ask leave of thee to go forth, say: 'You shall not go forth with me ever, and you shall not fight with me any enemy. You were well-pleased to tarry the first time, so now tarry with those behind.'

Abdul Haleem

So [Prophet], if God brings you back to a group of them, who ask you for permission to go out [to battle], say, ‘You will never go out and fight an enemy with me: you chose to sit at home the first time, so remain with those who stay behind now.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

If, then, Allah bring thee back to a party of them, and they ask leave of thee for going forth, say thou: never ye shall go forth with me, nor ever fight an enemy with me; verily ye were pleased with sitting at home the first time, wherefore sit now with those who stay behind.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If, then, Allah bring thee back to any of them, and they ask thy permission to come out (with thee), say; "Never shall ye come out with me, nor fight an enemy with me; for ye preferred to sit inactive on the first occasion; Then sit ye (now) with those who lag behind."

Abul Ala Maududi

Then if Allah brings you face to face with a party of them, and they ask your leave to go forth (to fight in the Way of Allah), tell them: "You shall not go forth with me, and shall never fight against any enemy along with me. You were well-pleased to remain at home the first time, so now continue to remain with those who have stayed behind."

Ahmed Ali

If you come back to them by (the grace of) God, and they seek your permission to go (to fight), you should tell them: "You will never go out nor fight the enemy with me any more. You preferred to stay back on the first occasion, so stay at home with those who stay behind."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Then if Allah takes you back to a group of them and they seek permission from you to go out to fight, say to them, “You shall never go out with me nor ever fight with me against any enemy; you were happy to remain seated for the first time, therefore remain seated with those who stay behind.”

Ali Quli Qarai

If Allah brings you back [from the battlefront] to a group of them and they seek your permission to go forth, say, ‘You shall never go forth with me, and you shall not fight with me against any enemy. You were indeed pleased to sit back the first time, so sit back with those who stay behind.’

Ali Ünal

If God brings you back (from the Campaign) and a party of them ask your leave to go forth to war with you, say to them: "Never will you go forth with me any more, nor will you fight an enemy in my company. You were content to stay at home on that first occasion, so continue to stay at home with those who are (naturally) bound to remain behind!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

Should Allâh bring you (safe and sound) back (from Tabûk expedition) and you meet a party of them (- the hypocrites), and they ask leave of you to go forth (to join the next expedition with you) say, `You shall never go forth with me, nor ever fight an enemy with me. You chose to stay (at home) the first time, now stay with those who remain behind.´

English Literal

So if God returned you to a group of people from them, so they asked for permission from you to the getting out/exit (battle), so say: "You will never/not get out/emerge with me ever (E), and you will never/not fight/kill with me an enemy, that you accepted/became content with the sitting/remaining behind (the) first time , so sit/remain with the remaining behind."128

Faridul Haque

Then if Allah takes you back to a group of them and they seek permission from you to go out to fight, say to them, "You shall never go out with me nor ever fight with me against any enemy; you were happy to remain seated for the first time, therefore remain seated with those who stay behind."

Hamid S. Aziz

But if Allah brings you back (from a campaign) to a party of them, and they ask you then for permission to come out with you, say, "You shall by no means ever come out with me, nor shall you ever fight a foe with me! Verily, you were content to sit at home the first time, sit you then now with the useless."

Hilali & Khan

If Allah brings you back to a party of them (the hypocrites), and they ask your permission to go out (to fight), say: "Never shall you go out with me, nor fight an enemy with me; you agreed to sit inactive on the first occasion, then you sit (now) with those who lag behind."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Then let them laugh a little and weep much -- a recompense for what they earned.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Therefore if Allah brings you back to a party of them and then they ask your permission to go forth, say: By no means shall you ever go forth with me and by no means shall you fight an enemy with me; surely you chose to sit the first time, therefore sit (now) with those who remain behind.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If Allah bring thee back (from the campaign) unto a party of them and they ask of thee leave to go out (to fight), then say unto them: Ye shall never more go out with me nor fight with me against a foe. Ye were content with sitting still the first time. So sit still, with the useless.

Muhammad Sarwar

When God brings you back safely and a group of hypocrites ask you to make them exempt from taking part in the battle, tell them, "Never march with me and never fight with us against any of the enemies (of God). You chose to linger behind the first time, so this time stay behind with those who are of no help in the battle."

Qaribullah & Darwish

If Allah brings you back to a party of them and they ask permission to march with you, say: 'You shall never march with me, nor shall you fight with me against any enemy. You were pleased to remain on the first occasion, therefore, you shall now stay with those who remain behind'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

If Allah brings you back to a party of them (the hypocrites), and they ask your permission to go out (to fight), say: "Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me; you were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion, then you sit (now) with those who lag behind."

Wahiduddin Khan

So [Prophet], if God brings you back to a group of them, and should they ask your leave to go forth with you, say, "You shall never go forth with me and shall never fight an enemy with me. You chose to sit at home the first time, so sit now with those who remain behind."

Talal Itani

If God brings you back to a party of them, and they ask your permission to go out, say, “You will not go out with me, ever, nor will you ever fight an enemy with me. You were content to sit back the first time, so sit back with those who stay behind.”

Tafsir jalalayn

So if God brings you back, from Tabk, to a party of them, of those hypocrites who stayed behind in Medina, and they ask leave of you to go forth, with you on some other campaign, say, to them; `You shall never more go forth with me, and you shall never fight with me against an enemy. You were content to stay behind the first time, so stay behind with those who stay behind', away from [military] campaigns, such as women and children and others.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites are barred from participating in Jihad

Allah commands His Messenger, peace be upon him,

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ اللّهُ

If Allah brings you back,

from this battle,

إِلَى طَأيِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ

to a party of them,

in reference to the twelve (hypocrite) men, according to Qatadah,

فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ

and they ask your permission to go out,

with you to another battle,

فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُواْ مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَاتِلُواْ مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا

say;"Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me..."

as an admonishment and punishment for them.

Allah mentioned the reason for this decision,

إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

"You were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion..."

Allah said in a similar Ayah,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْيِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُوْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time. (6;110)

The recompense of an evil deed includes being directed to follow it with another evil deed, while the reward of a good deed includes being directed to another good deed after it. For instance, Allah said concerning the Umrah of Hudaybiyyah,

سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا

Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils. (48;15)

Allah said next,

فَاقْعُدُواْ مَعَ الْخَالِفِينَ



"...then you sit (now) with those who lag behind."

in reference to the men who lagged behind from (Tabuk) battle, according to Ibn Abbas