Quran 2:246 — Al-Baqara, verse 246
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
[Prophet], consider the leaders of the Children of Israel who came after Moses, when they said to one of their prophets, ‘Set up a king for us and we shall fight in God’s cause.’ He said, ‘But could it be that you would not fight, if it were ordained for you?’ They said, ‘How could we not fight in God’s cause when we and our children have been driven out of our homeland?’ Yet when they were commanded to fight, all but a few of them turned away: God has full knowledge of those who do wrong.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا ۖ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ
alam tara ilā l-mala-i min banī is'rāīla min baʿdi mūsā idh qālū linabiyyin lahumu ib'ʿath lanā malikan nuqātil fī sabīli l-lahi qāla hal ʿasaytum in kutiba ʿalaykumu l-qitālu allā tuqātilū qālū wamā lanā allā nuqātila fī sabīli l-lahi waqad ukh'rij'nā min diyārinā wa-abnāinā falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu tawallaw illā qalīlan min'hum wal-lahu ʿalīmun bil-ẓālimīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Hast thou not regarded the Council of the Children of Israel, after Moses, when they said to a Prophet of theirs, 'Raise up for us a king, and we will fight in God's way.' He said, 'Might it be that, if fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight?' They said, 'Why should we not fight in God's way, who have been expelled from our habitations and our children?' Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned their backs except a few of them; and God has knowledge of the evildoers.
- Muhammad Asad
- Art thou not aware of those elders of the children of Israel, after the time of Moses, how they said unto a prophet of theirs, "Raise up a king for us, [and] we shall fight in God's cause"? Said he: "Would you, perchance, refrain from fighting if fighting is ordained for you?" They answered: "And why should we not fight in God's cause when we and our children have been driven from our homelands?" Yet, when fighting was ordained for them, they did turn back, save for a few of them; but God had full knowledge of the evildoers.
- Sahih International
- Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allāh"? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if battle was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allāh when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when battle was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَلَمْalam | Did not | — |
| 2 | تَرَtara | you see | رأي |
| 3 | إِلَىilā | [towards] | — |
| 4 | ٱلْمَلَإِl-mala-i | the chiefs | ملأ |
| 5 | مِنۢmin | of | — |
| 6 | بَنِىٓbanī | (the) Children | بني |
| 7 | إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla | (of) Israel | — |
| 8 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 9 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 10 | مُوسَىٰٓmūsā | Musa | — |
| 11 | إِذْidh | when | — |
| 12 | قَالُوا۟qālū | they said | قول |
| 13 | لِنَبِىٍّۢlinabiyyin | to a Prophet | نبأ |
| 14 | لَّهُمُlahumu | of theirs | — |
| 15 | ٱبْعَثْib'ʿath | Appoint | بعث |
| 16 | لَنَاlanā | for us | — |
| 17 | مَلِكًۭاmalikan | a king | ملك |
| 18 | نُّقَـٰتِلْnuqātil | we may fight | قتل |
| 19 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 20 | سَبِيلِsabīli | (the) way | سبل |
| 21 | ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 22 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 23 | هَلْhal | Would | — |
| 24 | عَسَيْتُمْʿasaytum | you perhaps | عسي |
| 25 | إِنin | if | — |
| 26 | كُتِبَkutiba | prescribed | كتب |
| 27 | عَلَيْكُمُʿalaykumu | upon you | — |
| 28 | ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitālu | [the] fighting | قتل |
| 29 | أَلَّاallā | that not | — |
| 30 | تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖtuqātilū | you fight | قتل |
| 31 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 32 | وَمَاwamā | And what | — |
| 33 | لَنَآlanā | for us | — |
| 34 | أَلَّاallā | that not | — |
| 35 | نُقَـٰتِلَnuqātila | we fight | قتل |
| 36 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 37 | سَبِيلِsabīli | (the) way | سبل |
| 38 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 39 | وَقَدْwaqad | while surely | — |
| 40 | أُخْرِجْنَاukh'rij'nā | we have been driven | خرج |
| 41 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 42 | دِيَـٰرِنَاdiyārinā | our homes | دور |
| 43 | وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖwa-abnāinā | and our children | بني |
| 44 | فَلَمَّاfalammā | Yet, when | — |
| 45 | كُتِبَkutiba | was prescribed | كتب |
| 46 | عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimu | upon them | — |
| 47 | ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitālu | the fighting | قتل |
| 48 | تَوَلَّوْا۟tawallaw | they turned away | ولي |
| 49 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 50 | قَلِيلًۭاqalīlan | a few | قلل |
| 51 | مِّنْهُمْ ۗmin'hum | among them | — |
| 52 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 53 | عَلِيمٌۢʿalīmun | (is) All-Knowing | علم |
| 54 | بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَbil-ẓālimīna | of the wrongdoers | ظلم |