Quran 33:20 — Al-Ahzaab, verse 20
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
They think the joint forces have not gone, and if the joint forces did come again they would wish they were in the desert, wandering among the Bedouin and seeking news about you [from a safe distance]. Even if they were with you [believers], they would hardly fight at all.
يَحْسَبُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا ۖ وَإِنْ يَأْتِ الْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ بَادُونَ فِي الْأَعْرَابِ يَسْأَلُونَ عَنْ أَنْبَائِكُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كَانُوا فِيكُمْ مَا قَاتَلُوا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
yaḥsabūna l-aḥzāba lam yadhhabū wa-in yati l-aḥzābu yawaddū law annahum bādūna fī l-aʿrābi yasalūna ʿan anbāikum walaw kānū fīkum mā qātalū illā qalīlan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- They think the Confederates have not departed; and if the Confederates come, they will wish that they were desert-dwellers among the Bedoums asking for news of you. If they were among you, they would fight but little.
- Muhammad Asad
- They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side].
- Sahih International
- They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | يَحْسَبُونَyaḥsabūna | They think | حسب |
| 2 | ٱلْأَحْزَابَl-aḥzāba | the confederates | حزب |
| 3 | لَمْlam | (have) not | — |
| 4 | يَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖyadhhabū | withdrawn | ذهب |
| 5 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 6 | يَأْتِyati | (should) come | أتي |
| 7 | ٱلْأَحْزَابُl-aḥzābu | the confederates | حزب |
| 8 | يَوَدُّوا۟yawaddū | they would wish | ودد |
| 9 | لَوْlaw | if | — |
| 10 | أَنَّهُمannahum | that they (were) | — |
| 11 | بَادُونَbādūna | living in (the) desert | بدو |
| 12 | فِىfī | among | — |
| 13 | ٱلْأَعْرَابِl-aʿrābi | the Bedouins | عرب |
| 14 | يَسْـَٔلُونَyasalūna | asking | سأل |
| 15 | عَنْʿan | about | — |
| 16 | أَنۢبَآئِكُمْ ۖanbāikum | your news | نبأ |
| 17 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 18 | كَانُوا۟kānū | they were | كون |
| 19 | فِيكُمfīkum | among you | — |
| 20 | مَّاmā | not | — |
| 21 | قَـٰتَلُوٓا۟qātalū | they would fight | قتل |
| 22 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 23 | قَلِيلًۭاqalīlan | a little | قلل |