Verse 33:16 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

12 وَإِذۡ یَقُولُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِینَ فِی قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضࣱ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥۤ إِلَّا غُرُورࣰا ۝١٢ wa-idh yaqūlu l-munāfiqūna wa-alladhīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun mā waʿadanā l-lahu warasūluhu illā ghurūra the hypocrites and the sick at heart said, ‘God and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!’ 13 وَإِذۡ قَالَت طَّاۤىِٕفَةࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ یَـٰۤأَهۡلَ یَثۡرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمۡ فَٱرۡجِعُوا۟ۚ وَیَسۡتَءۡذِنُ فَرِیقࣱ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلنَّبِیَّ یَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُیُوتَنَا عَوۡرَةࣱ وَمَا هِیَ بِعَوۡرَةٍۖ إِن یُرِیدُونَ إِلَّا فِرَارࣰا ۝١٣ wa-idh qālat ṭāifatun min'hum yāahla yathriba lā muqāma lakum fa-ir'jiʿū wayastadhinu farīqun min'humu l-nabiya yaqūlūna inna buyūtanā ʿawratun wamā hiya biʿawratin in yurīdūna illā firāra Some of them said, ‘People of Yathrib, you will not be able to withstand [the attack], so go back!’ Some of them asked the Prophet’s permission to leave, saying, ‘Our houses are exposed,’ even though they were not- they just wanted to run away 14 وَلَوۡ دُخِلَتۡ عَلَیۡهِم مِّنۡ أَقۡطَارِهَا ثُمَّ سُىِٕلُوا۟ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةَ لَءَاتَوۡهَا وَمَا تَلَبَّثُوا۟ بِهَاۤ إِلَّا یَسِیرࣰا ۝١٤ walaw dukhilat ʿalayhim min aqṭārihā thumma su-ilū l-fit'nata laātawhā wamā talabbathū bihā illā yasīra had the city been invaded from all sides, and the enemy invited them to rebel, they would have done so almost without hesitation 15 وَلَقَدۡ كَانُوا۟ عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن قَبۡلُ لَا یُوَلُّونَ ٱلۡأَدۡبَـٰرَۚ وَكَانَ عَهۡدُ ٱللَّهِ مَسۡءُولࣰا ۝١٥ walaqad kānū ʿāhadū l-laha min qablu lā yuwallūna l-adbāra wakāna ʿahdu l-lahi masūla Yet they had already promised God that they would not turn tail and flee, and a promise to God will be answered for

16 قُل لَّن یَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلۡفِرَارُ إِن فَرَرۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ أَوِ ٱلۡقَتۡلِ وَإِذࣰا لَّا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣰا ۝١٦ qul lan yanfaʿakumu l-firāru in farartum mina l-mawti awi l-qatli wa-idhan lā tumattaʿūna illā qalīla [Prophet], say, ‘Running away will not benefit you. If you manage to escape death or slaughter, you will only be permitted to enjoy [life] for a short while.’

17 قُلۡ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِی یَعۡصِمُكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ سُوۤءًا أَوۡ أَرَادَ بِكُمۡ رَحۡمَةࣰۚ وَلَا یَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِیࣰّا وَلَا نَصِیرࣰا ۝١٧ qul man dhā alladhī yaʿṣimukum mina l-lahi in arāda bikum sūan aw arāda bikum raḥmatan walā yajidūna lahum min dūni l-lahi waliyyan walā naṣīra Say, ‘If God wishes to harm you, who can protect you? If God wishes to show you mercy, who can prevent Him?’ They will find no one but God to protect or help them 18 ۞ قَدۡ یَعۡلَمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُعَوِّقِینَ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلۡقَاۤىِٕلِینَ لِإِخۡوَ ٰنِهِمۡ هَلُمَّ إِلَیۡنَاۖ وَلَا یَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡبَأۡسَ إِلَّا قَلِیلًا ۝١٨ qad yaʿlamu l-lahu l-muʿawiqīna minkum wal-qāilīna li-ikh'wānihim halumma ilaynā walā yatūna l-basa illā qalīla God knows exactly who among you hinder others, who [secretly] say to their brothers, ‘Come and join us,’ who hardly ever come out to fight 19 أَشِحَّةً عَلَیۡكُمۡۖ فَإِذَا جَاۤءَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ رَأَیۡتَهُمۡ یَنظُرُونَ إِلَیۡكَ تَدُورُ أَعۡیُنُهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِی یُغۡشَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ ٱلۡخَوۡفُ سَلَقُوكُم بِأَلۡسِنَةٍ حِدَادٍۙ أَشِحَّةً عَلَى ٱلۡخَیۡرِۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ لَمۡ یُؤۡمِنُوا۟ فَأَحۡبَطَ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَ ٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ یَسِیرࣰا ۝١٩ ashiḥḥatan ʿalaykum fa-idhā jāa l-khawfu ra-aytahum yanẓurūna ilayka tadūru aʿyunuhum ka-alladhī yugh'shā ʿalayhi mina l-mawti fa-idhā dhahaba l-khawfu salaqūkum bi-alsinatin ḥidādin ashiḥḥatan ʿalā l-khayri ulāika lam yu'minū fa-aḥbaṭa l-lahu aʿmālahum wakāna dhālika ʿalā l-lahi yasīra who begrudge you [believers] any help. When fear comes, you [Prophet] see them looking at you with eyes rolling like someone in their death throes; when fear has passed, they attack you with sharp tongues and begrudge you any good. Such men do not believe, and God brings their deeds to nothing- that is all too easy for God 20 یَحۡسَبُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ لَمۡ یَذۡهَبُوا۟ۖ وَإِن یَأۡتِ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ یَوَدُّوا۟ لَوۡ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِی ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ یَسۡءَلُونَ عَنۡ أَنۢبَاۤىِٕكُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كَانُوا۟ فِیكُم مَّا قَـٰتَلُوۤا۟ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣰا ۝٢٠ 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 qalīla 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