The Quran: Sūra XLVIII.: Fat-ḥ or Victory.: Section 2 (11-17)
The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934]
11. Sayaqoolu laka almukhallafoona mina al-aAArabi shaghalatna amwaluna waahloona faistaghfir lana yaqooloona bi-alsinatihim ma laysa fee quloobihim qul faman yamliku lakum mina Allahi shay-an in arada bikum darran aw arada bikum nafAAan bal kana Allahu bima taAAmaloona khabeeran
11. The desert Arabs who
Lagged behind will
Say to thee:
"We were engaged in
(Looking after) our flocks
And herds, and our families:
Do thou then ask
Forgiveness for us.
They say with their tongues
What is not in their hearts.
Say: "Who then has
Any power at all
(To intervene) on your behalf
With God, if His Will
Is to give you some loss
Or to give you some profit?
But God is well acquainted
With all that ye do.
12. Bal thanantum an lan yanqaliba alrrasoolu waalmu/minoona ila ahleehim abadan wazuyyina thalika fee quloobikum wathanantum thanna alssaw-i wakuntum qawman booran
12. "Nay, ye thought that
The Apostle and the Believers
Would never return to
Their families; this seemed
Pleasing in your hearts, and
Ye conceived an evil thought,
For ye are a people
Lost (in wickedness)."
13. Waman lam yu/min biAllahi warasoolihi fa-inna aAAtadna lilkafireena saAAeeran
13. And if any believe not
In God and His Apostle,
We have prepared,
For those who reject God,
A Blazing Fire!
14. Walillahi mulku alssamawati waal-ardi yaghfiru liman yashao wayuAAaththibu man yashao wakana Allahu ghafooran raheeman
14. To God belongs the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth:
He forgives whom He wills,
And He punishes whom He
Wills: but God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
15. Sayaqoolu almukhallafoona itha intalaqtum ila maghanima lita/khuthooha tharoona nattabiAAkum yureedoona an yubaddiloo kalama Allahi qul lan tattabiAAoona kathalikum qala Allahu min qablu fasayaqooloona bal tahsudoonana bal kanoo la yafqahoona illa qaleelan
15. Those who lagged behind
(Will say), when ye (are
Free to) march and take
Booty (in war): "Permit us
To follow you." They wish
To change God's decree:
Say: "Not thus
Will ye follow us:
God has already declared
(This) beforehand": then they
Will say, "But ye are
Jealous of us." Nay,
But little do they understand
(Such things).
16. Qul lilmukhallafeena mina al-aAArabi satudAAawna ila qawmin olee ba/sin shadeedin tuqatiloonahum aw yuslimoona fa-in tuteeAAoo yu/tikumu Allahu ajran hasanan wa-in tatawallaw kama tawallaytum min qablu yuAAaththibkum AAathaban aleeman
16. Say to the desert Arabs
Who lagged behind: "Ye
Shall be summoned (to fight)
Against a people given to
Vehement war: then shall ye
Fight, or they shall submit.
Then if ye show obedience,
God will grant you
A goodly reward, but if
Ye turn back as ye
Did before, He will punish
You with a grievous Penalty."
17. Laysa AAala al-aAAma harajun wala AAala al-aAAraji harajun wala AAala almareedi harajun waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu yudkhilhu jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu waman yatawalla yuAAaththibhu AAathaban aleeman
17. No blame is there
On the blind, nor is
There blame on the lame,
Nor on one ill (if he
Joins not the war):
But he that obeys God
And His Apostle,—(God)
Will admit him to Gardens
Beneath which rivers flow;
And he who turns back,
(God) will punish him
With a grievous Penalty.