Al-Ahzab

O believers! Remember Allah’s favour upon you when ˹enemy˺ forces came to ˹besiege˺ you ˹in Medina˺,¹ so We sent against them a ˹bitter˺ wind and forces you could not see.² And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon you when armies came to [attack] you and We sent upon them a wind and armies [of angels] you did not see. And ever is Allah, of what you do, Seeing.

— Saheeh International

˹Remember˺ when they came at you from east and west,¹ when your eyes grew wild ˹in horror˺ and your hearts jumped into your throats, and you entertained ˹conflicting˺ thoughts about Allah.²

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats, and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions.

— Saheeh International

Then and there the believers were put to the test, and were violently shaken.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking.

— Saheeh International

And ˹remember˺ when the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said, “Allah and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusion!”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, "Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion,"

— Saheeh International

And ˹remember˺ when a group of them said, “O people of Yathrib!¹ There is no point in you staying ˹here˺, so retreat!” Another group of them asked the Prophet’s permission ˹to leave˺, saying, “Our homes are vulnerable,” while ˹in fact˺ they were not vulnerable. They only wished to flee.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And when a faction of them said, "O people of Yathrib,¹ there is no stability for you [here], so return [home]." And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, "Indeed, our houses are exposed [i.e., unprotected]," while they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee.

— Saheeh International

Had their city been sacked from all sides and they had been asked to abandon faith, they would have done so with little hesitation.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And if they had been entered upon from all its [surrounding] regions and fitnah [i.e., disbelief] had been demanded of them, they would have done it and not hesitated over it except briefly.

— Saheeh International

They had already pledged to Allah earlier never to turn their backs ˹in retreat˺. And a pledge to Allah must be answered for.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And they had already promised Allah before not to turn their backs [i.e., flee]. And ever is the promise to Allah [that about which one will be] questioned.

— Saheeh International

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Fleeing will not benefit you if you ˹try to˺ escape a natural or violent death. ˹If it is not your time,˺ you will only be allowed enjoyment for a little while.”¹

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, [O Muḥammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."

— Saheeh International

Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Who can put you out of Allah’s reach if He intends to harm you or show you mercy?” They can never find any protector or helper besides Allah.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allah¹ if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or any helper.

— Saheeh International

Allah knows well those among you who discourage ˹others from fighting˺, saying ˹secretly˺ to their brothers, “Stay with us,” and who themselves hardly take part in fighting.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Already Allah knows the hinderers¹ among you and those [hypocrites] who say to their brothers, "Come to us,"² and do not go to battle, except for a few,³

— Saheeh International

˹They are˺ totally unwilling to assist you. When danger comes, you see them staring at you with their eyes rolling like someone in the throes of death. But once the danger is over, they slash you with razor-sharp tongues, ravenous for ˹worldly˺ gains. Such people have not ˹truly˺ believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds void. And that is easy for Allah.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indisposed¹ toward you. And when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes revolving like one being overcome by death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good. Those have not believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds worthless, and ever is that, for Allah, easy.

— Saheeh International