Sūra XXXIII.: Aḥzāb, or The Confederates.

Section 2

9. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum ith jaatkum junoodun faarsalna AAalayhim reehan wajunoodan lam tarawha wakana Allahu bima taAAmaloona baseeran

9. O ye who believe!
Remember the Grace of God,
(Bestowed) on you, when
There came down on you
Hosts (to overwhelm you):
But We sent against them
A hurricane and forces
That ye saw not:
But God sees (clearly)
All that ye do.

10. Ith jaookum min fawqikum wamin asfala minkum wa-ith zaghati al-absaru wabalaghati alquloobu alhanajira watathunnoona biAllahi alththunoona

10. Behold! they came on you
From above you and from
Below you, and behold,
The eyes became dim
And the hearts gaped
Up to the throats,
And ye imagined various
(Vain) thoughts about God!

11. Hunalika ibtuliya almu-minoona wazulziloo zilzalan shadeedan

11. In that situation
Were the Believers tried:
They were shaken as by
A tremendous shaking.

12. Wa-ith yaqoolu almunafiqoona waallatheena fee quloobihim maradun ma waAAadana Allahu warasooluhu illa ghurooran

12. Find behold! The Hypocrites
And those in whose hearts
Is a disease (even) say: "God
And His Apostle promised us
Nothing but delusions!"

13. Wa-ith qalat ta-ifatun minhum ya ahla yathriba la muqama lakum fairjiAAoo wayasta/thinu fareequn minhumu alnnabiyya yaqooloona inna buyootana AAawratun wama hiya biAAawratin in yureedoona illa firaran

13. Behold! A party among them
Said: "Ye men of Yathrib!
Ye cannot stand (the attack)!
Therefore go back!"
And a band of them
Ask for leave of the Prophet,
Saying, "Truly our houses
Are bare and exposed," though
They were not exposed:
They intended nothing but
To run away.

14. Walaw dukhilat AAalayhim min aqtariha thumma su-iloo alfitnata laatawha wama talabbathoo biha illa yaseeran

14. And if an entry had
Been effected to them
From the sides of the (City),
And they had been
Incited to sedition.
They would certainly have
Brought it to pass, with
None but a brief delay!

15. Walaqad kanoo AAahadoo Allaha min qablu la yuwalloona al-adbara wakana AAahdu Allahi mas-oolan

15. And yet they had already
Covenanted with God not to turn
Their backs, and a covenant
With God must (surely)
Be answered for.

16. Qul lan yanfaAAakumu alfiraru in farartum mina almawti awi alqatli wa-ithan la tumattaAAoona illa qaleelan

16. Say: "Running away will not
Profit you if ye are
Running away from death
Or slaughter; and even if
(Ye do escape), no more
Than a brief (respite)
Will ye be allowed to enjoy!"

17. Qul man tha allathee yaAAsimukum mina Allahi in arada bikum soo-an aw arada bikum rahmatan wala yajidoona lahum min dooni Allahi waliyyan wala naseeran

17. Say: "Who is it that can
Screen you from God
If it be His wish
To give you Punishment
Or to give you Mercy?"
Nor will they find for themselves,
Besides God, any protector
Or helper.

18. Qad yaAAlamu Allahu almuAAawwiqeena minkum waalqa-ileena li-ikhwanihim halumma ilayna wala ya/toona alba/sa illa qaleelan

18. Verily God knows those
Among you who keep back
(Men) and those who say
To their brethren, "Come along
To us", but come not
To the fight except
For just a little while,

19. Ashihhatan AAalaykum fa-itha jaa alkhawfu raaytahum yanthuroona ilayka tadooru aAAyunuhum kaallathee yughsha AAalayhi mina almawti fa-itha thahaba alkhawfu salaqookum bi-alsinatin hidadin ashihhatan AAala alkhayri ola-ika lam yu/minoo faahbata Allahu aAAmalahum wakana thalika AAala Allahi yaseeran

19. Covetous over you
Then when fear comes,
Thou wilt see them looking
To thee, their eyes revolving,
Like (those of) one over whom
Hovers death: but when
The fear is past,
They will smite you
With sharp tongues, covetous
Of goods. Such men have
No faith, and so God
Has made their deeds
Of none effect: and that
Is easy for God.

20. Yahsaboona al-ahzaba lam yathhaboo wa-in ya/ti al-ahzabu yawaddoo law annahum badoona fee al-aAArabi yas-aloona AAan anba-ikum walaw kanoo feekum ma qataloo illa qaleelan

20. They think that the Confederates
Have not withdrawn; and if
The Confederates should come (again),
They would wish they were
In the deserts (wandering)
Among the Bedouins, and
Seeking news about you
(From a safe distance);
And if they were
In your midst, they
Would fight but little.

Next: Section 3 (20-27)