Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Those who were left behind will say, when you set forth for spoils, to take them: “Let us follow you!” They wish to change the words of God. Say thou: “You will not follow us. Thus said God before.” Then will they say: “The truth is, you envy us!” The truth is, they have understood not save a little.

سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ اِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ اِلٰى مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْۚ يُر۪يدُونَ اَنْ يُبَدِّلُوا كَلَامَ اللّٰهِۜ قُلْ لَنْ تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذٰلِكُمْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ مِنْ قَبْلُۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَاۜ بَلْ كَانُوا لَا يَفْقَهُونَ اِلَّا قَل۪يلاً
Sayaqoolu almukhallafoona itha intalaqtumila maghanima lita/khuthooha tharoonanattabiAAkum yureedoona an yubaddiloo kalama Allahiqul lan tattabiAAoona kathalikum qala Allahumin qablu fasayaqooloona bal tahsudoonana bal kanoola yafqahoona illa qaleela
#wordmeaningroot
1sayaqūluWill sayقول
2l-mukhalafūnathose who remained behindخلف
3idhāwhen
4inṭalaqtumyou set forthطلق
5ilātowards
6maghānima(the) spoils of warغنم
7litakhudhūhāto take itاخذ
8dharūnāAllow usوذر
9nattabiʿ'kum(to) follow youتبع
10yurīdūnaThey wishرود
11anto
12yubaddilūchangeبدل
13kalāma(the) Wordsكلم
14l-lahi(of) Allah
15qulSayقول
16lanNever
17tattabiʿūnāwill you follow usتبع
18kadhālikumThus
19qālaAllah saidقول
20l-lahuAllah said
21minbefore
22qablubeforeقبل
23fasayaqūlūnaThen they will sayقول
24balNay
25taḥsudūnanāyou envy usحسد
26balNay
27kānūthey wereكون
28not
29yafqahūnaunderstandingفقه
30illāexcept
31qalīlana littleقلل
  • Aisha Bewley

    When you go out to get the booty, those who remained behind will say, ‘Allow us to follow you,’ desiring to alter Allah’s words. Say: ‘You may not follow us. That is what Allah said before.’ They will say, ‘It is only because you envy us.’ No indeed! How little they have understood!

  • Progressive Muslims

    Those who lagged behind will say, when you venture out to collect the spoils: "Let us follow you!" They want to change God's words. Say: "You will not follow us; this is what God has decreed beforehand." They will then Say: "No, you are envious of us." Alas, they rarely understood anything.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Those who had stayed behind will say - if you go forth to a battle that holds promise of a booty, "Allow us to follow you. " They seek to change the Word of Allah. Say, "You shall by no means go with us. This is what Allah has decreed already." Then they will say, "You are envious of us." Nay, but very little it is that they understand (of selfless service). (The battle is no longer to be seen as a means of winning booty, it is allowed only for liberty and self-defense. That is the Word of Allah (8:1), (2:167), (2:193), (60:8-9).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Those who were left behind will say, when you set forth for spoils, to take them: “Let us follow you!” They wish to change the words of God. Say thou: “You will not follow us. Thus said God before.” Then will they say: “The truth is, you envy us!” The truth is, they have understood not save a little.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Those who lagged behind will say, when you venture out to collect the spoils: "Let us follow you!" They want to change the words of God. Say: "You will not follow us; this is what God has decreed beforehand." They will then say: "No, you are envious of us." Alas, they rarely understood anything.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Those who lagged behind will say, when you venture out to collect the spoils: "Let us follow you!" They want to change God's words. Say, "You will not follow us; this is what God has decreed beforehand." They will then say, "No, you are envious of us." Alas, they rarely understood anything.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    The sedentary who stay behind will say, when you are expected to collect spoils of war, "Let us follow you to share in this!" They thus wish to alter GOD's words. Say, "You will not follow us. This is GOD's decision." They will then say, "You must be envious of us (for staying behind)." Indeed, they rarely understood anything.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Those who had stayed behind will say: "When you depart for taking the spoils, allow us to follow you. " They wish to change the word of God. Tell them: "You will not follow us. That is what God has already said before." They will say: "You are envious of our gain." The fact is they understand but little.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    Those who remained behind will say when you set out toward the war booty to take it, "Let us follow you. " They wish to change the words of Allah. Say, "Never will you follow us. Thus did Allah say before." So they will say, "Rather, you envy us." But they were not understanding except a little.

  • Muhammad Asad

    As soon as you are about to set forth on a war that promises booty, those who stayed behind will surely say, "Allow us to go with you" - they would like to alter the Word of God. Say: “By no means shall you go with us: God has declared aforetime .” Thereupon they will answer, “Nay, but you begrudge us !” Nay, they can grasp but so little of the truth!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Those who were left behind will say, when ye set forth to capture booty: Let us go with you. They fain would change the verdict of Allah. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye shall not go with us. Thus hath Allah said beforehand. Then they will say: Ye are envious of us. Nay, but they understand not, save a little.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    When you press forth for the spoils, those who were left behind will say: "Let us accompany you."* They want to change the command of Allah.* Say to them (in clear words): “You shall not accompany us. Thus has Allah already said.”* Then they will say: “Nay; but you are jealous of us.” The truth is that they understand little.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And now that these the stay-at-home Arabs find you Muhammad ready to launch an attack, and expect you to lead your army back laden with the spoils -of Khaiber– they will say to you: " Allow us to go with you ", thereby exchanging Allah's word for theirs. Say to them: " You shall not come with us, for thus early has Allah said". They will say to you: "You only fear that we share with you what you hope to keep for yourselves". How little indeed do they comprehend a circumstance!

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When you start easier campaigns in the future, which promises to be profitable , the same people who left you alone will ask you to let them go with you! Tell them plainly: "God has already decreed that you should not follow us. " In reply they will say: “You are jealous of us!” They simply do not get it.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, "Allow us to follow you." They want to change Allâh’s Words. Say: "You shall not follow us; thus Allâh has said beforehand." Then they will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, but they understand not except a little.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    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 Allah's decree: Say: "Not thus will ye follow us: Allah has already declared (this) beforehand": then they will say, "But ye are jealous of us." Nay, but little do they understand (such things).

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Those who stayed behind will say, when you ˹believers˺ set out to take the spoils of war, "Let us accompany you." They wish to change Allah’s promise. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “You will not accompany us. This is what Allah has said before.” They will then say, “In fact, you are driven by jealousy against us!” The truth is: they can hardly comprehend.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Those who remained behind will say, when you will proceed to the spoils (of war) to receive them, "Let us follow you."They wish to change the words of Allah. Say, “You shall not follow us. Allah had said like this beforehand.” Then they will say, “No, but you are jealous of us.” On the contrary, they do not understand (the reality) but a little.

  • Abdul Haleem

    When you set off for somewhere that promises war gains, those who stayed behind will say, ‘Let us come with you.’ They want to change God’s words, but tell them , ‘You may not come with us: God has said this before.’ They will reply, ‘You begrudge us out of jealousy.’ How little they understand!

  • Arthur John Arberry

    The Bedouins who were left behind will say, when you set forth after spoils, to take them, 'Let us follow you,' desiring to change God's words. Say: 'You shall not follow us; so God said before.' Then they will say, 'Nay, but you' are jealous of us.' Nay, but they have not understood except a little.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Those who were left behind shall say when ye have gone forth to spoils that ye may take, 'Let us follow you;' they wish to change God's words. Say, 'Ye shall by no means follow us; thus did God say before!' They will say, 'Nay! but ye envy us!' Nay! they did not understand save a little.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Those who are left behind will say when you set forth to capture booty, "Allow us to follow you. " They fain would change the verdict of Allah. Say, "By no means shall you follow us; thus did Allah say before." But they will say, "Nay! You are envious of us." Nay! They understand but a little.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    The ones who were left behind will soon say, when you go off after booty (The Arabic word is plural) to take it, "Give us leave to follow you closely, " willing to exchange the Speech of Allah (for their own lies). Say, "You will never closely follow us; even thus Allah said earlier." Then they will soon say, "No indeed, (but) you envy us." No indeed, (but) they have not comprehended except a little.

  • George Sale

    Those who were left behind will say, when ye go forth to take the spoil, suffer us to follow you. They seek to change the word of God. Say, ye shall by no means follow us: Thus hath God said heretofore. They will reply, nay; ye envy us a share of the booty. But they are men of small understanding.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Those who lagged behind will say, when you (are free to) march and take the spoils (in war): "Permit us to follow you. " They wish to change Allah’s Word: Say: "You will not follow us like that: Allah has already declared (this) earlier:" Then they will say: "But you envy (are jealous of) us." No, but little do they understand.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    When you are free to set out to take the spoils (of the war of Khaibar), those who (contrived to be) left behind (from joining you at Hudaibiyah) will say, `Permit us to follow you. ' They would like to change the word of Allâh (and His decree). Say, `You shall not follow us. This is what Allâh has declared beforehand.' They will thereupon say, `(There is no such foreword,) you are infact jealous of us.' (What they say is in fact wrong.) Little do they understand (that this is the punishment for their not being present at Hudaibiyah).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Those who were left to stay behind will say, when you set out to capture booty: ‘Let us follow you. ’ They desire to change the word of Allah. Say, ‘You shall never follow us! Thus has Allah said beforehand.’ Then they will say, ‘You are envious of us.’ Rather they do not understand but a little.