Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
Then, after this woe, He sent down upon you a sense of security, an inner calm which enfolded some of you, whereas the others, who cared mainly for themselves, entertained wrong thoughts about God - thoughts of pagan ignorance - saying, "Did we, then, have any power of decision [in this matter]?" Say: "Verily, all power of decision does rest with God" - [but as for them,] they are trying to conceal within themselves that [weakness of faith] which they would not reveal unto thee, [O Prophet, by] saying, "If we had any power of decision, we would not have left so many dead behind." Say [unto them]: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those [of you] whose death had been ordained would indeed have gone forth to the places where they were destined to lie down." And [all this befell you] so that God might put to a test all that you harbour in your bosoms, and render your innermost hearts pure of all dross: for God is aware of what is in the hearts [of men]
Arthur John Arberry
Then He sent down upon you, after grief, security -- a slumber overcoming a party of you; and a party themselves had grieved, thinking of God thoughts that were not true such as the pagans thought, saying, 'Have we any part whatever in the affair?' Say: 'The affair belongs to God entirely.' They were concealing in their hearts that they show not to thee, saying, 'Ah, if we had had a part in the affair, never would we have been slain here.' Say: 'Even if you had been in your houses, those for whom slaying was appointed would have sallied forth unto their last couches'; and that God might try what was in your breasts, and that He might prove what was in your hearts; and God knows the thoughts in the breasts
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
After (the excitement) of the distress, He sent down calm on a band of you overcome with slumber, while another band was stirred to anxiety by their own feelings, Moved by wrong suspicions of Allah-suspicions due to ignorance. They said: "What affair is this of ours?" Say thou: "Indeed, this affair is wholly Allah's." They hide in their minds what they dare not reveal to thee. They say (to themselves): "If we had had anything to do with this affair, We should not have been in the slaughter here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death"; but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts. For Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts
Arabic
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَیۡكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱلۡغَمِّ أَمَنَةࣰ نُّعَاسࣰا یَغۡشَىٰ طَاۤىِٕفَةࣰ مِّنكُمۡۖ وَطَاۤىِٕفَةࣱ قَدۡ أَهَمَّتۡهُمۡ أَنفُسُهُمۡ یَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَیۡرَ ٱلۡحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِیَّةِۖ یَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِن شَیۡءࣲۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡأَمۡرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِۗ یُخۡفُونَ فِیۤ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا یُبۡدُونَ لَكَۖ یَقُولُونَ لَوۡ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ شَیۡءࣱ مَّا قُتِلۡنَا هَـٰهُنَاۗ قُل لَّوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِی بُیُوتِكُمۡ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِینَ كُتِبَ عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَتۡلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمۡۖ وَلِیَبۡتَلِیَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِی صُدُورِكُمۡ وَلِیُمَحِّصَ مَا فِی قُلُوبِكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ١٥٤
Transliteration (2021)
thumma anzala ʿalaykum min baʿdi l-ghami amanatan nuʿāsan yaghshā ṭāifatan minkum waṭāifatun qad ahammathum anfusuhum yaẓunnūna bil-lahi ghayra l-ḥaqi ẓanna l-jāhiliyati yaqūlūna hal lanā mina l-amri min shayin qul inna l-amra kullahu lillahi yukh'fūna fī anfusihim mā lā yub'dūna laka yaqūlūna law kāna lanā mina l-amri shayon mā qutil'nā hāhunā qul law kuntum fī buyūtikum labaraza alladhīna kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qatlu ilā maḍājiʿihim waliyabtaliya l-lahu mā fī ṣudūrikum waliyumaḥḥiṣa mā fī qulūbikum wal-lahu ʿalīmun bidhāti l-ṣudūr