يَحْسَبُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا وَإِنْ يَأْتِ الْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ بَادُونَ فِي الْأَعْرَابِ يَسْءَلُونَ عَنْ أَنْبَائِكُمْ وَلَوْ كَانُوا فِيكُمْ مَا قَاتَلُوا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

Popular Translations

Muhammad Asad

They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side]

Arthur John Arberry

They think the Confederates have not departed; and if the Confederates come, they will wish that they were desert-dwellers among the Bedoums asking for news of you. If they were among you, they would fight but little

Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)

They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn; and if the Confederates should come (again), they would wish they were in the deserts (wandering) among the Bedouins, and seeking news about you (from a safe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

Arabic

یَحۡسَبُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ لَمۡ یَذۡهَبُوا۟ۖ وَإِن یَأۡتِ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابُ یَوَدُّوا۟ لَوۡ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِی ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ یَسۡءَلُونَ عَنۡ أَنۢبَاۤىِٕكُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كَانُوا۟ فِیكُم مَّا قَـٰتَلُوۤا۟ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣰا ۝٢٠

Transliteration (2021)

yaḥsabūna l-aḥzāba lam yadhhabū wa-in yati l-aḥzābu yawaddū law annahum bādūna fī l-aʿrābi yasalūna ʿan anbāikum walaw kānū fīkum mā qātalū illā qalīla