Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
ART THOU NOT aware of those who have been told, "Curb your hands, and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues"? But as soon as fighting [in God's cause] is ordained for them, lo, some of them stand in awe of men as one should stand in awe of God - or in even greater awe - and say, "O our Sustainer! Why hast Thou ordained fighting for us? If only Thou hadst granted us a delay for a little while!" Say: "Brief is the enjoyment of this world, whereas the life to come is the best for all who are conscious of God - since none of you shall be wronged by as much as a hair's breadth
Arthur John Arberry
Hast thou not regarded those to whom it was said, 'Restrain your hands, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms'? Then, as soon as fighting is prescribed for them, there is a party of them fearing the people as they would fear God, or with a greater fear, and they say, 'Our Lord, why hast thou prescribed fighting for us? Why not defer us to a near term?' Say: 'The enjoyment of this world is little; the world to come is better for him who fears God; you shall not be wronged a single date-thread.
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (from fight) but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity? When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them, behold! a section of them feared men as - or even more than - they should have feared Allah: They said: "Our Lord! Why hast Thou ordered us to fight? Wouldst Thou not Grant us respite to our (natural) term, near (enough)?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: Never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least
Arabic
أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِینَ قِیلَ لَهُمۡ كُفُّوۤا۟ أَیۡدِیَكُمۡ وَأَقِیمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِیقࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ یَخۡشَوۡنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشۡیَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡ أَشَدَّ خَشۡیَةࣰۚ وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبۡتَ عَلَیۡنَا ٱلۡقِتَالَ لَوۡلَاۤ أَخَّرۡتَنَاۤ إِلَىٰۤ أَجَلࣲ قَرِیبࣲۗ قُلۡ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلدُّنۡیَا قَلِیلࣱ وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةُ خَیۡرࣱ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُونَ فَتِیلًا ٧٧
Transliteration (2021)
alam tara ilā alladhīna qīla lahum kuffū aydiyakum wa-aqīmū l-ṣalata waātū l-zakata falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu idhā farīqun min'hum yakhshawna l-nāsa kakhashyati l-lahi aw ashadda khashyatan waqālū rabbanā lima katabta ʿalaynā l-qitāla lawlā akhartanā ilā ajalin qarībin qul matāʿu l-dun'yā qalīlun wal-ākhiratu khayrun limani ittaqā walā tuẓ'lamūna fatīla