The Quran

167

Preface

وَلِيَعلَمَ الَّذينَ نافَقوا ۚ وَقيلَ لَهُم تَعالَوا قاتِلوا في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادفَعوا ۖ قالوا لَو نَعلَمُ قِتالًا لَاتَّبَعناكُم ۗ هُم لِلكُفرِ يَومَئِذٍ أَقرَبُ مِنهُم لِلإيمانِ ۚ يَقولونَ بِأَفواهِهِم ما لَيسَ في قُلوبِهِم ۗ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما يَكتُمونَ

Yusuf Ali

And the Hypocrites also.¹ These were told: “Come, fight in the way of God, or (at least) drive (The foe from your city).” They said: “Had we known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you.” They were that day nearer to Unbelief than to Faith, saying with their lips what was not in their hearts but God hath full knowledge of all they conceal.

The testing of the hypocrites was the searching out. of their motives and exposing them to the sight of their brethren, who might otherwise have been taken in. In the first place they gave counsels of caution: in their minds it was nothing but cowardice. In the second place, what they wished was not the good of the community but its being placed in a contemptible position. When the others were for self-sacrifice, they were for ease and fair words. Pretending to be Muslims, they were nearer to unbelief. Ironically they pretended to know nothing of fighting, and left their devout brethren to defend their faith and ideas. If that devout spirit did not appeal to them, they might at least have defended their city of Medīna when it was threatened-defended their hearths and homes as good citizens.