The Quran

Preface

يَحسَبونَ الأَحزابَ لَم يَذهَبوا ۖ وَإِن يَأتِ الأَحزابُ يَوَدّوا لَو أَنَّهُم بادونَ فِي الأَعرابِ يَسأَلونَ عَن أَنبائِكُم ۖ وَلَو كانوا فيكُم ما قاتَلوا إِلّا قَليلًا

Yusuf Ali

They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn; and if the Confederates should come (again), they would wish they were in the deserts (wandering) among the Bedouins, and¹ seeking news about you (from a safe distance); and if they were in your midst, they would fight but little.

This completes the picture of the psychology of the Hypocrites, begun in verse 12. Let us analyse it. (1) When they first saw the enemy they were already in a defeatist mood, and thought all was over (verse 12). (2) Not content with disloyalty themselves, they tried to infect others, who made paltry excuses to withdraw from the fight (verse 13). (3) They were ready to betray the City to the enemy if the enemy had gained entrance (verse 14). (4) They forgot all the promises of fidelity which they had previously sworn (verse 15). (5) In their paltry calculations they forgot that cowardice in war does not pay (verses 16-17). (6) Without taking much part in the actual defence, they were ready to talk glibly and claim a lion’s share in the fruits of the victory (verses 18-19). (7) Even when the enemy had withdrawn, their cowardly minds were still afraid that the enemy would return, and were already meditating what they would do in that case; perhaps they would dwell in the deserts and spy on Medīna from a safe distance: and if caught in Medīna they would fight little and intrigue much.
It was a miracle that with such men in their midst, the holy Prophet and his band won through.