Surah Fath Ayat 15 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 15
Those who remained behind will say when you set out toward the war booty to take it, “Let us follow you.” They wish to change the words of Allah. Say, “Never will you follow us. Thus did Allah say before.” So they will say, “Rather, you envy us.” But [in fact] they were not understanding except a little.
Those who lagged behind (will say), when ye (are free to) march and take booty (in war): “Permit us to follow you.” They wish to change Allah’s decree: Say: “Not thus will ye follow us: Allah has already declared (this) beforehand”: then they will say, “But ye are jealous of us.” Nay, but little do they understand (such things).
When you press forth for the spoils, those who were left behind will say: “Let us accompany you.” They want to change the command of Allah. Say to them (in clear words): “You shall not accompany us. Thus has Allah already said.” Then they will say: “Nay; but you are jealous of us.” The truth is that they understand little.
Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, “Allow us to follow you,” They want to change Allah’s Words. Say: “You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand.” Then they will say: “Nay, you envy us.” Nay, but they understand not except a little.
Those who were left behind will say, when ye set forth to capture booty: Let us go with you. They fain would change the verdict of Allah. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye shall not go with us. Thus hath Allah said beforehand. Then they will say: Ye are envious of us. Nay, but they understand not, save a little.
The ones who were left behind will soon say, when you go off after booty (The Arabic word is plural) to take it, “Give us leave to follow you closely, ” willing to exchange the Speech of Allah (for their own lies). Say, “You will never closely follow us; even thus Allah said earlier.” Then they will soon say, “No indeed, (but) you envy us.” No indeed, (but) they have not comprehended except a little.
When you [believers] set off for somewhere that promises war gains, those who [previously] stayed behind will say, ‘Let us come with you.’ They want to change God’s words, but tell them [Prophet], ‘You may not come with us: God has said this before.’ They will reply, ‘You begrudge us out of jealousy.’ How little they understand!
جب تم غنیمتیں لینے جانے لگو گے تو جھٹ سے یہ پیچھے چھوڑے ہوئے لوگ کہنے لگیں گے کہ ہمیں بھی اپنے ساتھ چلنے کی اجازت دیجئے، وه چاہتے ہیں کہ اللہ تعالیٰ کے کلام کو بدل دیں آپ کہہ دیجئے! کہ اللہ تعالیٰ پہلے ہی فرما چکا ہے کہ تم ہرگز ہمارے ساتھ نہیں چلو گے، وه اس کا جواب دیں گے (نہیں نہیں) بلکہ تم ہم سے حسد کرتے ہو، (اصل بات یہ ہے) کہ وه لوگ بہت ہی کم سمجھتے ہیں
Quran 48 Verse 15 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Fath ayat 15, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(48:15) When you press forth for the spoils, those who were left behind will say: “Let us accompany you.”[27] They want to change the command of Allah.[28] Say to them (in clear words): “You shall not accompany us. Thus has Allah already said.”[29] Then they will say: “Nay; but you are jealous of us.” The truth is that they understand little.
27. That is, the time is approaching when these very people who were shirking accompanying you on the dangerous journey, would see you going on an expedition in which there would be the possibility of attaining easy victory and much booty. Then they would come running and request you to take them also along. Such a time came just three months after the truce of Hudaibiyah, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) marched to Khaiber and took it easily. At that time everyone could see that after the truce with the Quraish not only Khaiber but the Jewish settlements of Taima, Fadak, Wadi-al-Qura and also others from northern Arabia would not be able to withstand the might of the Muslims and would easily fall to the Islamic State. Therefore, Allah in these verses forewarned the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the opportunists of the suburbs of Al-Madinah would come up to take part in and receive their share when they would see easy victories being attained, and that he should tell them plainly: You will never be allowed to take part in these, because only those who had gone forth to offer their lives in the conflict at Hudaibiyah regardless of every danger would be entitled o them.
28. Allah’s Word implies the decree that only those people would be allowed to accompany the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the expedition to Khaiber, who had taken part in the expedition to Hudaibiyah and sworn the pledge there, for Allah has reserved the spoils of Khaiber exclusively for them, as has been stated clearly in verse 18 below.
29. The words “Thus did Allah say before” caused the people the misunderstanding that this refers to some other command bearing upon the same subject that might have been sent down before this verse, and since no such command is found in this Surah before this verse, they started looking for it at other places in the Quran till they found (Surah At-Taubah, ayat 84), in which this very subject has been dealt with for another occasion. But that verse, in fact, does not apply to this, for it was sent down in connection with the Battle of Tabuk, and its period of revelation is three years after the period of revelation of Surah Al-Fatah. The fact of the matter is that this verse refers to (Surah Al-Fath, ayat 18-19) of this Surah itself, and Allah’s already having said this does not mean its having been said before this verse but its having been said to the laggards before this conversation. This conversation with the laggards about which advance instructions are being given to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to take place at the time of the expedition to Khaiber, and this whole Surah, including (verses 18-19), had been sent down three months earlier on return from Hudaibiyah on the way. A careful study of the context shows that Allah here is giving this instruction to His Messenger: When after your return at Al-Madinah the laggards come to you with their excuses, you should give them this reply, and when they express their desire to accompany you in the expedition to Khaiber, you should tell them this.
Ibn-Kathir
15. Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils, “Allow us to follow you.” They want to change Allah’s Words. Say: “You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand.” Then they will say: “Nay, you envy us.” Nay, but they understand not except a little.) Allah characterizes the bedouins who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah during the `Umrah of Hudaybiyyah, saying that when the Prophet and his Companions later went on to conquer Khaybar, the bedouins asked them to take them along. They were hoping to collect war booty, having been absent when it was time to fight the enemy and enduring with patience therein. Allah the Exalted ordered His Messenger to refuse to give them permission to accompany him, being a punishment that is similar to their error. Allah has promised those who were present at Al-Hudaybiyyah to earn Khaybar’s war spoils alone, not shared in that with the bedouins who lagged behind. Therefore, the legislation that Allah gave in this regard was joined to the destiny that He decided, occurring just as He decided. Allah’s statement,
(They want to change Allah’s Words), which refers to the promise that Allah gave those who were present at Al-Hudaybiyyah, according to the explanation reported from Mujahid, Qatadah, Juwaybir and which Ibn Jarir preferred. Allah said,
(Say: “You shall not follow us; thus Allah has said beforehand.”) `when He promised the participants of Al-Hudaybiyyah before you asked to join them,’
(Then they will say: “Nay, you envy us.”) `you do not want us to share the war spoils with you,’
(Nay, but they under- stand not except a little.) the truth is nothing close to what they claimed, but they understand not.
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