Sura-48 [Al Fath madina 111]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَا أَمْوَالُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا ...

48:11. The desert Arabs who lagged behind will say to thee: "We were engaged in (looking after) our flocks and herds, and our families;

C4878. When the Prophet started from Madinah on the Makkah journey which ended in Hudaybiyah, he asked all Muslims to join him in the pious undertaking, and he had a splendid response.

But some of the desert tribes hung back and made excuses. Their faith was but lukewarm, and they did not want to share in any trouble which the Makkah might give to the unarmed Muslims on pilgrimage. Their excuse that they were engaged in looking after their flocks and herds and their families was an after-thought, and in any case made after the return of the Prophet and his party with enhanced prestige to Madinah.

... فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا...

do thou then ask forgiveness for us."

...يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ...

They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.

C4879. They said this with their tongues, but no thought of piety was in their hearts.

...قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًا ...

Say:

"Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if His will is to give you some loss or to give you some profit?

C4880. Their false excuse was based on a calculation of worldly profit and loss. But what about the spiritual loss in detaching themselves from the holy Prophet or spiritual profit in joining in the splendidly loyal feelings of service and obedience which were demonstrated at Hudaybiyah?

And in any case they need not think that all their real and secret motives were not known to Allah.

...بَلْ كَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا ﴿١١﴾

but Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do.

بَلْ ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَى أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا...

48:12. "Nay, ye thought that the Messenger and the Believers would never return to their families;

...وَزُيِّنَ ذَلِكَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنتُمْ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ...

this seemed pleasing in your hearts, and ye conceived an evil thought,

C4881. Their faith was so shaky that they thought the worst would happen, and that the Makkan Quraish would destroy the unarmed band. In their heart of hearts they would not have been sorry, because they were steeped in wickedness and rejoiced in the sufferings of others. But such persons will burn in the fire of their own disappointment.

...وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًا بُورًا ﴿١٢﴾

for ye are a people lost (in wickedness)."

وَمَن لَّمْ يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَإِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَعِيرًا ﴿١٣﴾

48:13. And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire!

Asad’s Version:

[on return to Medina from Hudaybiyyah]

48:11 Those of the bedouin who stayed behind' will say unto thee: "[The need to take care of] our chattels and our families kept us busy: do then, [O Prophet,] ask God to forgive us!" [Thus,] they will utter with their tongues something that is not in their hearts. 10 Say: "Who, then, has it in his power to avert from you aught that God may have willed," whether it be His will to harm you or to confer a benefit on you? Nay, but God is fully aware of what you do!

(48:12) Nay, you thought that the Apostle and the believers would never

return to their kith and kin: and this seemed goodly to your hearts. 12 And you entertained [such] evil thoughts because you have always been people devoid of all good!"