وَإِذْ قَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمْ فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ ۚ وَيَسْتَـْٔذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ وَمَا هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ ۖ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلَّا فِرَارًا 13
Translations
And when a faction of them said, "O people of Yathrib, there is no stability for you [here], so return [home]." And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, "Indeed, our houses are exposed [i.e., unprotected]," while they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qālat tā'ifatun minhum yā ahal Yathrib lā muqāma lakum farji'ū wa-yasta'dhinu farīqun minhumu an-nabiyya yaqūlūn inna buyūtanā 'awratun wa-mā hiya bi-'awratun in yurīdūn illā firāran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) during the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq) who sought permission to leave the battlefield, falsely claiming their homes were unprotected and vulnerable. Allah explicitly refutes their excuse, stating their homes were not actually in danger—their true intention was merely to flee from the battle. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates the cowardice and lack of faith of the hypocrites, who used pretexts to abandon the Prophet (ﷺ) and the believers during a critical moment of defense.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed during the Siege of Medina in the year 5 AH, specifically addressing the behavior of hypocrites during the Battle of the Trench when the confederate Arab tribes attacked Medina. The surah as a whole chronicles the trials faced by the Muslim community and exposes the treachery of those who claimed belief but lacked sincere commitment. Yathrib is the ancient name for Medina.
Related Hadiths
The siege of the Trench and the hypocrites' behavior is extensively documented in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, particularly in the accounts of this battle. Imam al-Bukhari reports detailed narratives of the cowardice displayed by the munāfiqūn during this campaign, which provide context for understanding this ayah's accusations.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah knows the true intentions behind our actions—mere excuses and pretexts cannot deceive Him. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to examine our own hearts for hidden doubts and hypocrisy, and to stand firm in faith even when facing difficulty and fear.
Related Ayahs
قُل لَّن يَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلْفِرَارُ إِن فَرَرْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ أَوِ ٱلْقَتْلِ وَإِذًا لَّا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."
إِنَّ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْقَـٰنِتَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرَٰتِ وَٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ وَٱلْخَـٰشِعَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمَـٰتِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظَـٰتِ وَٱلذَّٰكِرِينَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَٱلذَّٰكِرَٰتِ أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allāh often and the women who do so - for them Allāh has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
وَأَنزَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَـٰهَرُوهُم مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمْ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلرُّعْبَ فَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَأْسِرُونَ فَرِيقًا
And He brought down those who supported them among the People of the Scripture from their fortresses and cast terror into their hearts [so that] a party [i.e., their men] you killed, and you took captive a party [i.e., the women and children].
وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًا وَتَسْلِيمًا
And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allāh and His Messenger had promised us, and Allāh and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.