سَيَقُولُ ٱلْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا ٱنطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَىٰ مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا ذَرُونَا نَتَّبِعْكُمْ ۖ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا۟ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّن تَتَّبِعُونَا كَذَٰلِكُمْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَسَيَقُولُونَ بَلْ تَحْسُدُونَنَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 15
Translations
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 Allāh. Say, "Never will you follow us. Thus did Allāh say before." So they will say, "Rather, you envy us." But [in fact] they were not understanding except a little.
Transliteration
Sayaqolu al-mukhallafun idha intalaqtum ila maghanim litakhdhooha dharuna nattabi'ukum. Yuridun an yubaddilu kalama Allah. Qul lan tattabi'una kadalikum qala Allah min qabl. Fasayaqulun bal tahsudunna. Bal kanu la yafqahun illa qalila.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the hypocrites (munafiqun) who failed to participate in the expedition to Hudaybiyyah but sought to join when they heard about anticipated spoils of war. Allah exposed their insincerity and their desire to alter His divine decree—which had excluded them from this particular mission. The verse emphasizes that their exclusion was by divine command, not by human choice, and their subsequent accusations of envy reveal their limited understanding of divine wisdom.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah Al-Fath, which celebrates the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (6 AH). Some believers were prevented from joining the expedition due to various circumstances, and hypocrites attempted to join after the fact when spoils seemed imminent, revealing their true motivations centered on material gain rather than sincere devotion to Allah's cause.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (Book of Expeditions): Narrations about the Hudaybiyyah expedition detail how certain groups were excluded and how hypocrites behaved. Sahih Muslim contains hadith about the characteristics of hypocrites in surahs of this period, noting their concern with worldly gains over spiritual commitment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere devotion to Islam requires consistent commitment in all circumstances, not merely when worldly benefits appear; and that when believers are excluded from certain paths or blessings, it reflects divine wisdom rather than human prejudice, a lesson applicable to modern disappointments and perceived unfairness.
Related Ayahs
لِّيُدْخِلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
[And] that He may admit the believing men and the believing women to gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide therein eternally and remove from them their misdeeds - and ever is that, in the sight of Allāh, a great attainment
وَيُعَذِّبَ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَٱلْمُشْرِكَـٰتِ ٱلظَّآنِّينَ بِٱللَّهِ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۖ وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا
And [that] He may punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the polytheist men and polytheist women - those who assume about Allāh an assumption of evil nature. Upon them is a misfortune of evil nature; and Allāh has become angry with them and has cursed them and prepared for them Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
بَلْ ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنتُمْ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوْءِ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًۢا بُورًا
But you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, ever, and that was made pleasing in your hearts. And you assumed an assumption of evil and became a people ruined."
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا
It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion. And sufficient is Allāh as Witness.