Translation of the meanings Ayah 246 Surah Al-Baqarah - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 246

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذۡ قَالُواْ لِنَبِيّٖ لَّهُمُ ٱبۡعَثۡ لَنَا مَلِكٗا نُّقَٰتِلۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالَ هَلۡ عَسَيۡتُمۡ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَٰتِلُواْۖ قَالُواْ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَٰتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدۡ أُخۡرِجۡنَا مِن دِيَٰرِنَا وَأَبۡنَآئِنَاۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوۡاْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّنۡهُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

(246) Have you not seen the notables among the Children of Israel, after ˹the time of ˺ Moses, when they said to a Prophet of theirs: “Point out a king for us so that we may fight in the path of Allah”. He said to them: “Would you then – should fighting be prescribed for you – not fight?” They said: “Why would we not fight in the path of Allah when we were expelled from our lands and ˹bereft of ˺ our children^[425]?” When fighting was mandated upon them, they took to their heels, except a few—Allah is surely All-Knowing of the unjust.

[425] Their women and children were taken captive by the enemy. (al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)