Quran 33:20 — Surah Al-Ahzaab Ayah 20 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

أَشِحَّةً عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ ٱلْخَوْفُ رَأ...

33:20

Al-Ahzaab

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ ...

يَحْسَبُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖ وَإِن يَأْتِ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِى ٱلْأَعْرَابِ يَسْـَٔلُونَ عَنْ أَنۢبَآئِكُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ فِيكُم مَّا قَٰتَلُوٓا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا

Yahsaboonal Ahzaaba lam yazhaboo wa iny yaatil Ahzaabu yawaddoo law annahum baadoona fil A'raabi yasaloona 'an ambaaa'ikum wa law kaanoo feekum maa qaatalooo illaa qaleela

They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.

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Ibn Kathir

يَحْسَبُونَ الاٌّحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُواْ

(They think that the Confederates have not yet withdrawn;) and that they are still close by and will return.

وَإِن يَأْتِ الاٌّحْزَابُ يَوَدُّواْ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ بَادُونَ فِى الاٌّعْرَابِ يَسْأَلُونَ عَنْ أَنبَآئِكُمْ

(and if the Confederates should come, they would wish they were in the deserts among the bedouins, seeking news about you;) means, `if the Confederates should come back, they hope that they will not be present with you in Al-Madinah, but that they will be in the desert, asking about news of you and what happened to you with your enemy.'

وَلَوْ كَانُواْ فِيكُمْ مَّا قَاتَلُواْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً

(and if they were to be among you, they would not fight but little.) means, `if they are among you, they will not fight alongside you very much,' because they are so cowardly and weak, and have so little faith, but Allah knows best about them.

View Full Tafsir: يَحْسَبُونَ الاٌّحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُواْAyahs 20–20

They (the residents of) Medina will abandon Medina whereas it is good for them and it will be haunted by beasts and birds, and two shepherds will come out from Muzainah intending (to go) towards Medina and tending their herd, and will find nothing but wilderness there until when they will reach the mountain path of Wada, they will fall down on their faces.

Sahih Muslim #3697Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The riders (carrying merchandise) should not be met in the way, and townsman should not sell for a man of the desert. The narrator reported. I said to Ibn 'Abbas: What do these words really imply-" The townsman for the man of the desert"? He said: That he should work as a broker on his behalf.