اَلَمْ تَرَ اِلَى الْمَلَاِ مِنْۢ بَنِىْۗ اِسْرَاۗءِيْلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مُوْسٰى۰ۘ اِذْ قَالُوْا لِنَبِىٍّ لَّہُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُّقَاتِلْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اؘ۰ۭ قَالَ ھَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ اِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ اَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوْا۰ۭ قَالُوْا وَمَا لَنَاۗ اَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللہِ وَقَدْ اُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَاَبْنَاۗىِٕنَا۰ۭ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْہِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا مِّنْہُمْ۰ۭ وَاللہُ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِالظّٰلِـمِيْنَ۲۴۶
Alam tara ila almalai min banee israeela min baAAdi moosa ith qaloo linabiyyin lahumu ibAAath lana malikan nuqatil fee sabeeli Allahi qala hal AAasaytum in kutiba AAalaykumu alqitalu alla tuqatiloo qaloo wama lana alla nuqatila fee sabeeli Allahi waqad okhrijna min diyarina waabnaina falamma kutiba AAalayhimu alqitalu tawallaw illa qaleelan minhum waAllahu AAaleemun bialththalimeena
Have you thought of the elders of Israel after Moses, and how they said to their apostle: "Set up a king for us, then we shall fight in the way of God?" He replied: "This too is possible that when commanded to fight you may not fight at all." They said: "How is it we should not fight in the way of God when we have been driven from our homes and deprived of our Sons?" But when they were ordered to fight they turned away, except for a few; yet God knows the sinners.