Verse. 223

٢ - ٱلْبَقَرَة

2 - Al-Baqara

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَھُوَكُرْہٌ لَّكُمْ۝۰ۚ وَعَسٰۗى اَنْ تَكْرَھُوْا شَـيْـــًٔـا وَّھُوَخَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ۝۰ۚ وَعَسٰۗى اَنْ تُحِبُّوْا شَـيْـــــًٔـا وَّھُوَشَرٌّ لَّكُمْ۝۰ۭ وَاللہُ يَعْلَمُ وَاَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ۝۲۱۶ۧ
Kutiba AAalaykumu alqitalu wahuwa kurhun lakum waAAasa an takrahoo shayan wahuwa khayrun lakum waAAasa an tuhibboo shayan wahuwa sharrun lakum waAllahu yaAAlamu waantum la taAAlamoona

English

Ahmed Ali

Enjoined on you is fighting, and this you abhor. You may dislike a thing yet it may be good for you; or a thing may haply please you but may be bad for you. Only God has knowledge, and you do not know.

216

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (warfare is ordained for you) in times of a general call to arms with the prophet (pbuh) (though it is hateful unto you) hard on you; (but it may happen that ye hate a thing) fighting in the way of allah (which is good for you) in that you obtain martyrdom and spoils, (and it may happen that ye love a thing) abstaining from fighting in the way of allah (which is bad for you) in that you will not obtain martyrdom or spoils. (and allah knoweth) that fighting in his way is better for you, (ye know not) that abstention from fighting in his way is bad for you. this was revealed about sa'd ibn abi waqqas, al-miqdad ibn al-aswad and their associates. it was then revealed regarding 'abdullah ibn jahsh and his companions who killed 'amr ibn al-hadrami and their asking about warfare during the sacred month-in reference here to rajab: i.e. the last afternoon of jumada ii, before seeing the moon of rajab-for the unbelievers had censored them from doing so.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : prescribed for you, obligatory [for you], is fighting, disbelievers, though it be hateful to you, by nature, because of the hardship involved. yet it may happen that you hate a thing which is good for you; and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you: because the soul inclines towards those desires which result in its destruction and its rejection of the religious obligations that would bring about its happiness. perhaps, then, even if you are averse to it, you will find much good in fighting, as a result of victory, booty, martyrdom or reward; while, if you were to reject fighting, even if you would like to do so, you will find much evil, because then you may be subjugated, impoverished and denied the reward; god knows, what is good for you, and you know, this, not, so strive in what he commands you.